Lord of the Abbey (39 page)

“
Scrolls!” Micah called out as he looked down into a tall earthenware jar and partially lifted the contents to look. “Thank God, you’re here, Trevan. It’s in Aramaic.”

“
Really?” Trevan stepped over to look at the scroll Micah held. “By God it is! I can’t wait to have a crack at that.” The Cornishman grinned widely.

There was a smaller and shallow wooden box on top of a stack of chests in a corner that drew Rowena’s attention. She walked closer. “Harry look there.” She pointed to the box which measured about three feet by four feet.

Harry reached out and brought the box down. He opened it. “God in Heaven!”

Rowena touched the clear crystal cross. “Can it be the Crystal Cross of Arthur given him by the Blessed Virgin?”

All crowded around them in the small space.

Harry carefully lifted the Crystal Cross, which was truly a quartz crystal cross. It was made of two large double terminated, ice clear natural quartz points grown through one another in perfectly symmetrical cruciform shape. Beneath the cross, resting against the old deep green velvet lay a small leather shield shaped emblem.

Rowena gasped, “This
is
the crystal cross of King Arthur, Harry! This is Arthur’s shield emblem, crystal cross on vert, with the picture of St. Mary and the infant Jesus in the upper right hand corner. And three crowns.”

“
I think it fitting that a gift from the heavens, or apport if you will, would be a natural cross, don’t you?” Micah touched the crystal. “Did you feel the energy in that Lady Rowena?”

“
It is very strong, Micah! Of course quartz crystal has a strong energy all its own. This is definitely an intense Holy energy that one might expect from such a spiritual apport. Harry, what on earth will we do with all this?” Rowena turned to him wide-eyed.

“
We’ll catalogue everything, study everything. And decide from there.” Harry shook his head in disbelief. He was overwhelmed by the bounty stored in the room. He leaned closer to Rowena, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “How does it feel, knowing you were correct? The abbot did have time to hide many of Glastonbury’s finest treasures!”

“
I think I am much too overwhelmed to feel anything at the moment.”

His Angel absolutely beamed with happiness.

“
This proves our theory, Harry. There’s no way a frail Abbot being watched by Thomas Cromwell’s men and a ten year old boy carried this down to this tunnel by themselves. We don’t know where this tunnel exits, but there is the chance they brought their booty down from the Manor,” Micah surmised.

Harry nodded, “Which means someone else knew, and the people watching us will be interested in what we’ve found if they found some record written by this other person, who knew about the hidden treasure or helped the Abbot and William.”

“
We’ll seal this chamber and the tunnel opening later, but until tomorrow when we can send someone to find the Tor tunnel exit, if it still even remains, we’ll set a guard down here and in the cellar tonight as well. With any luck, the Tor exit will already be sealed off from collapse. If so, we’ll be left with just our end here at Stonedown to worry about. Let’s get some sleep, and get up with the dawn to begin anew. The hour grows late.” Harry’s eyes rested on Rowena who was as he spoke hiding a yawn behind her hand.

He didn’t want her too exhausted. The two of them had other matters to tend to tonight.

Gabriel’s brother Thomas was pulled from the gallery to help him guard the new find during the night.

Wyldhurst went to relieve Lady Sperring and Sir John to take the night watch over Lyon.

After checking in on a still sleeping Lyon; Harry, Rowena, Micah and Charlie were all banished by Trevan to their rooms to get a full night’s sleep. Trevan would remain in the hall outside Rowena’s chamber to keep watch.

After Micah entered his chamber, Harry whispered to Rowena, “Get rid of your maid quickly and I’ll be in directly.”

She smiled knowingly up at him, her eyes darkening to resemble a blue gray storm as she closed the door behind her. Trevan stomped up the stairs. He and Harry talked until Betsey left her mistresses’ chambers. Harry slid silently into Rowena’s room.

Where his Angel sat sitting atop that magnificent, large bed brushing her hair. The nightgown she wore nearly transparent. Her golden hair gleamed in the candlelight. Her nipples were ruched and straining against the filmy fabric already.

Rowena leaned over and set her brush on the table beside her bed.

Harry stopped beside the bed, removed his coat, waistcoat and shirt. He sat, removed his boots then proceeded to spring at her, enfolding her in his arms. Grinning, he smothered her surprised giggles with his lips as he eased her back against the pillows, his hands covering the full, creamy breasts that entranced him so.

“
Are you too tired love? I will understand if you need to sleep. We did not sleep much last night.” Harry whispered after he lifted his lips from hers. He smoothed golden curls from her brow.

“
No. I am not too tired, Harry.” Her fingers traveled up his muscled chest.

His hand moved up the outside of her leg, gathering and lifting the transparent fabric as it did. His fingers moved to the juncture between her thighs and rested there. “Are you sore from last night, sweet?”

“
Not so very sore, Harry. I want you inside me again,” she whispered into his ear.

Her sweet honesty aroused him. “We can wait until dawn if you’d rather. You did engage in a lot of exercise this afternoon and evening as well.” He spoke of her lessons and their adventure into the tunnel. His hand left her mound, cupped one round buttock instead.

“
No. I do not wish to wait.”

She covered his lips with hers. Arched against him. Ground herself against his now hardening cock.

He frowned at her. “If you’re sore…”

“
Not too sore, Harry.” She shook her head. Kissed him deeply, again pressing herself against him.

