Aha.My shoulders relaxed as I smiled back at her. “In that case, I’d bedelighted.”
“Youwould?” Jonathan’s eyebrows shotupward.
“I’ll explain it all later, my love.” Amy patted her husband’s arm comfortingly. “Now, look that way—just there—yes, here he comes.” She smiled brightly as a solidly built man in his mid-thirties, with a bright crimson waistcoat and thick sandy hair, shouldered his way toward us through the shifting crowd. “Why, Mr. Sansom! You’re just in time. May I introduce you to my sister-in-law, Miss Harwood, and my husband, Mr.Harwood?”
“Delighted, delighted.” He gave a rough bow in each of our directions before his gaze fastened back on me. “I hear you’re curious about weather wizardry, Miss Harwood. Want to learn therealtruth beyond the pap and nonsense we’re all fed at the Great Library, ehwhat?”
My spine stiffened, but I forced a polite smile. “Exactly.”
“Harrumph!” He gave a nod of evident satisfaction. “Well, then. I’m the man to tell you all aboutit!”
“I can hardly wait,” I murmured as I took hisarm.
And I didn’t have to. Mr. Sansom, as it transpired, was more than willing to pour the fruits of all his years of labor into a receptive and knowledgeable ear at long last—and as any respectably trained, practicing magician would have used all of his magical abilities to extricate himself after no more than five minutes of such rampant quackery, I supposed a famously failed and broken magician like myself must have seemed his next-bestoption.
Four months ago, I would have cast a spell of deafness on myself for both of our sakes. But as it was, seated next to him at one of the three long tables that filled Lady Cosgrave’s dining room, there was no possibility of escape...and supper that night seemed that it would neverend.
“...But then the Druids, you see, understood the worth of proper diets! No milk or bread for them, no, none of that nonsense. They intended to beonewith nature, Miss Harwood. There’s no spellcraft required whatsoever when you’re already part of the earthyourself!”
“I see,” I said faintly. A footman was making his way between the guests, offering refills of bubbling, popping elven wine from a tall crystal decanter; I scooped up my now-empty glass and thrust it upward in desperation. One sparkling sip later, and I could finally bring myself to ask, for courtesy’s sake: “Have you had much luck, Mr. Sansom, in becoming one with natureyourself?”
“HaveI?” Snorting, he ripped into his sliced ham with vigor. “Miss Harwood, I cannot count the number of nights in the past decade when I’ve felt nature’s blessing of moonlight on my barebuttocks!”
I had to clap one hand to my mouth to stop wine spraying out of it. Choking, I lowered my glass to thetablecloth.
I didn’t let my eyes drift for even a moment to the next table, where Wrexham sat facingme.
I didn’tdare.
Oh, I had no fear that he would be glaring at my seating partner, no matter what Jonathan had mischievously predicted. If Wrexham had been that sort of brutishly jealous man, I would never have affianced myself to him in the firstplace.
No, what I dreaded was farworse.
I had a terrible feeling that if I met his gaze, I would discover an unholy amusement at my predicament. And then there might have to be broken dishes afterall.
“Apologies for my frankness, Miss Harwood,” Mr. Sansom said briskly, “but weather wizardry isn’t for the weak ofspirit.”
“So I see.” I breathed deeply as I lowered my hand. The servants’ door in the far wall opened and three new footmen walked into the room, carrying large silver trays: our next course. Lady Cosgrave had apparently ordered a feast to awe theages.
Ah, well.As long as I couldn’t escape anyway... “So what do you think of our current weather, sir? As one who has such a very close communion withnature.”
“Ah. Hmm. Well.” He accepted a large, goggle-eyed fish and waved away the vegetables that were proffered on the side. “It is a tad on the chilly side, I grant you. But not too cold for me! No, I’ll be out at the next full moon as always, and I can tell youIwon’t require anycoverings.”
“I understand.” I looked with sympathy upon the fish, whose open eyes stared upward inhorror.
The clock ticked with ominous slowness against thewall.
“Yes,” I said to the footman who hovered behind me. “I believe I will have another refill, afterall.”
Icould havewept with relief when Lady Cosgrave finally rose to signal the end of supper. The gentlemen, of course, were expected to remain at the table until a maid was sent to notify them that it was safe for them to join us in the parlor, meaning that the political conversations were officially finished for thenight.
In the past, my feet had dragged as I’d followed the other ladies away from the table, abandoning the possibility of any glorious magical debates only to sit through a strategy session over the national economy in theparlor.
Now, I couldn’t hurry toward it quicklyenough.
“Don’t worry, Miss Harwood,” Mr. Sansom said as I lunged from my seat. “There is far more to explain, of course, but I’m more than happy to continue your education. Perhapstomorrow?”
The room was ever-so-slightly shimmering around me. I blinked hard as a wave of warmth swept through my chest andhead.
