The Foundling Bride

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‘I think you underestimate her, Marcus. I strongly suspect that she has the courage to pit her will against any man—including you,’ Lady Alice said quietly.

Marcus’s face tensed and he gave his mother a sharp look. ‘Rest assured, Mother. Lowena is quite safe from me. Now, tell me what you have been up to since you were removed from Tregarrick.’

‘I’ve been to Devon to stay with my dear friend Anne Holland and her family—she thought some time away after the funeral would be a comfort to me. But never mind that. We must make arrangements for Lowena.’

‘Very well. What do you suggest?’

‘I shall see that she is given responsible work. In fact Dorothy, my personal maid, is not as young as she was, and I have noticed that she is slowing down of late—not that I would say anything...the last thing I want to do is upset her. Lowena is a bright young thing, and if she is in agreement—even though I think her talents would be wasted—I will train her as a lady’s maid. I’ll give her a few days to settle in and then I’ll discuss it with her. Leave it with me. I will deal with it.’

‘Thank you—that is a relief. Although I worry about what will happen to her when we leave for London. Would you think of taking her with you?’

‘Certainly, if she accepts the position I offer her. Without Izzy, and with Hester and Kenza married now, and Annie having gone to live with Hester, she is quite alone in the world, poor girl. I often wonder about her—who were her parents and where did she come from?’

She sighed.

‘I’ve always had a fondness for her—and I know you have too, and that because you were the one who found her you have always felt responsible for her. However, for all her provincial ways, I feel she is not of the servant class. My heart goes out to her, for I cannot imagine what it would be like to be without family.’

‘Lowena always considered Izzy’s family her own.’

‘I know, but it’s not the same, Marcus. After all this time I don’t suppose we will ever know where she comes from. She’s such a bright girl, with an intelligence I have not witnessed before in a young lady. Not even Juliet. Izzy taught her well—although a great deal of what she has learned she’s gleaned from the books she borrows from the library at Tregarrick. Izzy was disappointed that her own girls did not have the same enthusiasm for learning.’

Gazing at her son she smiled.

‘You really do look very handsome in your red coat, Marcus, but I imagine you’ll have to discard it now you’re no longer a soldier.’

‘I intend to. But I’ve worn uniform for so long that I’ve outgrown most of my clothes. I thought I’d ride into St Austell and visit the tailor. I intend to call at the mine on the way.’

* * *

Sheltered in the protective folds of low hills was the Tregarrick estate. It dated back several centuries, and each generation of the Carberrys had made its mark on the house with some addition or alteration. It was a beautiful house, with an air of permanence and importance about it. Built of Cornish granite, its very solidity gave it an air of solemnity. Large mullioned windows allowed light to pour into the interior, the gardens were beautifully landscaped, and the high surrounding walls and tall iron gates concealed the private lives of those within.

Lowena put her hand on the gate at the same moment as a skein of geese left the lake and took to the air overhead in a V formation, and she did not see the curtain that was let fall to cover a window as the watcher moved to follow the girl.

Once through the gates, Lowena headed towards the sea. When it reached the coastal path the land sloped down towards the village, which had clung to the Cornish cliffs for centuries. Life there was something of a challenge, fishing, farming and mining being the bedrock of the community, but the village was not to be Lowena’s destination today.

Heading west, she followed the coastal path. Lady Alice had been kind enough to allow her a day to settle in at the cottage, so she had taken advantage of the fine weather to walk by the sea. She was grateful to Mr Marcus for removing her from Tregarrick. At least now she would be free of the predatory attentions of its owner.

As she walked along she took delight in the wild flowers that grew in abundance, along with the overgrown prickly gorse bushes, ablaze with yellow flowers, and the brambles and honeysuckle running rampant in the hollows and thickets.

Having walked some distance, she suddenly had an eerie sense that she was being followed. Halting her step, she turned and glanced back. Apart from the distant faint rhythm of the sea breaking gently upon the shore she could hear nothing, and there was no one in sight, but she had an unsettling feeling—as though someone was watching her. After a moment she carried on walking, thinking that perhaps she was imagining it.

Focusing her attention on the endless miles of sea, she saw that today it was calm, the waves breaking lazily on the soft smooth sand. A small fishing boat heading towards the village sailed slowly by on the calm water, followed by squawking gulls. Ahead of her, about half a mile away, was the cursed cove, and beyond that the Carberry mine, Wheal Rozen. Its tall chimney was clearly visible.

