An unpleasant week passed for Lady Vanessa as her parents made the final arrangements to ‘pack her off’, as she described it, to her godmother’s estate.

For the most part, Ness found herself confined to the house and its limited grounds. She was unable to attend the assemblies and routs. She pouted, she pleaded and huffed, but both her parents remained staunch and unapproachable. She tried logical arguments and even got her mother to agree with her in theory, but not in practice.

Even the morning visitors, who flocked to her home to see her when she did not appear at the assemblies, were turned away with tidings that the Lady Vanessa was suffering from a bout of fatigue.

So it was that Ness actually came to look forward to the journey to Cornwall.

At first, this proved to be something of a treat. She was allowed her steed, Shadow, and she used Shadow for a nice part of the day, riding beside her brother and her cousin, who she and her brother had forced to make one of their party. She did take to her coach to keep her maid, Millie, company, but Millie was happy enough to read and sent her off to ride.

The open pike was taken in fairly good spirits. When they passed through Romney Marsh, Ness told her male relatives exciting stories of the smugglers that used to dwell in the region, and probably still did.

“You know,” she added thoughtfully, “I am fairly certain that smuggling still persists in this area, as the locals benefit and help the ‘gentlemen’, as they are called.”

Her cousin, Randall, turned his fair head and said, “Have we gone on too far ahead of our coach? If this is that sort of territory, had we not better wait for Mooney to catch up?”

Ness laughed. “Scared, are you? We don’t need Mooney to protect us. We are very capable of protecting ourselves.” She patted a leather holster at her thigh.

“I told you, Randy, we would not make this trip unarmed. It would be foolish to do so with highwaymen lurking about,” her brother said sharply.

“You are both mad,” Randall said. “But you especially, Rick. How can you find it acceptable that your sister is carrying a weapon?”

“We are on the open road,” Ness declared. “It makes sense, don’t you think? Surprised you didn’t bring yours.”

Her cousin grimaced. “I wasn’t thinking, besides, you two practically abducted me.” Randall, son of the House of Southvale, put up his chin. “Besides, I didn’t realize what lonely, rugged, long roads we would be taking. Damn, but this part of the country is outlandish.”

“Do you think so? I think it beautiful and only think at low tide we shall be able to take our horses across to St. Michael’s Mount from Marazion. Buck up, cuz, for we shall find ourselves with endless things to do,” Ness offered enthusiastically.

“Yes, but you also said this trip would be exciting and so far, my girl, it has been dull work,” he answered on a sulky note.

“But, Randy, how poor spirited of you. Didn’t we pass through Romney, and didn’t we see the wild ponies of the New Forest and then again in Devon. And the scenery…ah, stunning. Enough to take your breath away!” Ness said.

“Scenery! Bah! Just look around you, rocks, more rocks, and sea,” Randy grumbled.

“Stubble it, Randy,” her brother admonished. “I explained to you at the outset, and I think it high time you adapted to this venture.”

Blue eyes glared into blue eyes and Ness smiled to herself. Her cousin and brother were much alike in appearance, but of the two, her brother was the one with a sense of adventure. They had all been friends since infancy, being so close in age, and usually got on quite well with one another. She waited, as she could see the two were about to have a spar of words.

“You hoodwinked me, is what!” Randy snapped. “How I came to be a part of this…?” He motioned in the air at nothing in particular.

“You are a part of it because the whole thing was your fault from the start!” Ricky retorted. “It was you who brought Shadow’s name into the argument and started the entire incident.”

“There you are, putting the blame at my door!”

Ness rolled her eyes and glanced behind to see if their coach had caught up since they had been walking their horses for a goodly while. Their coach not only carried their belongings for the protracted stay, but her dear Millie, also.

Ness was bored with the boys’ bickering, for they had been going at it for the last two days over various subjects. She called out, “I’m going to ride up ahead. I shan’t go far.”

Her brother said, “No…I don’t like that, Ness.”

“Blaming me when I was defending…my cousin’s horse…” Randall objected.

“If you hadn’t mentioned Shadow, hadn’t said Shadow could beat Walton’s blasted blood, damn if the whole thing isn’t your fault!” Ricky argued.

Ness shook her head and urged her horse off into a canter as she listened to the last of their spluttering fade with the wind.

The breeze and the speed were wonderful and just what she and Shadow both needed after walking sedately for an hour. Soon they would have to rest and water their horses, but now, the freedom of the run was something she loved.

She slowed as she spied a sudden cluster of pines and what appeared to be a private path to an iron gate between two brick columns. She hadn’t been here since she was a child, but she remembered it well.

The name Penrod was emblazoned upon the gate.

She turned her mare onto the narrow path in the trees when her horse, which rarely spooked, did just that, nearly unseating her.

Shadow’s ears flickered as Ness sat very still and scanned her surroundings.

A face with large dark eyes loomed for a moment and Ness saw fear in those eyes. The face vanished as the person ducked and ran.

“Hallo? I am sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Ness called after the person.

No response.

A sudden chill scurried up Ness’s spine and she pivoted her horse around as she chewed her upper lip and took off at a heady pace, making for the open road.

There was something about those dark, sad eyes.

However, it was best she return to her brother and cousin!