The Mistress of Trevelyan by Jennifer St Giles Page A

inside the door, my gaze searching for Benedict Trevelyan. I only remembered to breathe when I did not see him in the dark shadows. Tiptoeing closer to the small, blanket-covered figures, I found Justin and Robert sound asleep, looking peaceful and much happier than they did during their waking hours.
    They must be riding on the wings of angels tonight. That is how my mother always described dreaming—soaring with the angels through the dark of the night, being kept safe until the dawn's warming light
    Satisfied, I stole back to my bed with a vision of Justin and Robert's innocent smiles in my mind and Benedict Trevelyan's scent upon my senses. Just as my eyes grew sleepy, I heard a noise from the empty schoolroom. Bounding up quickly, I rushed to the room but found no one there. Yet the scent of sandalwood was stronger than before, and it lingered in my dreams throughout the restless night. I kept wondering if Benedict Trevelyan had been in the shadows of the children's room after all and had seen me in my nightclothes.

C HAPTER F IVE
     
     
    "Miss Wovell. Miss Wovell! Justin says we are not going to go at all." Robert pulled on the skirt of my gray dress and jumped with frustration. When excited, he mispronounced his l's as w's . "You promiseded a picnic today! Can we go now?" In the two weeks I'd been at Trevelyan Hill, Robert and Justin's quirks and problems had become endearingly familiar. I slipped my hand into Robert's to ease him from the habit of grabbing at clothing for attention and tapped him on the nose. "You are certainly correct, Master Robert. We are going on a picnic. But before we take our outing, there are quite a few things we must attend to first. I have heard it said that picnics are best after a morning's work than before" Robert skewed his face into a frown. "I want to go now." Considering it was but eight in the morning and Benedict Trevelyan was due back today after a week's absence, I didn't think it prudent for us to go the park without doing our lessons first. Thus far, my time at Trevelyan Manor had passed in much the same manner as my first day, with the exception of seeing Benedict Trevelyan. He was only present at dinner and quickly excused himself each evening to attend to business. Yet since he'd been away, I'd missed even those brief moments of his presence.
    I'd had no more sightings of the mysterious dark-haired woman, and no instances of my belongings being disturbed; but the sensation of being watched stayed with me, most often when I was alone and walking through the house.
    I'd yet to meet Katherine Trevelyan. She had a respiratory ailment, and from what I gathered through the dinner conversations between Mrs. Trevelyan, Stephen Trevelyan, and Constance Ortega, Katherine was refusing all visitors but for the doctor and her nurse. I'd been surprised to learn that a woman full-grown, for I knew Katherine to be twenty, still had a nurse to care for her on a full-time basis. I wondered anew if there was truth to the rumors of her madness.
    Robert tugged on my hand. "Wanna go to the park now, Miss Wovell."
    Smiling, I squatted down and brushed an errant lock of dark hair from his forehead, seeing a bit of his father in the set of his chin. He was so young and so eager for love and attention that he'd readily accepted and invited demonstrations of affection. Justin was just the opposite. He kept a granite rock between himself and anyone else.
    "If we went to the park this morning, we would not have as much fun as we will if we wait and go at lunch time."
    "Why?"
    "Because, not doing your work before you play is like putting dark clouds over a bright sunny day. If you get your work done first, you will be responsible, and you will have more fun because you will not be worrying about the work waiting for you."
    Robert moved his mouth as he mentally chewed over my advice. "But what if there's always work, like my daddy has? He never gets to pway, and I will not either."
    I opened my mouth