“No, it cannot wait.” He had already waited a night and a day for this answer, and so much depended on it.
“If you insist, it is the fay equivalent of marriage, although there is also an element of adoption and some exchange of magical power. Now can you tell me what happened?”
“Fay marriage? Is it irrevocable?”
“Yes, it is lifelong, and why is this so damned important?”
Darcy allowed himself a foolish grin. “Because Elizabeth claimed blood right to me shortly before you arrived and collapsed at our feet.”
“Elizabeth claimed blood right? Good God. I have never heard of a mortal doing that before.”
Darcy shrugged. “She was trying to force Aelfric into saving mefrom being bound. It seemed to work.” He was going to have a very interesting discussion with Elizabeth when she finally awoke.
“How did Aelfric come into this? Never mind. Just start at the beginning, if you value your life.”
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and presumably he created Faerie as well,” snapped Darcy.
“Darcy, I am not –” He halted, his eyes widening as he stared at the door in shock. “Lady Frederica?”
Good God, what was Freddie doing here? And in her nightgown!
She rushed to Eversleigh’s bed. “You are awake! Thank God! But are you well?”
In a much gentler voice than he had used to Darcy, Eversleigh said, “I have never been better in my life than I am at this moment.”
“You!” Frederica spluttered. “You... Do you know how worried we have been? What were you thinking to try such risky wild magic? You could have been killed!” She punctuated each statement by striking his shoulder with the side of her fist.
“Frederica –”
“Did I give you leave to use my name? After all you have put me through?”
“Marigold, then –”
“Stop it! You do not know what it is like not knowing if – mmph.” She broke off as Eversleigh stopped her complaints in a most ungentlemanlike manner. The bed creaked as he pulled her to him.
Darcy glared at the oblivious pair. What was wrong with everyone at Rosings Park? He ought to stop them, but then there would be yet another fight, and he was tired of fighting. With a sigh, he picked up his book and held it directly in front of his face, so close that the print blurred.
He would give them five minutes to resolve their difficulties, and then he would step in. What could happen in five minutes, after all? Butwait – they were already in a bed. Only three minutes, then. And in their nightclothes. No, he would give them one minute.
Lady Matlock’s voice dripped ice. “I see I will not receive any assurances from Viscount Eversleigh about my husband’s health tonight. I believe I will return to my bed, and I hope that when I awaken in the morning, this will prove to be nothing worse than a very bad dream.”
Darcy’s book fell out of his suddenly frozen hands. Lady Matlock, clad in a seemlier dressing gown, stood in the doorway glaring down at her hapless daughter.
Frederica disentangled herself from Eversleigh. “Mama, it is not what you think –”
“It most certainly is exactly what I think.” Lady Matlock turned to leave but tossed out one parting remark. “Darcy, I am ashamed of you. You at least should know better.”
“Me? I was not the one tearing propriety to shreds!” he said in disbelief, but she was already gone. Lady Matlock liked to have the final word. “At least I did not walk out of the room and leave the two of you alone.”
“Pity,” drawled Eversleigh, but a smile touched his lips.
“I knew you would stop us,” Frederica announced. “But do not worry. Mama is not truly angry.”
Darcy said dryly, “If you leave this room continuing to insist you are not engaged, we will see an eruption that will put Vesuvius to shame.”
“Oh, well, then,” said Frederica.
Eversleigh grinned and pulled her to sit beside him, his arm remaining around her shoulders. “Good. I am glad that is finally settled. But as utterly delightful as this topic is, I believe Darcy was about to tell me something extremely important about sorcerers in the wine cellar.”