Both hands now cupped her bottom. He pulled her closer, savoring the friction created by her grinding against him, his cock, engorged and straining against his trousers. Again she rubbed over him. He knew he could not deny her. “We’ll take it very easy tonight, love.” He whispered huskily as bent to drink from her honeyed mouth. He rose, quickly divested himself of his trousers. He turned to find his Angel already naked, sitting up, her pert and full breasts tempting him, her night gown lying forgotten in a pearly pool upon the floor.

“
Rowena, love, you’re beautiful!” he whispered. Reached out, covering her breasts with his hands. He paused to lave each tantalizing tip with his tongue. He was thankful tonight there was candlelight so he clearly saw every glorious inch of her. He couldn’t wait to watch her face when she came beneath him.

Rowena’s hands roamed over his shoulders and chest. “You are beautiful to me, Harry.”

He eased her back onto the pillows, straddled her with his legs, and moved his mouth slowly downward along her body, from her lips to her neck, then to explore, nip and suckle each breast until she squirmed beneath him. His mouth moved lower still, his tongue traveling along her firm belly, then further still to her mound, where he spent a great deal of time licking, laving and suckling, bringing her to a frenzied and powerful climax with his fingers, tongue and lips. After Rowena released her fingers from his rich, brown hair she met his dark, swirling gaze.

He moved upward quickly, entering her while her sheath still throbbed from her release, sank into the hot heat of her core, shuddered with the exquisite pleasure it brought him. He cradled her torso in his arms, kissing her while he moved deeply, but slowly inside her.

Rowena nearly wept, he was so tender and gentle. His hips, cradling her, his knees keeping her legs beneath him, where he lay fully atop her, the only movement came from his buttocks, thighs and hips as he thrust deep inside her.

Her hands tangled in his hair, her tongue moved with his. Rowena was helpless to do anything but lie beneath him and accept his tender loving. Return his hungry kisses. Kiss his strong jaw, his chin, his throat. A fire sparked deep inside her, burning low, between her thighs, then the flames fanned and burned, higher, hotter. She tried to buck beneath him, but his weight kept her pinned against the softness of the mattress, she was unable to do naught but accept stroke after stroke of the gentle and delicious pleasure as he kept the rhythm slow, going deep, stroking her fire into a raging inferno. “Harry, oh Harry!” Her voice trembled as the first glorious waves carried her over the edge into an endless sea of ecstasy, it was sweet torture, building, heightening and then she absolutely shattered. He was with her, his lips against her ear, groaning her name. He raised, shuddering above her, his breathing becoming more labored, as his body tensed rigid, the power of his hips thrusting him deeper and deeper within her.

Harry groaned loudly as she felt the warmth of his seed filling her. Rowena felt no man and woman were ever as joined as they were at that moment.

Harry lifted his head, prepared to roll off of her. Her arms came up, slid around his neck. “Stay inside me Harry, please.” She whispered against his chest. She did not want the spell to be broken, did not want them separated just yet. She felt his lips graze her temple. Felt him relax atop her. With Harry still deep inside her, Rowena easily slipped into blissful slumber.

Rowena stirred. Many hours had passed for the lone candle was now sputtering out. Blackness engulfed the room after the last, dying ember fluttered tall then disappeared. Her back was up against Harry’s chest, her bottom cradled by his hips, his arm around her. They both lay on their sides. She snuggled closer to him, her bottom coming into contact with the firmness of his erection.

She listened carefully, knew by his deep, even breathing and the peaceful rise and fall of his chest he still slept. She tried to ignore the hardness of him against her, but gave up trying. She found herself aroused, knowing that even in his sleep he wanted her. She pressed her derrière against him again, felt the hardness of him poke into the soft cushion of her flesh. Again she rubbed against him. Felt his shaft harden further.

This time his arm tightened around her, his fingers splayed against her belly. She felt him thrust powerfully against the soft flesh of her derrière, the head of his cock nudging firmly against the dampness of her opening.

“
Now I know you are indeed an angel, for if this is not heaven, Rowena, I don’t know what is.”

His husky whisper tickled her ear. She smiled. His hand moved over the curve of her hip to her back, then down to cradle one globe of her bottom.

The tip of his engorged cock rested at her wet opening. Harry intended to slide himself into her. He sucked in his breath when she pushed her own hips against him to take him fully. Remembering her soreness, he strove to keep the rhythm slow and gentle. He felt every thrust so keenly, for she was so tight. As he moved in and out, she pushed her bottom back to accept him more fully. His hand moved to her breasts, to tease and caress.

He knew he couldn’t last much longer, a sheen of perspiration beaded at his brow and already his balls were tight.

When Rowena increased the pace of her movements, Harry knew he would not last, he was so aroused, burning in sweet agony as she slid her sheath up and down him, taking him fully into her each time. His hand moved to grasp her hip, pulling her tight against him as he pushed his cock deeper into her. He held her there, impaled, immobile, while his fingers moved to the nub hidden in the folds of her mound to bring her release.

“
Rowena, I can’t last long now, sweet. You’re driving me mad, I’m going to come,” his voice was thick, husky. Feeling his body tighten, he took her nub between two fingers and worked it, applying deep pressure. The result was instantaneous, Rowena arched against him, pushed her hips back further, moaned with the force of her release. As she convulsed against him, her breathing uneven, Harry wrapped his arms around her, pushed into her wet heat with quick, deep thrusts until he exploded. He breathed her name over and over, shuddering as his seed spilled inside her. He moved inside her slowly, but deeply, for more long moments until his release was complete.

When at last he could breathe again, he whispered, “Please tell me you’ll marry me, Rowena. I can’t imagine not having you in my arms every night. Doing
this
, every night!”

“
I will marry you Harry. For I could never sleep without you again either.”