“My grandmother no longer travels, nor do the older members. They’ve been given the land they settle on in the winter.”
“Between Hollybrook Park and Castle Keyvnor?” she asked to which Lynwood nodded.
“Your grandmother is Romani?” Damon asked. Why hadn’t anyone ever told him?
“My mother’s mother,” Lynwood answered.
“Madam Boswell would not be able to help her,” his mother said, which clearly indicated she knew far more about the gypsies than he realized.
“Edward wouldn’t know that and if Miss Ianthe confided in him, he might take her there,” Cordelia suggested.
“But nobody saw them leave,” his mother reminded him.
Lynwood and Damon’s eyes met. “They’d not need to use the road,” Damon finally said and turned to the direction the children had walked. He’d forgotten what else was beyond the trees.
“Nobody knows of that gate but you and I, and that was only because your brother had discovered it,” Lynwood reminded him.
“What gate?” his mother asked in alarm.
“There is an old gate, further down the wall and hidden by overgrown brush and roses. It’s nearly impossible to see if you are not looking for it. On the other side is a small clearing surrounded by trees, which helped to hide the gate from the other side,” Damon explained. “Cadmus used it to visit with Lynwood.”
“Edward couldn’t have known about that gate, or he would have trespassed already,” Cordelia offered.
“But Ianthe wished to walk the estate yesterday,” his mother said. “As I have someone always watching the drive, I knew that she could not leave the grounds.” She looked up into Damon’s eyes. “Is it possible she found it and left again?”
“I’ll go find her,” Damon promised his mother.
“I’ll go with you,” Cordelia offered. “I know the way to Madam Boswell.”
“I’ll take the carriage and look for them on my way back to Hollybrook Park, just in case my grandmother was not their destination.”
“Thank you,” his mother said with sincerity, no longer glaring daggers at Cordelia. Perhaps she’d only been overcome with worry, but that was still no reason to have taken a sharp tone with her, and they would discuss the matter later.
Cordelia followedBentford as he walked through the wildflowers and along the left side of the cove. As he claimed, once they stepped through the bushes and the trees, they came to the wall separating the two estates. He didn’t glance around but strode forward as if he knew exactly where he was going. Cordelia quietly followed, noting they were quite alone and hidden. In any other circumstance, she’d need to have a care for her reputation, but in this instance, it was not a concern as neither her brother, nor Lady Chandos seemed to mind that she’d gone off alone with Lord Bentford.
She was also beginning to wonder if the gate still existed when Bentford suddenly stopped before wild, climbing red roses. “Here it is. This is how my brother and I escaped. Unfortunately, my mother now knows it exists and will probably have someone block it off.”
“It would probably be safer for your nieces,” Cordelia offered.
“I agree,” he said with a sigh. “I’m certain they will give me grey hair long before they have their first season.”
“It can’t be so bad.” She chuckled.
“It isn’t—yet,” he finally admitted quietly. “But I do worry.”
Fathers and guardians often worried about the children under their care. It must be doubly concerning when those children were also becoming witches.
The gate was open just enough so that Edward and Ianthe could squeeze through. It would be impossible for her or Bentford to do so.
He pressed on the gate, but it did not give, and she noted the hinges were tight with rust. Bentford had to put his weight behind his shoulder to get it to open further, but it barely moved. He then braced both hands against the wood and forced the gate open, flattening the tall grass that had grown on the opposite side so that they could step through. Before them were stone steps nearly concealed in the grass and placed on a casual decline that led into more trees. They paused in the small clearing Bentford had mentioned, and Cordelia noted this little bit of land was isolated from everything with one patch of brilliant wildflowers growing in the very center and beneath the warmth of the sun.
Bentford led her down the path, going first. “I’m not certain how stable the steps are after all this time. I don’t want you injured.”
Cordelia couldn’t understand why they’d be a danger as they were stepping stones placed on the ground, but she dutifully followed until they came out on the other side of the trees. This was a field Cordelia knew as it was part of Hollybrook Park. If they turned right, they’d arrive at the back of their manor, but if they crossed the field, they’d eventually come to the gypsies.
“Where to now?” Bentford asked.
Cordelia pointed ahead and led him across the field to Adam’s grandmother’s bright red vardo. Seated around the small fire was Madam Boswell, Edward, and Ianthe.