Below ground its shafts stretched right out beneath the sea. A shudder made its way down her spine, as it always did when she thought of the men who toiled in cramped, hot and airless conditions, working in fear of rock falls and many suffering chest conditions which would shorten their lives.

At nineteen, Lowena was in the uncertainty between being a young lady and a woman. Since Izzy had died she had been cast adrift, alone in a world she did not understand. Before, she had been an orphan too, she supposed, but she had never felt like one. Izzy had loved her family and sacrificed so much for them, and Lowena would be eternally grateful to her for making her a part of that family.

They had been a joyous family—full of fun and laughter—and throughout Lowena’s childhood they had shaken their heads and teased her whenever she’d studied too long at her books, laughingly saying—not unkindly—what a cuckoo it was that had arrived in their nest from nowhere.

The description hadn’t concerned her, because the fact was that she was different. Izzy’s teachings and encouragement to advance herself had inspired Lowena. She had often reflected on her future, and before Izzy had died she had considered following the same path she had taken and becoming a governess. Her world and her aspirations for the future had fallen apart when Izzy had died, and her passing had left her bereft until Lady Alice had been kindness itself and taken her on as a servant at Tregarrick.

But Lowena was a restless soul, with a yearning to be free of all constraints, and her spirit was as wild as the moor to the north. With a sudden release of energy she broke into a run as if the Devil himself pursued her. Her skirts flapped about her legs and her unbound hair streamed behind her like a ship’s pennant.

Not until she reached her destination did she slow her step.

Cornwall had hundreds of coves along its coastline, many of them ideal for smuggling. Protected by high ragged cliffs, giving shelter to the east and west, the cove below her now was small in size. The tide was out, but at high tide it was inaccessible. Hidden from the cliff path, making it completely private, this cove was Lowena’s favourite, and she did not fear it as she did the cursed cove, which she always avoided.

Breathless from her exertions, she left the path and pushed her way through a narrow opening in the gorse bushes. Her cheeks were flushed pink, the colour heightening the intensity of her amber eyes. With care she climbed down to the beach and walked to the edge of the surf, taking in deep breaths of clean air. The sun was sitting on the distant horizon and the sky was an azure blue. Last night the sky had been red. Sailors said a red sky at night meant sailors’ delight. How she hoped that was true.

She was snatched from her preoccupations when she heard a sound behind her. Spinning round, she saw Edward Carberry swaggering towards her. She shuddered, and felt herself shrink as he approached her. She hated him with a vengeance, and distrusted his presence now as she had distrusted it many years ago, when she had become aware of him as the future Lord Carberry and he had so cruelly called her ‘that foundling bastard’.

But that had never stopped him looking at her, watching her, biding his time until Izzy or the servants she now worked with were not there to protect her.

When Edward stopped in front of her there was a sneer on his mouth—and it was a cruel mouth, twisted in perpetual contempt for those who, in his opinion, were beneath him. His eyes were heavy-lidded, beguiling, gloating and hungry. He looked at her with impudent admiration, letting his gaze travel from her eyes to her mouth and then, after lingering on its soft fullness, moving down to the gentle swell of her breasts beneath her bodice.

‘Well, well, Miss Trevanion! They do say as how, if one is patient enough, one will get what one wants in the end. My half-brother may have removed you from the house, but you are not out of my reach.’

As she tried to force words to her lips Lowena hated the smile which twisted his mouth. Standing stiffly, every nerve of her body tense, she knew her eyes were wary as they watched him.

‘I cannot imagine what you mean, Sir Edward,’ she replied, her look one of pure innocence even while she knew perfectly well what was in his mind. ‘Please be so kind as to step aside.’

‘Not yet, Miss Trevanion.’

Lowena stared at him with fear-filled eyes. Lord Carberry was a powerful man, and if he attacked her she would not be strong enough to fend him off. All she had was her determination to escape him and two good legs. Fair-haired and blue-eyed, his features handsomely wrought, his bold gaze swept over her once more, taking in every detail of her flower-sprigged blue dress, and all the while he continued to smile that hateful twisted smile, so much more suave and slippery of manner than any man she knew.

In the depths of his cold eyes something stirred, and she felt a strong desire to push him away. There was an air of menace about him that entered her heart like a sliver of ice.

Realising she was in terrible danger, she backed away, feeling sea water fill her shoes but uncaring at that moment. ‘I asked you to let me pass. I have to get back to Lady Alice.’

