As were Frederica and almost everyone he could trust with the situation. Except Aelfric, who would remain in Faerie until the revel actually began.
“Miss Darcy, I think I had best take you on a journey. Has your brother spoken to you about his trips to Faerie?”
Chapter 15
It was the same glade Elizabeth had danced in on her first night in Faerie, the one where she had met Aelfric and her life had changed. Now the fay gathered there prior to making their grand entrance at the revel.
“Do you think we should rescue Mr. FitzClarence?” Elizabeth asked Frederica. Not that the young mage seemed to desire rescuing as he gaped at beautiful Titania, who in turn was trailing the tips of her long fingers along his jawline. Mr. Harbury, the poet, languished at her feet, his lips shaping lines of verse. The third of Titania’s young gentlemen was making a valiant attempt to maintain his air of fashionable ennui, but he kept leaning closer to the Faerie Queen before recalling himself and pulling away. Titania seemed delighted with her new attendants.
Frederica flicked back one of the diaphanous silk veils which draped her close-fitting bodice of cream-colored silk. At least the bodices of their dresses were modest enough; the skirts which provided a bare modicum of decency were translucent. Bluebird had flatly refused to wear the under dress, leaving her legs fully visible. Titania had taken some persuasion to wear extra silks to minimize the chance of her skin showing.
“I suppose I should make sure it goes no further, at least not before the revel,” said Frederica reluctantly.
“Do you mind if I remain here?” Elizabeth had just spotted a familiar figure coming towards them.
“If you wish.” Frederica’s silks rustled around her as she walked away.
Elizabeth caught her breath at the sight of Darcy. She had been bracing herself to see him at the revel, but here he was now, and it was as if all those weeks of pain and longing vanished in a moment. But something was wrong. He should be in evening dress, not a greatcoat and travelling boots.
He stopped beside her, his expression somber. “Do not worry. I will not embarrass you.”
“Mr. Dar –” She broke off and corrected herself. “Diarcey, your presence does not trouble me at all. Is something the matter? I did not expect to see you until the revel.”
“I will not be attending the revel. I am leaving.” He spoke with heavy finality.
Her heart began to pound. “I do not understand. What are you leaving?”
“England. I am on my way to Dover. I sail for Portugal on the morning tide, and I do not know when, or if, I shall return to England. I came here because I could not leave without saying goodbye.”
No! He could not leave. “You are going away?” Her voice trembled.
“Yes. I must.”
“But why?” Then she realized the truth. It was because of her, because of the impossible situation they were in. She forced herself to remain calm. “My apologies; it is none of my affair. You must wish to speak to Marigold Meadowsweet.”
“No. It is better if her family remains unaware until I am gone. It is Collegium business, and I want my uncle to be able to say honestly that he knew nothing about it.”
“The Collegium is sending you away? I do not understand.” But at least it was not because of her.
He looked away. “The charges I faced at the Collegium have been raised again. This time they have decided I am guilty, and the Board ofInquiry has sentenced me to binding. Rather than submit, I have resigned from the Collegium and will be taking a position with General Wellington in Portugal.”
“No!” She wanted to make his words disappear. She could not bear it if he went off to war and left her behind. “How could they decide you are guilty when you did not do it?”
“The judgment is not fair. No sensible man could look at the so-called evidence and call it anything but rumor and coincidence. Unfortunately, these particular three mages want me to be punished, and I doubt they care whether I did it or not. They are on my trail already. I had to sneak out the kitchen door of my house to avoid them. If I did not have the ability to use the faerie rings, they would have caught and bound me already.”
She shivered. “Could you not simply stay out of their reach by using the rings? You could travel back and forth between different parts of England and they could not track you.” At least he would be safe from the dangers of war.
He shook his head. “I will not be a fugitive in my own country, and I still would not be safe. Somewhere there is a powerful mage who actually is responsible for the dry wells, and he is working with my enemies. It is safer if I simply leave.”
“Can nothing be done to stop them?” Despair welled in her throat.
“I have tried. Eversleigh plans to bring it up for review at the next meeting of the full Collegium, but that is not until next winter.”
Next winter. Anything could happen by then. Tears burned her eyes. “Why do these men hate you so much?”
He shrugged. “It is old news. George Wickham is their friend, and I caused him to be expelled from the Collegium. Wickham is skilled at exacting revenge. This is a very potent one.”
“Wickham?” She had a sudden memory of Wickham at the danceher first night in Faerie, in this very grove. What had he said? Something about the prince being helpful to him in matters pertaining to someone they both disliked. At the time, she had thought he meant someone the prince also disliked. But Wickham would have still believed that she disliked Darcy. She clapped her hands to her cheeks in dismay. “Oh, how could I have missed it? Tell me again, quickly, what it is they say you did.”
