Elizabeth watched after them as they left, chewing her lip. Had she done the right thing? Not that there were many choices. The lesser fae went wherever they pleased, and nothing she could do would stop that.
Then a thought halted her, a reminder that this could affect Georgiana. Would these lesser fae recognize her as a changeling? What if they reported on her to the Wicked King? Good heavens, she was sounding like a dragon now, calling the High King of Faerie by their title for him. Next she would start finding inventive ways to curse his name each time she mentioned him. The thought made her smile.
But Georgiana needed to be warned, and it should not wait until Darcy returned to the house. Elizabeth sought her out first in the music room where the girl spent much of her time, and then, when that proved empty, in her bedroom.
Georgiana’s room looked different, but it took a moment for Elizabeth to realize why. Then it struck her. All the iron was gone, the candlesticks and figurines and boot scrapers. She must trust the wards were keeping the High King away.
The girl still looked nervous to see Elizabeth, though, rubbing her hands in her skirts. “Is something the matter?” she asked.
Elizabeth chose her words carefully. “Nothing is wrong; I just wished to obtain your opinion on something. I have been informed that a number of lesser fae have come to Pemberley.”
The girl’s eyes flickered from side to side. Or was she looking at invisible fae? “Yes, I know,” she said nervously.
“Are you able to see them?” Elizabeth prompted.
The girl nodded.
Was it always this hard to get answers from her? “I wonder if you might know why they are here, or what their intentions may be.”
“All I know is what they tell me,” Georgiana said apologetically. “They can only speak the truth, but they may be omitting matters of importance.”
Just like the old tales, then; the fae were truthful but skilled in manipulating their words to give a misleading impression. “And what do they tell you?” Elizabeth asked.
Georgiana flushed. “That they wish to serve me, to prove their loyalty to me. That they fear the High King.”
They wished to serveGeorgiana? This was too deep for Elizabeth. Perhaps Darcy might be more successful in getting an explanation from his sister. For now, she would do better to focus on the practical side. “Will there be consequences for the rest of us?”
A creaky voice answered from the empty air. “We have promised the great lady that we shall harm no one here and will offer assistance as we may, in keeping with our natures.”
The great lady? What did that mean? It was beyond disconcerting, conversing with a being she could not see. “How long do you intend to stay?”
“Why, this is our home now.”
Forever, then, or at least as long as the wards remained active. Well, Pemberley could afford to feed them, and perhaps some good might come of it for Georgiana. It was always wise to stay on the good side of the fae, even the relatively weak lesser ones, so a gracious response was called for. Carefully, since all the stories agreed that the fae, like dragons, hated beingthanked. “Your answers have eased my mind. My staff has been instructed to offer food for you. If there are any difficulties, I hope you will inform me.”
“Indeed, Lady Companion,” the voice said.
How had he found out that she was a dragon companion? Georgiana was bound against telling anyone. It was a good reminder that the fae often knew far more than people thought they did.
Georgiana said in a low voice, “I am sorry to have brought this upon you. If you wish them to leave, I will ask them to do so.”
Good heavens, how easily Georgiana could blame herself for anything! “I do not mind their presence at all, and if our wards keep them safe from those who would harm them, I am glad of that. My concern is solely to understand what is happening and to make certain everyone at Pemberley, both mortal and fae, is treated fairly and with respect.”
The girl’s shoulders relaxed. “I hope it will not make trouble for you.”
“No trouble at all,” Elizabeth assured her. “We have already successfully added a dragon to the household, so including lesser fae should not be a problem.” At least she hoped so.
Two days later, Darcy led Elizabeth to the edge of a field where hay bale targets had been set up. He raised her hand to his lips and caressed it lightly before releasing it. Walking hand in hand with her was something he treasured even more, when he knew how little time he had left to do so. But he refused to let any worry into his mind right now. He was with his beloved Elizabeth on a beautiful day, and he intended to make the most of it – or at least as much as he could from a brief outing designed to study the sound of gunfire. Which was not much.
Her eyes danced under the edge of her bonnet as she gazed up at him. “I do not know how much help I will be, since I am far from expert at recognizing the sound of artillery.”
“You should stop interfering with my excuses to spend time with you,” he said in mock disapproval. “Besides, that is why Wilkins is here.” He gestured to where his valet stood at the end of the pasture next to a stack of firearms.
Wilkins raised a hand in salute, and then lifted a long rifle to his shoulder, his head turned towards Darcy in expectation.
Darcy touched Elizabeth’s arm, simply for the pleasure of it. “This will be real gunfire. Listen to it and pay special attention to the timing between the sound and the appearance of the smoke. And how the smoke changes. That is what I will be trying to imitate.”
“Not something I noticed on those rare occasions when my father had a hunting party,” she said with a laugh. “I will do my best, though.”
