Page 75 of Triumph at Pemberley

Frederica glared at the small mirror in Roderick’s bedroom, the one she would share with him, since separate bedrooms for husbands and wives were unheard of here. Not that she minded; she liked Roderick’s company.

If she ever got to enjoy it.

He had returned that evening and greeted her as warmly and affectionately as she could have wished. And then gone off to meet with a messenger. That had been two hours ago, and it was almost time for bed.

She understood his absence, she truly did. He was in charge of the defenses, and he had been away for days. Naturally it would take all his time to catch up. She just did not like it.

The last straw was that Rana Akshaya had just scolded her via the scale for not working hard to find whatever it was that Cerridwen had foreseen. How was she supposed to do that when she had no idea what it was, much less where to find it? It could be this stupid mirror, for all she knew. Perhaps she should just load a wagon with random objects and hope one of them was it.

Roderick came in, closing the door quietly behind him. “Would you like me to get a larger looking glass?”

“That? It is fine, I suppose.” She scowled at it. “How does Elizabeth manage it?”

Her husband looked puzzled. “Manage what?”

“Dealing with Cerridwen and her annoyingly vague foresight.” Frederica yanked the comb through her hair. “She sends me here, where your dragons will not let me help with the defenses, nor can I take part in battle. And then gives me an impossible task.”

Roderick took the comb from her and began to gently tease apart the tangles. “I suspect we will need to use your mage abilities at some point.”

“It is more than that. I am supposed to find something and bring it to Pemberley. How can I do that when she cannot tell me what I am looking for? Am I just to guess? What if I am wrong?”

The combing paused. “And you are to take it to Pemberley?”

“Well, I am already expected to be there ‘at the end,’ whatever that may mean,” Frederica grumbled. “Cerridwen told me that before we went to London, when we thought I would return to Pemberley in a few weeks.”

Roderick laid the comb carefully on the table. “I see. If you will excuse me for a few minutes.” His voice sounded oddly empty. And before she could even reply, he slipped out the door. Again.

She turned to stare after him. What was that about? Where could he possibly have to go when the house was abed? And why? She had missed him so much, and he could not even be bothered to spend more than a few minutes with her!

Perhaps he was just fetching something he had forgotten. She waited five minutes, then ten, with no sign of him.

This was not like him. Something was wrong. She tossed on her dressing gown, took the candle, and headed out after him. It was spooky, tiptoeing through the ancient house in the dark. But he was not in any of the public rooms, nor the kitchen.

She sent silently to Quickthorn. Could you ask Rowan where Roderick is? I need to find him.

The reply came a moment later. He is in the gardens, looking out over the stream.

She gazed down at her slippers. Not ideal for going outside, but she did not want to wait. Quietly she opened the latch on the outer door.

The wind blew her candle out within a few steps. Annoying, but the half moon was bright enough to see where she was going, more or less. He was not in the formal part of the garden near the house, so she carefully picked her way along the gravel path into the less tended, wilderness section.

There he was, sitting on a wooden bench. Apparently he must have heard her coming, for he turned his head towards her.

He made room for her, but not without hesitation. Still, she sat down beside him and reached for his hand. “What is the matter?”

He did not speak for a long moment. Finally he said, “I thought you wanted to be here.”

Puzzled, she studied him. “What do you mean?”

“You only came here because Cerridwen told you to.” His voice was even enough to balance a glass of water on it.

Suddenly she understood. “Of course I want to be with you! Cerridwen’s vision let me come here earlier than I would have. I was so torn before that – wanting to be with you, but at the same time, I had saved Jack’s life twice, which no one else could have done. And I did it again on the day I left! How was I supposed to say, ‘Sorry, I want to be with my husband, so next time you are on your own?’ And it was not his fault; he simply had no idea what he was doing.”

“Does he know any better now?” He still sounded remote, and she hated it.

“Perhaps a little, but not really. I am worried about him. When Cerridwen said the disaster would happen if I did not come here, it was a relief. I could finally do what I longed to. Before that, I thought the disaster would be if I left.”

“Did you? Did you really want to come here?”