Page 32 of The Curse of Penryth Hall
“Mobs are unruly things. If you’re with me, not a soul will raise a hand against you—or if you’re out of sight, they won’t risk my wrath by seeking you out.”
“Are you all that frightening?”
He gave me a slight smirk and continued glowering at me.
I settled back into the sofa. “Very well. I suppose I’m yourcaptive then.” I shot him a glance up through my lashes. “You don’t happen to have a spare pair of clothes, do you? Something a little less…”
“Bloody?”
I pressed my lips together. “Yes. That.”
“I’ll walk with you back to Penryth Hall once you’ve eaten. Do not leave the estate grounds without me. No one will hunt you but I don’t want to have to solve your murder too. I want your word on it, Ruby Vaughn.” His expression was dark and foreboding. Brooking no argument.
I opened my mouth to argue anyway, but considering the way my day had gone, I tended to agree with him. I was rather fond of my neck. So Penryth Hall it would be.
CHAPTERFIFTEENAnd Promises Broken
ITtook far longer than it ought for the pair of us to make it back to Penryth Hall. While my strength was returning quickly, my head felt precisely the same way it had the afternoon after the Armistice party I’d thrown in France. Now,thathad been a spectacular debauch despite the scant rations.
Ruan let out a decidedly amused sound and I turned to him. “What?”
He started to answer and his affable expression faded away. “Oh, bloody hell…”
I followed his gaze to where I spotted the object of his ire. Reverend Fortescue was storming up the dirt path, his black coat flapping in the wind giving him the appearance of a great perturbed bat going up the gravel walk. Hands flailing as he muttered something beneath his breath.
“Morning, Reverend,” I called out rather cheerfully considering I shared Ruan’s sentiment with regard to the fellow.
Reverend Fortescue scowled as he crossed the distance between us. Likewise, over my shoulder, Ruan smoldered. Not in the attractive way that large dark-haired men had a knack for doing, but in the same fashion as a fuse on a munition,sizzling its way down to the shell before finally setting off a catastrophe.
“I thought I’d warned you, Miss Vaughn, about the sort of company you keep?” The vicar snarled in Ruan’s direction.
I shrugged lightly, despite the deep ache in my muscles. I would pay dearly for this goading. “I’ve always been a terrible listener I’m afraid. Did you come from the house?”
If there were any truth to this Pellar business, the vicar would have incinerated on the very spot. Then again, the feeling was mutual. The awful man’s upper lip curved into what could only be described as a sneer.
“I’m afraid I have things to do, Miss Vaughn,” Ruan growled. “Can you make it the rest of the way on your own?” Wise man. Cut bait and run. I’d rather wished I could do the same, but as I was headed to Penryth there was no chance of avoiding continued conversations with the vicar.
I summoned a breezy smile and nodded. For a moment I saw the worry flash in his eyes. He couldn’t possibly know how much it hurt to feign this ease. “I’m fine. Truly.” My eyes met his and he gave me a curt nod, before abandoning the field.
Ruan wasn’t even out of earshot before the vicar launched into a litany against the man, which I could not allow, even in my weakened state.
“—Reverend.” I interrupted his tirade. “I am afraid I’m not feeling well. If you would excuse me.”
He wagged a finger at me. “I warned you, Miss Vaughn. No good will come of carrying on with men of his sort. Just look at you. Your lovely face has been—”
I bristled. I didn’t give a damn about my face, it was mine—for better or worse—and there wasn’t a thing I could do to change what had happened to it. I turned without bothering saying goodbye and called back over my shoulder, “Say a prayer for it then, won’t you?”
MRS.PENROSE METme at the door, having just seen the back of thegoodvicar. She glanced warily past me at the path from which I’d just come as if to reassure herself that he was not returning.
“I’m not overfond of him, maid. Always sniffing about the mistress like a dog in rut. Even before what happened to poor Sir Edward. Something isn’t right about that one.”
I wrinkled my nose at the thought. “What did he want today?”
“What does he ever want? No one can tell.” She threw her hands up in defeat. “I’d think he was after marriage, but what could one like that offer Lady Chenowyth?” Mrs. Penrose sighed, shutting the door and sliding the bolt for good measure. Her expression fell as she got a good look at my face. “Oh, maid, you look a fright. Let’s get you to the kitchen and see what we can do, hmm?” Tired from the walk, and half starved, I gave in to her maternal ministrations and followed her belowstairs.
Half an hour later, having downed two cups of warm honey milk and between bites of smoked turbot, I wheedled out of her that Tamsyn had spent the afternoon in the garden. She’d gone for a walk that morning and hadn’t returned. My heart gave an irrational stutter at the thought. I had gone years without worrying for her safety, even thinking much of her, and yet now—it seemed to consume me the minute I was within reach of her. I dabbed my mouth and made my escape from Mrs. Penrose, not before snagging one of her ginger biscuits, then headed upstairs to change into some fresh clothes.
The darkened halls of Penryth were no cheerier this afternoon than they had been when I left this morning. Despite my head pounding terribly, I managed to turn myself out neatly enough in my riding breeches and a loose-fitted mint blouse and set off to find Tamsyn.
