“Oh, there were signs. Small ones, now that I look back on it, but the signs were there, and I missed them. Would that I had died before discovering how badly I failed in my duty.”
“You trusted Debenham,” said Lady Matlock. “You could not spend your entire life suspecting everyone and watching for the slightest hint of deception.”
“Why not?” roared Lord Matlock. “That was my responsibility!”
Darcy wished he had consolation to offer. No one had suspected Debenham, but his uncle was right. He was the one who would be blamed for this. “Sorcerers are always deceitful. Honorable men have fallen victim to them time and again throughout history. You hold yourself to an impossible standard.”
Lord Matlock grimaced. “It was hubris, nothing more. I was my father’s second son and therefore destined to lead the Collegium. When my brother died and left me the earldom, in my pride I thought I could manage both positions – Master of the Collegium and Earl of Matlock. Instead the Collegium had only half of my attention. I should have resigned as soon as I inherited.”
“My dear, you will always manage to find some way to blame yourself. The fault lies with Debenham, not with you. We can do nothingnow. I only wish I knew if Frederica and Richard were safe.”
Finally, something Darcy could help with. He had managed to reach Elizabeth, enough to know she was in Faerie with the others. “I am not worried about them. I am somehow certain, in my heart, that they are both safe and with Miss Bennet.”
Lady Matlock’s eyes closed for just a moment, but she gave no other sign of the relief she must be feeling. “I hope you are correct, but you know how I fret.”
“Naturally. I would worry, too. That was why I stopped fighting Debenham. He threatened to harm the ladies, and I had not yet realized they had escaped.” Darcy was still blaming himself for that.
Lord Matlock finally stirred himself to speak again. “If Debenham tries to influence you by threatening me, you should not give in to him.”
Darcy almost smiled. “I know. He has already tried threatening to hurt both of you. I told him you would spit on my grave if I cooperated with him to spare you.”
“Good,” said Lord Matlock. “You are absolutely correct.”
Biggins said loudly, “That is enough.” He nodded to the footman. “Help Lord Matlock back to his room and be sure to lock the door.”
After Lady Matlock led her husband out, Darcy noticed a scrap of paper on the chair she had sat upon. It was out of reach, outside of the wards holding him. But if he could only distract the guard for a minute, he might be able to produce a breeze to blow it to him.
He prepared himself carefully, organizing the wind currents in his mind. He held up the book he was reading. “Pardon me, could you bring me the second volume ofPlato’s Works? It should be on the third shelf in the corner.” As the footman obligingly turned his back to look for the book, Darcy told the air to blow. The wind picked up the paper and wafted it to the floor beside him. Darcy grabbed it and stuffed it inside his book. The breeze had been stronger than he had intended, and severalother papers had fluttered to the floor. If he managed to live through this experience, he would make a point of practicing his control of air more.
“This one?” asked the footman.
“That is the one.”
The footman brought him the book, picked up the blown papers, and started to close the window.
“Leave it open,” said Darcy. “I like the fresh air, even if it becomes breezy in here.” And it would leave an opening in case a white raven might want a way inside. Not that he thought any rescue possible against a sorcerer as strong as Debenham, but he needed to hold onto a ray of hope. He opened his book to the page with Lady Matlock’s note. It was upside down, but he managed to shift it surreptitiously while pretending to cough. She had written in tiny letters that were hard to see.
My husband is considering doing something rash which is destined to fail. If something rash is to be done, you would be more likely to succeed. You have our blessing, regardless of the outcome for us. God bless you.
Darcy swallowed hard. It was no more than he had already planned, but this absolved him of the guilt he felt over it. It was decided, then. The next time Debenham came into the room, Rosings would go up in flames.
ELIZABETH SOLVED THEproblem of obtaining elf clothing by asking Bluebird for it. Having discharged that task in something under five minutes left her with endless hours to fill. She reached out to Darcy regularly, hoping a sense of her presence would provide some slight relief. It was perhaps the only thing that kept her from running mad. She took turns reading aloud to Titania and later took a long walk to distract herself, but mostly she remained in the private corner of the bower with Frederica and Anne since Titania was not fond of sad faces.
But through it all, she felt an ache in every inch of her body, nauseated by the idea of Darcy imprisoned. Eversleigh had told her the sorcerers would not kill him. She believed him, but the sick taste at the back of her mouth came from the thought that Darcy might prefer death to indefinite imprisonment by sorcerers. Then her chest felt hollow at the thought of never feeling his arms around her again. Oh, why had she denied him for so long? They might at least have had a little joy before this happened.
Anne and Frederica talked together in low voices, but Elizabeth could not bring herself to take part. How could they not resent her when the welfare of Frederica’s parents and Aelfric were put second to Darcy’s? It seemed so unlikely that a rescue could work. She dared not let herself believe in it.
Eversleigh’s reappearance with Colonel Fitzwilliam in the midafternoon brought an end to the waiting.
“The rescue will happen tonight,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam. “Eversleigh found the spell he needs to counter a sorcerous ward, and I have arranged for guns and fireworks to be delivered to a hidden spot just outside Rosings.”
“Fireworks?” Frederica asked dubiously. “How is this going to work?”
“The guns are for our first distraction. I will be firing them off by the groundskeeper’s cottage. Debenham will send out any available servants to find out what is wrong, but he will not risk himself. The fireworks are for our second distraction, where we pretend to be fay folk attempting to rescue Aelfric. That will bring out the sorcerers. Then Eversleigh will keep himself and Anne invisible while they find Darcy, take care of his guard, and break the wards.”
“That would be a fine plan, except for the part where Elizabeth, FitzClarence, and I have to convince the sorcerers we are an entire fay army,” said Frederica.
“That is where the fireworks, illusions, and magic come in. Ah, FitzClarence, you are back! Well done.” The mage was accompanied by Jasper Fitzwilliam.
