Page 33 of A Raven Repents

When the front door of his mother’s home opened, the butler paused for a moment before addressing him with a nod. “Mr. Henderson.”

“Good afternoon, Turner. Is my mother at home?”

“I believe she is.”

“Is she terribly vexed with me?” Giles asked quietly.

“I’m sure it isn’t my place to comment. But yes, she is,” he added in a whisper.

Giles chuckled. “Thank you for the warning, old chap.”

The man stepped aside, inviting them in. “She’s taking her daily dose of sea air on the veranda.”

Giles held out a hand for Christina. “Into the dragon’s lair we go.” Her fingers were cold and she nibbled nervously on her bottom lip. “No need to worry. She will love you. In fact, I’m hoping that will save me from some of her venom.” He winked.

As he stepped onto the veranda, his mother turned, a glass of one of her various infusions in hand. “I wondered when you’d finally pluck up the courage to make an appearance.”

“I know.” He walked to her and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I’ve made a whole slew of poor choices lately, but I’m hoping you may be able to forgive me.”

“Forgive you for marrying, without even telling me?”

“I’m afraid that’s my fault,” Christina said from behind him.

“Mother.” He held out an arm, inviting Christina to come closer. “This is my wife, Christina.”

His mother’s gaze swept over her, a smile growing on her lips. “How did he manage to convince a woman with beauty like yours to put up with him for the rest of your life?”

Christina blushed. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Henderson.”

“You, young man, may go to your room, and think about what you’ve done. Christina and I are going to get to know one another.”

“Am I not even allowed a chance to defend myself?”

His mother raised a stern brow, and he knew better than to argue. He held up his hands in surrender. “I’m going.”

Christina looked slightly terrified. “Don’t worry,” he assured her. “It’s me she’s upset with. Not you.”

Slowly, he made his way up to his room. He sighed as shame settled in his gut. It wasn’t his mother’s anger he was most afraid of, it was her disappointment.

Mrs. Henderson’s smile was kind as it settled on Christina. “Come over here so you can see the reason I love it here so much.” She held out an arm and ushered Christina to the far end of the veranda. “You can see the sea from here.” She breathed in deeply. “And you can smell it. This place is good for my soul.”

Christina closed her eyes and breathed in the aroma. It was lovely. She felt as if the sea was welcoming her. No wonder his mother liked it here. For a few minutes, they simply shared the experience, not speaking a word.

“There won’t be very many more of these warm days left this year. I can feel autumn in the air, so I have to enjoy every minute of this while it lasts.”

She walked to the table and poured a glass from whatever was in the pitcher and handed it to Christina. “It’s an infusion of ginger and lemongrass, sweetened with honey. I prefer it to be room-temperature rather than hot.”

Christina took a sip. It was unlike anything she’d tasted before.

“I know it’s not for everyone, so if you don’t like it, I’ll ring for tea.”

“It’s delightful. It’s just something new for me.”

“It’s my favorite variety right now.”

She gestured toward a chair and settled herself into the one opposite.

“So, the gossip rags say that you must have seduced my son to get him to run away with you.”