Eversleigh tapped his fingers on the table. “If these people – ifanyof these people are under a spell, you know what that means.”
“Another sorcerer,” grunted Lord Matlock. “One we do not know about.”
“Or more than one,” said Eversleigh. “But none of this is proof.”
“I know!” Richard said, his voice raised. “I do not like it. I like things that are certain, things I can see in front of me. I do not likefeelings. I do not like making accusations based on whether someone makes my stomach turn. But I hate sorcery worse than any of it.”
“You were right to bring this to me,” said Eversleigh. “It is not proof, but ever since Miss de Bourgh told us her father was a sorcerer, I have been wondering if he was the only one. If we missed him, we could have missed another. I am inclined now to think it is probable.”
“What do we do?” asked Darcy.
“Fitzwilliam, are you willing to be deployed as a spell-sniffing hound?” asked Eversleigh.
“No. But I will do it anyway,” grumbled Richard.
“Your first task is to remain here until the three mages arrive to examine Lady Catherine. If any of them make you feel queasy, I need to know that,” said Eversleigh.
“Collingswood, Winston, and Elliott? You cannot possibly suspect any of them,” said Lord Matlock.
“If I were to list the mages whom I believed least likely to be under a sorcerer’s spell, you would have been at the top of the list, my lord,” said Eversleigh with a touch of acid in his voice. “I intend to suspect everyone.”
FREDERICA COLLAPSEDonto the drawing room sofa across from Eversleigh. Elizabeth followed her more sedately.
“What happened in your meeting with Titania?” asked Eversleigh. “You look exhausted.”
“It went well, once we moved past the disastrous beginning,” said Frederica. “Titania told Mama that she had not known ladies of her advanced age could still be elegant even though their faces were lined.”
“Oh, dear,” said Eversleigh. “She probably meant it as a compliment.”
“Lady Matlock could not have been more gracious, although I doubt she felt that way,” added Elizabeth. “She said Frederica had told her there were no older mortal women in Faerie. ‘It is a shame,’ she said, ‘since what we lose in beauty is made up in becoming more interesting. Young people can be very dull.’ Titania seemed to consider it.”
Frederica nodded. “Then they talked for hours about bringing the fay into fashion. Titania was quite taken with the idea of attending a soirée, though perhaps that was only because Mama mentioned that there would be handsome young men to wait upon her. But Titania said it could not be in London because the fay are uncomfortable with so much iron about, so instead it will be a moonlight revel somewhere near London, perhaps here if Anne is willing to permit it. Mama plans to string lanterns like Vauxhall Gardens. It will start as an ordinary gathering and then become increasingly in the fay style.”
“There is to be complete secrecy about the presence of the fay. We are only to tell guests it will be beyond anything they can imagine, and that anyone who misses the revel will forever regret it. If pressed, we are to hint at the possible presence of members of the Russian royal family,” said Elizabeth archly.
“I am to call on my dressmaker and convince her to lend her talents to making us a version of the dryads’ clothing which will be decent for young ladies to wear,” said Frederica with a sly glance at Eversleigh.
Elizabeth laughed. “I would say it is an impossible task.”
Eversleigh teased, “Shall I tell your mother I liked seeing you in the original version?”
Frederica’s cheeks reddened. “If you dare to tell her, I will – Oh, Mama, I had not seen you there.”
“If you dare tell me what?” Lady Matlock looked at Eversleigh.
Eversleigh bowed to her. “Merely that when I called upon Titania some days ago, I had the pleasure of seeing Lady Frederica dressed as a dryad.”
“Eversleigh!” yelped Frederica.
“You did dare me,” he pointed out.
Lady Matlock eyed him and said, “St. George’s, Hanover Square?”
“Naturally,” said Eversleigh.
“In two months, perhaps, to allow time for the revel,” added Lady Matlock.
Eversleigh straightened his cuffs. “Perhaps Lady Frederica would prefer to choose the date.”
