Lord of the Abbey (51 page)

Their party unanimously agreed. Rowena smiled happily. “William’s letter all but confirmed the House of Avallach was here! That explains the Avallach spring Micah and I discovered in the cellar! Now this. And once again, the treasure is here at Stonedown.”

Rowena continued, “We looked up the date of William’s death in
The History of the Dulacs of Glastonbury
this afternoon
.
He died the day after he wrote this letter on Michaelmas in 1601. Archangel Michael truly was waiting for him,” Rowena said sadly. Absently, she fingered the silver, diamond and sapphire pendant she wore round her neck.

“Then tomorrow morning, after breakfast, we’ll go to the crypt. We’ll resume our duties for the Faire and Ball directly after. We are nearly out of time! Tomorrow is it. I’m afraid we must wait to read this book of William’s, if we indeed find it tomorrow morning, until after our festivities are concluded!” Harry stepped forward to move Rowena’s chair back when the ladies announced they were retiring. Sir John excused himself also.

The gentlemen stayed in the library for awhile to partake in another round of brandy. As all present were members of the Avalon Society, they avidly discussed William Dulac’s letter and the Abbot’s list. And most importantly what should be done with the incredible and all important secrets unfolding here at Glastonbury. With those questions to ponder, the gentlemen retired early, for the next day promised to be a long and busy one.

For the first night since they first shared a bed, Harry and Rowena slept the entire night through. However, they did both wake in amorous moods. Though they hurried, they were a trifle late coming down to breakfast.

No one seemed overly surprised.

There was a crowd piled into the crypt of Stonedown Manor. If no one knew where to find the
Secretum Domini
before entering the crypt, most of them knew the moment they looked at William’s sarcophagus. For resting at the foot of the ornate marble sarcophagus, was a large coat of arms. The Abbey coat of arms! The symbol of protection for the Abbey since the days of King Arthur.

It did not take Harry long to find the trigger, the right-hand corner of the shield housing the Virgin and her child popped open, revealing a space large enough to hold a red leather bound book, titled quite unsurprisingly,
Secretum Domini.

Upon returning to the house, the manuscript was placed in the safe along with the sapphire and ampullae, which were returned to the protection of the safe the previous day.

Everyone returned to the preparations for the Faire and Ball. The day was long and hectic, but finally when they met in the drawing room after a late dinner, they discovered everything was in order, and every last detail was covered. At least they hoped so. It was a tired group that fell into their beds just before midnight on the eve of their huge event.

It was said later, that the entire town of Glastonbury turned out for the Arthurian Faire on Glastonbury Abbey grounds. The late April day dawned dry and sunny. Colorful Arthurian type tents were erected along the grounds here and there. Brightly colored banners flapped gently in the mild breeze. There were vendors, music and dancing, not to mention games, and races. Large, sturdy tables groaned under the weight of the food supplied for the guests by both Stonedown and Abbey Grange. A jousting match was planned as the culmination of the Faire and was to take place at four o’clock and would be performed by Wyldhurst, Elveston, Charlie, Newt, Trevan and some of his brothers and cousins.

The new Lord and Lady Glaston were kept very busy greeting and conversing with the townspeople. They made a dashing couple, he in a finely cut coat of bottle green paired with dark fawn trousers and a fine top hat, and she in a delightful walking dress of spring green trimmed in fawn ribbons and cream lace. She carried with her an airy cream-colored parasol.

The townsfolk were happy to become better acquainted with Lord Glaston, who chose to make Abbey Grange his permanent residence. Though most already knew and respected Glastonbury’s own Rowena Bellingham nee Locke, they were happy to witness the local beauty displayed on the arm of her handsome new husband.

In fact most of the talk of the day centered on the handsome couple, who were obviously enamored of one another. Many an unmarried young lady sighed dreamily upon seeing them and hoped fondly that she might find such a romantic union, while their mamas wished for a similar catch as Rowena Bellingham nee Locke found for their own daughters. A handsome, titled and wealthy gentleman.

Of course all the matchmaking mamas were quite thrilled to find the attendance of such a large number of unmarried and titled gentlemen in one single location, and a Duke among them! It was rather unusual for Glastonbury to attract such a large gathering of fine and titled gentlemen. Even if their daughters were below the station of said gentlemen, those mamas still held out for the possibility their daughter might catch the eye and interest of one such gentleman. That perhaps their daughter might have at very least a chance for a love match with one of them.

Said fine, titled, gentlemen spent their time flirting with pretty young ladies, and perhaps an attentive matron or two, and then dodging the more determined young ladies-a-hunting-husbands, and no doubt some of their equally determined mamas.

A few of said gentlemen even wandered off with some rather common women of somewhat questionable morals, who as rumor had it might be more commonly found in one of the taverns in the town. In fact, Deveril Pendarves, a Cornishman with the reputation for being quite an amorous and rakish sort of man, and his cousin Rheese Carlyon, were found in the Abbey barn in the company of three such questionable women. In the hay. It was said that all five of them were barely clothed when found. Of course it was a rumor and never was confirmed.

There were several unmarried and if not eligible, were at least respectable young men who watched Lady Caroline and Lady Sarah longingly from afar. They dared not get too near for the party of fine and titled gentlemen who hovered ever near the pair, included of course, their protective elder brothers.

When it came time for the King Arthur joust, the crowd converged on the section of grounds set up as the tournament field.

Rowena and Harry stood beside Micah and Lyon, who were both seated and unable to participate in the joust due to their injuries. As Harry was the host of the day’s affairs, he chose to not participate.