‘Oh, such a proud beauty,’ he said, laughing softly. ‘I’ll be happy to let you pass...for the price of a kiss.’

‘I will not. You—you followed me—’

‘I thought that was what you wanted when I saw you turn on the cliff path and look back. At any rate, I am at liberty to seek you out whenever I please.’ Tilting his head to one side, Edward cocked a smooth, elegant brow, the glint in the depths of his eyes needle-sharp. ‘You did know I was following you, did you not, Lowena?’

He was taunting her, as he invariably did when he managed to waylay her, and she stiffened, half with anger and half with apprehension at being alone with him. She met his eyes, so bold, gazing down at her, taking in every detail of her fear-filled face.

With his handsome looks and the merry twinkle in his eye, it was hard to believe he was anything other than a gentleman, and she could understand why all the girls she knew in the village, even those who had been born to rich families, made eyes at him and vied for his favours—but she was not one of them.

‘I did not,’ she said sharply in reply to his question, hating the nervous tremor she was unable to control in her voice. She knew what had happened to his wife, and had always felt sorry for him, but she found it both annoying and distasteful that he paid her so much attention. It did not go unnoticed by the people she worked with and she was embarrassed by it. It was uncomfortable to be singled out.

‘Had I known, I would not have come to the cove.’

‘No?’ he murmured, his face and voice expressing a disappointment he did not feel. ‘I wanted to thank you for standing watch last night. You did well.’

‘I was obeying orders. I didn’t want to do it, but I was left with no choice.’

‘There will be other nights I shall call on you.’

‘I will not do it again. Your brother—’

‘Will not stop you when I send for you,’ he was quick to inform her, anger flaring in his eyes. ‘It is me you answer to—not my brother. He knows better than to interfere in my affairs. Anyone—and I mean anyone—who informs on me or meddles in what I do—be it Marcus or anyone else—will rue the day he was born.’

Lowena remained silent. She found the implication of his words and the threat he posed towards his brother deeply troubling.

His sudden surge of anger had diminished and, reaching out, Edward touched the thick tress of her hair which hung over her breast. She recoiled sharply, and her eyes still blazed in her lovely face. His own eyes narrowed when he saw the expression in hers, and there was a moment of silence—intense, burning...

When Lowena failed to lower her eyes he recognised in that moment that Lowena Trevanion possessed something quite rare. Whatever it was that he saw he wanted a part of it, and he was prepared to be patient, to wait for it, secure in the knowledge that it would be his.

‘Ever since you came to work at the house,’ he went on, ‘I have waited for this. I thought the opportunity to get you alone would never come when my stepmother watched my every move. You are looking very lovely today.’

His voice was thick and seductive—a trick that had always proved irresistible to the many ladies of his acquaintance. His eyes rested on the soft flesh at the base of her neck, where a pulse throbbed gently, before lowering to the soft swelling of her breasts.

Instinctively Lowena put her hands to her throat, angry with herself for having inadvertently led him to this place where she had no defence.

‘Please do not speak to me like this. I have to go. Lady Alice will have need of me. I said I would not be long.’

‘To hell with my stepmother. Let someone else do her bidding.’

‘Let me go...’ she breathed, her eyes flashing angrily.

She made a move to pass him, but his hand shot out and he seized her arm. Snatching it away instantly, she backed further into the foaming surf.

‘Take your hands off me and let me pass at once.’

Edward stared at her for a moment, and then the mocking smile was back. ‘What spirit you have, Lowena. You remind me of a horse that is unbroken—a horse that is in need of a master. Me.’

It was not a threat he uttered—more a statement of fact. Lowena went cold, the blood draining from her face as she saw sudden fire leap in his eyes.

‘What do you want?’

‘You,’ he answered smoothly, moving closer. ‘Come, Lowena, why so hostile? I have done nothing to justify it. As lovely as you are, you know how much I like you.’

Words fell from his gilded tongue effortlessly, as if they carried no weight or conviction.

Lowena’s face flushed hotly with indignation. ‘Please—do not speak to me in this manner, sir. It is not proper. I am nothing to you.’

‘You will be. You are a servant in my house—or you were until my brother whisked you away to wait on his mother. However, since I pay your wages it means I have certain rights.’

Lowena’s eyes blazed with anger. How dared he treat her in this manner, as if she were nothing at all? ‘Where I am concerned you have no rights. I do the work I am paid for and nothing more.’

