‘He’s notmyapprentice,’ said Evelyn under her breath. ‘Let’s go.’
Mawgan ignored her and continued to stare at the boy. Nicholas, concerned at the edge in her tone, stood in his sister’s way.
‘What’s the matter, Effy?’ he asked, intrigued. ‘Why have you gone red?’
‘I am not red. You areembarrassingme.’
‘In front of whom? There is nobody here but us.’
How could Evelyn tell her brother it was the gardener she wanted to hide from? She couldn’t, for he was meant to be of no consequence. Reluctantly she turned back and looked at everything but Drake. The pots, the soil, the water, the walls — anywhere but into those dark brown eyes.
Amused by her reaction, Mawgan approached Drake, who was obliged to stand and remove his cap. His dark tousled hair gave him a wild, dangerous look that suited him. In comparison Evelyn felt her body was nothing but a mismatch of long limbs, big hands and sweaty armpits.
‘What’s your name?’ Mawgan asked as he looked him over with an arrogant tilt of his chin.
Evelyn cringed with discomfort.
‘Drake Vennor, sir.’
‘How long have you been in employment here?’
‘I started my apprenticeship a month ago.’
Mawgan acknowledged his answer with a nod of his head. He turned to Evelyn.
‘Nicholas was right. It appears that Vennor here isyourapprentice, Evelyn.’
Evelyn lifted a furtive glance in his direction. The set of his mouth in a firm narrow line told her he was not taking kindly to being a butt of their joke. She wanted to die.
‘Father will be wondering where we are,’ she muttered.
Nicholas disagreed. ‘We have plenty of time yet, Effy.’
Mawgan continued his questioning. ‘Are you enjoying your apprenticeship?’
Drake gave a single nod of his head.
‘Is there a need for study?’
Another nod.
‘It seems we are studying the wrong subjects, cousin,’ teased Mawgan. ‘We spend our time studying Latin when we could pass our time learning how to grow grapes? Much less taxing and we will have something to eat at the end of it.’
Pleased with his joke, Mawgan’s eyes lingered on the boy for his reaction, but received none. Mawgan’s cheeks reddened. ‘Let’s leave him to his chores,’ he said, suddenly tiring of Drake. He turned abruptly and led the way out of the yard. Nicholas quickly followed.
Evelyn wanted to apologise for her cousin’s behaviour, yet felt ill-equipped to do it. She had been taught that one did not apologise to staff and a woman must never apologise for a man’s behaviour, for it would demean him and in doing so disgrace the woman. It did not help that Drake was a fine-looking boy.
She stood looking at him, unable to move. She felt awkward and clumsy in his presence, as her body strained against the stitching of her dress. She attempted an apologetic, but feeble smile and then thought better of it. She was too late. He saw it and misread that she was laughing at him, just as she feared. His frown deepened as he forced his cap on his head and returned to his work, effectively dismissing her from his company.
Nicholas called for her. She hesitated for a moment, torn between her brother’s company and this boy in dirty clothes. She wanted to leave on friendlier terms, yet he was not even acknowledging her presence. Her brother called again. Reluctantly she left.
The children rejoined their parents on the grand lawn. Polite conversation continued to flow, as did the tea and impeccable manners. Evelyn sat quietly next to her mother, filled with tangled emotions she felt unable to unravel.
Chapter Four
‘He is like a vulture circling above us. He wishes me dead. He wishes our son dead.’ Sir Robert watched the servants clear away the table and chairs from the great lawn, his hands clasped tightly behind his back, his shoulders pulled back as if bracing himself for a fight. ‘It was a mistake to invite him here,’ he concluded. ‘A mistake, I tell you.’ He poured himself some brandy, drank it with a jerk of his head and returned to the window. ‘Bloody servants. They are making a mess of the lawn. Can’t they remove the furniture without traipsing back and forth so much?’ He turned away from the window, unable to watch.
‘Why did you invite him?’ asked Lady Pendragon as she sat nursing a headache. ‘You have not seen him in years.’