At precisely four o’clock, trumpets heralded the arrival of the fine Knights, dressed in brightly colored tunics, their horses wearing ribbons that matched the colors of their costumes.

The men competed in various activities for the title of Grand Knight. There was much humor, and play acting. Much ribaldry and jest. The crowd eagerly chose their champions and rooted for them loudly.

Harry, Rowena, Micah and Lyon were much entertained, watching their friends make grand spectacles of themselves.

Wyldhurst was quite the thespian and garnered quite a following from the crowd with his booming voice, his grand flourishes and attempts at highly overdone chivalry. The Duke of Penrose made a fine opponent for him. He garnered just as many fans with his equally booming voice hurling humorous threats and lewd accusations toward Wyldhurst, causing the crowd to erupt in raucous laughter.

Elveston was quiet, but proved to have a penchant for cheating and taking advantage of any edge, which gained him many loud, boisterous cheers from the crowd. Indeed, his underhandedness was quite favored during the tournament.

Newt was gentlemanly, quiet, saying virtually little in all honesty, yet managed to unseat all of the fine Lords and went on to face the other champion of the day, Tristan Chynoweth, the champion of the Cornishmen, “Tristan the Fair of Face” as he had been dubbed by his opponents.

And before he went onto the field of battle, to face the last standing “Lord Newt”, in the final tournament of the day, Tristan claimed a peach colored ribbon from the Fair Lady Caroline, which he tied onto his sleeve before going into battle.

Harry looked concerned. Rowena patted his arm. “Now, Harry. They are both young. Do not fret.”

“Tristan is not so young that he hasn’t committed many a sin with many a woman younger or older, married or unmarried, my love. I would wager he has bedded women twice his age and scores of women in general.”

“He has shown your sister nothing but respect. And remember, he
is
a Viscount, Harry.”

“With a reputation of a rake.” Harry raised his brow.

Behind them, Lyon snickered. “Doesn’t every one of us here with you today, Harry, possess such a reputation, yourself included.”

“Harry no longer has such a reputation, Lyon, for he is now married. Caught and tamed are, I believe, the words he used when he bespoke the same to me,” Rowena told Lord Amesbury with as stern an expression as she could muster. However, she giggled immediately after saying it.

“Ah. Forgive me Lady Glaston. I did forget, just momentarily, that Harry is now married and no longer a rake,” Lyon rolled his eyes when Harry glowered at him.

“I do not know what the two of you are saying, I’ve
never, ever
held the reputation of a rake,” Micah mentioned, in a very serious tone.

Harry and Lyon both looked at him with raised brows. Lyon was the one who said it, though Harry was tempted. “You do possess a reputation, Micah. But you are the silent, polite, brooding one with big, sad eyes that lure the ladies to you like a magnet. They all want to make you smile, to be the one who lifts you from your melancholy. The one who saves you. You’ve quite the reputation. I can remember at least three occasions that I am certain you used such wiles to attract the attention of a widow, a young lady of questionable reputation, and one very buxom barmaid. And even if you did not so effectively draw in the ladies with those big, sad eyes, you are simply guilty by your association with the rest of us. Surely you’ve heard us called the Lusty Lords of Avalon?”

Rowena’s eyes grew large. She looked to Harry. “Lusty Lords of Avalon?”

“Lyon made that up, Rowena, for I have never heard us called such,” Micah declared. He smiled smugly at Harry. “He made it all up, for neither did I knowingly deceive a widow, a young lady nor a barmaid.”

“Yet, I did find you lying atop my wife. I suppose it was in the name of heroism,” Harry winked at Rowena.

“Wait a minute! What are you talking about, Harry? Lyon? I have no such reputation!” Micah looked perplexed. He didn’t remember the last time he even had sex. When an amorous opportunity presented itself and he was inclined to partake, he did so. Those occasions were rare. Otherwise, he didn’t think about it. Hadn’t much since Lucy died. With Lucy, sex became entwined with love. He did not find much use for the first, without the second.

“Don’t listen to them, Micah. Of course you don’t. You are far too kind and caring to have garnered such a reputation.” Rowena rose immediately to Micah’s defense.

“And I didn’t purposely lie atop Rowena, Harry, she could have been shot. I was protecting her, just as you did not fifteen minutes after me. I looked and there you were lying atop your wife on the floor,” Micah offered in his own defense.

Harry raised his brow. He enjoyed baiting Micah, and so he went further. Though he trusted Micah and his wife completely, Harry reasoned he was a little bit jealous of the friendship between his friend and his wife, and he could not resist the temptation to say more. “I think you enjoyed lying atop my wife, Micah, no matter how brief the encounter was.”

“No, I did not!” Micah began. When Rowena whipped around to pin him with an angry and possibly wounded expression, he then said, “Yes, I enjoyed it.” When Harry glowered at him, Micah sighed in exasperation and simply said, “I don’t know if I enjoyed it or not, Harry. It all happened so quickly.” He shrugged innocently.

“Good answer, Micah.” Harry winked at him. Smiled.

Rowena snapped Harry on the arm with her fan. She countered in a far too serious tone, “I think, my Lord, that were I you, I would be more concerned with whether or not
my wife
enjoyed said encounter with Lord Wincanton.” She tried to keep a stern and haughty tone. Instead she very nearly giggled when she saw Harry’s shocked expression.

She was goading him, he knew it. So he came back at her. “I shall concern myself with just that thing, wife, when next we are alone. And I shall make certain that you enjoy my lying atop you much better than the scant few seconds Wincanton did.”