Her remark made him laugh, throwing back his head and letting his laughter ring round the cove and echo through the caves beneath the cliff. ‘You are so lovely, Lowena, and delightful when you are angry. At least you are not indifferent to me.’

Before Lowena could react, his hands shot out and he drew her towards him. Too late she realised that he had succeeded in slipping through her guard and arousing her to an expression of her personal feelings, forcing her to a trembling awareness of him when all she wanted was to avoid him and put him from her mind.

Raising her hands, she tried to fend him off, to escape this nightmare she had fallen into. She began to fight him, blindly thrashing in his iron grip, but his arms became bonds. His mouth ground down onto hers, silencing her cries of outrage. Inwardly she seethed, finding his assault disgusting. His mouth was wet, hot and hard, and she hated it. It revolted her senses. She struggled and fought but he held her easily.

He was behaving like a depraved beast, intent on ravishment, without tenderness or decency. He must be aware of the force he was inflicting on her. He wanted power over her, but she would resist to her dying breath. She struggled fiercely, convinced that this sexually excited man had but one objective.

‘Let me go...’

‘Don’t fight me,’ he whispered. ‘I don’t like it and I am in no mood to play games.’

He fastened his mouth on hers once more and Lenora’s fear turned to cold fury.

Not until she bit down sharply on his lower lip did he relinquish her mouth.

Angry about her lack of submission, and too aroused to let anything get in the way of what his body wanted, Edward lifted his head and looked down into her angry, upturned face. A faint line of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, which he casually wiped away with the back of his hand.

‘I’ve thought of this moment many times, and I mean to enjoy every moment of it. Indeed, Lowena, I would heartily like to hear you plead for mercy.’

‘Never!’ she bit out. ‘You will never hear that from me.’

Edward’s eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘Ah, such defiance. Such spirit. Don’t fight me. Don’t resist me. It will be better for you if you don’t.’

‘Let go of me. You may be an important man in these parts, but there are better men than you in Cornwall.’

His eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘I warn you, Lowena, do not mock me. Have a care lest I turn you out without a penny piece.’

‘I do mock you,’ she flung back at him tauntingly, uncaring that he was Lord Carberry of Tregarrick as she found the strength to extricate herself from his hold. ‘And turn me out if you so wish, but do not touch me again. Ever.’

Edward reached out to capture her again, and without giving her next action any thought, other than to save herself from his assault, she raised her hand to fend him off. He caught it and flung it back at her in anger. He was not accustomed to having anyone stand up to him—let alone a female servant—and certainly no one who would dare raise her hand to him in anger.

‘You little hellion! I’ll teach you not to use your hands on me,’ he snarled. ‘How dare you—?’

‘I do dare, your lordship. Don’t you ever touch me again!’ she flared defensively, too incensed to realise the implications of what she might have done had he not stayed her hand.

Unbeknown to her, she came from a long line of proud ancestors who had endurance and courage running through their veins—ancestors who would allow nothing to stand in their way and certainly not a man like Edward Carberry, who was the epitome of all Lowena deplored.

When Edward recovered his equilibrium he almost retaliated in kind, for he was outraged that this girl would not submit to his will, but Lowena was looking beyond him, an expression of shock having replaced the fury on her face.

A flash of scarlet had caught her eye, and then her gaze became riveted as she saw it was a man—a soldier. Marcus Carberry. She stood perfectly still, her face drained of all colour. Feeling cold shock run through her, she realised how what had happened must have looked to him.

He stood unmoving on the edge of the cliff, looking down at the cove, watching them. Suddenly she came alive. The distance between them was too great for her to see his features, but she could imagine his anger.

Edward saw the change in her and turned, following the direction of her gaze. His face froze on seeing the scarlet-clad figure who had interrupted his dalliance. His smug reaction on seeing his half-brother was in his eyes and in his arrogantly curling mouth.

‘It—it’s Mr Marcus,’ Lowena said quietly.

For once Edward’s bland, inscrutable face dropped its guard, and it was as though a mask had been stripped from it. He made no other perceptible movement but, watching him intently, Lowena was aware of an indefinable change in him.

A hardness settled on his face, and then he was striding off across the sand in the direction of the cliff and his brother.

As if recollecting himself, he glanced back at the girl he had assaulted. ‘You will be sorry for this, I promise you,’ he ground out. ‘No woman gets the better of me—especially not a servant—so I advise you to have a care, Lowena Trevanion. Have a care...’