Read Online The Lion Triumphant by Philippa Carr - Free Book Online
Authors: Philippa Carr
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Devil’s spawn.”
“Well, this was a good witch, I believe. She cured people.”
“My dear young lady, there be no such thing as a good witch. She’s damned and her purpose is to carry others to damnation. Any witch hereabouts and she’ll be strung up by her skinny neck, I promise you.”
“I’d not hold you to the promise,” I said, wondering why I found it impossible not to spar with these Pennlyons.
“Now don’t you start praising witches, me dear. There’s many a woman come to grief through taking sides.”
“The only safe way I see is to take the right side, which of course is yours,” I said.
But irony was lost on Sir Penn.
We were shown the statues which had been erected, the sundials and the fountains, the yew trees cut into fantastic shapes. Sir Penn was very proud of his garden.
It was during this visit that Jake invited us all on board the Rampant Lion. I wanted to refuse to go, but that was impossible when Honey and Edward accepted the invitation.
A few days after that visit I went for my afternoon ride and when I came back Jennet was waiting for me in the stables.
“Oh, Mistress Catharine,” she said. “Something terrible have happened. The mistress has taken a fall; she hurt her foot and wants you to go to her right away. I’m to bring you to her.”
“Where is she?”
“She’s on board the Rampant Lion.”
“Of course she is not.”
“But, Mistress, she is. She went for a visit.”
“And the master?”
“He couldn’t go like. He said, ‘You go alone, my dear,’ and the mistress went.”
“Alone on the Rampant Lion !”
“Well, the Captain had asked them and was expecting them. It was all sudden like.”
“But I was to go too.”
“Well, they did say they’d go without you, Mistress. And so … the master he were called away and the mistress went.”
I felt angry suddenly. What was Honey thinking of, to go alone to a ship where such a man was in command?
“Then she tripped and hurt her leg and the Captain’s sent a messenger and I’m to take you out there without delay.”
I wondered about Honey then. I had never really understood her. I often had a notion that she harbored secrets. Could it possibly be that this swaggering buccaneer of a man had attracted her in some way and had induced her to be unfaithful to Edward?
It could not be. But if she were alone on his ship, and she had sent for me because she wished me to pretend that I had gone with her…
That made sense.
I thought of Edward’s sensitive face and a great desire to protect him from any unpleasant truth swept over me. I said: “I’ll come at once, Jennet.”
She was very relieved; and we hurried down the drive and almost ran all the way to the Hoe, where a small boat was ready to take us out to the Rampant Lion. We bobbed about on the sea, and looking landward, I could see the turret of Trewynd, where I had often sat to watch the craft on the water.
Jake Pennlyon was standing on the deck, clearly waiting for us. I clung to the rope ladder and was lifted up in his arms.
He was laughing. “I knew you’d come,” he said.
One of his men lifted Jennet on board.
“You’d better take me to my sister,” I said.
“Come this way.” He held my arm as though to pilot me across the deck.
I said to him: “Why did she come here without Edward? I don’t understand it.”
“She wanted to see my ship.”
“She should have waited until we all came. We shall have to get her ashore. It won’t be easy if she’s hurt her foot. How bad is it? Oh, dear, I do hope no bones are broken.”
He led the way up a stairway and threw open a door.
“My cabin,” he said.
It was spacious, I suppose, as ship’s cabins go. There was a tapestry on what I was to learn to call the bulkhead. There was a bookcase with books and a shelf with instruments, and on a table a revolving globe on which was depicted the earth’s surface. On the wall was a brass astrolabe, a compass, hourglasses and a long
“Well, this was a good witch, I believe. She cured people.”
“My dear young lady, there be no such thing as a good witch. She’s damned and her purpose is to carry others to damnation. Any witch hereabouts and she’ll be strung up by her skinny neck, I promise you.”
“I’d not hold you to the promise,” I said, wondering why I found it impossible not to spar with these Pennlyons.
“Now don’t you start praising witches, me dear. There’s many a woman come to grief through taking sides.”
“The only safe way I see is to take the right side, which of course is yours,” I said.
But irony was lost on Sir Penn.
We were shown the statues which had been erected, the sundials and the fountains, the yew trees cut into fantastic shapes. Sir Penn was very proud of his garden.
It was during this visit that Jake invited us all on board the Rampant Lion. I wanted to refuse to go, but that was impossible when Honey and Edward accepted the invitation.
A few days after that visit I went for my afternoon ride and when I came back Jennet was waiting for me in the stables.
“Oh, Mistress Catharine,” she said. “Something terrible have happened. The mistress has taken a fall; she hurt her foot and wants you to go to her right away. I’m to bring you to her.”
“Where is she?”
“She’s on board the Rampant Lion.”
“Of course she is not.”
“But, Mistress, she is. She went for a visit.”
“And the master?”
“He couldn’t go like. He said, ‘You go alone, my dear,’ and the mistress went.”
“Alone on the Rampant Lion !”
“Well, the Captain had asked them and was expecting them. It was all sudden like.”
“But I was to go too.”
“Well, they did say they’d go without you, Mistress. And so … the master he were called away and the mistress went.”
I felt angry suddenly. What was Honey thinking of, to go alone to a ship where such a man was in command?
“Then she tripped and hurt her leg and the Captain’s sent a messenger and I’m to take you out there without delay.”
I wondered about Honey then. I had never really understood her. I often had a notion that she harbored secrets. Could it possibly be that this swaggering buccaneer of a man had attracted her in some way and had induced her to be unfaithful to Edward?
It could not be. But if she were alone on his ship, and she had sent for me because she wished me to pretend that I had gone with her…
That made sense.
I thought of Edward’s sensitive face and a great desire to protect him from any unpleasant truth swept over me. I said: “I’ll come at once, Jennet.”
She was very relieved; and we hurried down the drive and almost ran all the way to the Hoe, where a small boat was ready to take us out to the Rampant Lion. We bobbed about on the sea, and looking landward, I could see the turret of Trewynd, where I had often sat to watch the craft on the water.
Jake Pennlyon was standing on the deck, clearly waiting for us. I clung to the rope ladder and was lifted up in his arms.
He was laughing. “I knew you’d come,” he said.
One of his men lifted Jennet on board.
“You’d better take me to my sister,” I said.
“Come this way.” He held my arm as though to pilot me across the deck.
I said to him: “Why did she come here without Edward? I don’t understand it.”
“She wanted to see my ship.”
“She should have waited until we all came. We shall have to get her ashore. It won’t be easy if she’s hurt her foot. How bad is it? Oh, dear, I do hope no bones are broken.”
He led the way up a stairway and threw open a door.
“My cabin,” he said.
It was spacious, I suppose, as ship’s cabins go. There was a tapestry on what I was to learn to call the bulkhead. There was a bookcase with books and a shelf with instruments, and on a table a revolving globe on which was depicted the earth’s surface. On the wall was a brass astrolabe, a compass, hourglasses and a long
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