The colonel cursed under his breath. “Shoulder wounds are bad. Never trust the fae, though; they are always up to something. When did you hear this?”
She counted on her fingers. “Ten days ago, perhaps. Less than a fortnight, for certain.”
It had been over two long months since Darcy had kissed her farewell in her bedroom. A month since he had been on the run, in pain from his wound. She could not bear to think of his suffering.
“He must be having trouble returning. He was given names for escape routes, but none of them can be trusted not to turn him in for a reward of this size. Much as I dislike the idea, it would be safest for him to go into hiding there.”
“You can do nothing to recover him?” Frederica asked.
The colonel gritted his teeth. “What could I do? How can we perform a daring rescue in a hostile country when we have no idea where he is? He might even have left France, for all we know. It would be hopeless.”
A clear, floating voice said, “I can narrow it down, if that helps. I cannot tell how far away he is, but I know in which direction he can be found.”
Elizabeth gaped at Cerridwen. Why had she never told her this before? What else did she know?
Cerridwen spoke in her head.If I thought it could help, I would have told you. This Richard has an army and might be able to use the information.
The colonel swung to face Cerridwen. “Are you certain? How closely can you locate him?” He demanded.
Frederica said firmly, “Pray forgive him, Cerridwen, for his ignorance of dragon protocol. Richard, they dislike direct questions from strangers. She will offer you what she wishes you to know.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam’s mouth opened and shut with an audible clash of teeth. But manners must have been drilled into him at a young age, for he made a precise bow in Cerridwen’s direction. “My apologies for my lack of knowledge. I shall strive to do better.”
Cerridwen tilted her head in acknowledgment.
The colonel rubbed his forehead, succeeding only in smearing mud across it. “But to the problem at hand, Mrs. Darcy, I must urgently request that you depart this place immediately, and I offer you my escort.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I cannot leave. The whole purpose of my marriage was for Darcy to draw on his land Talent through me, and that requires me to be at Pemberley. I have no objection to taking precautions, though.”
“Precautions are not enough when French soldiers know they can earn a fortune and the emperor’s personal favor simply by killing you. And since Napoleon knows Darcy’s name, we must assume he is aware you are the source of his power, too. What better way to weaken Darcy than to dispose of you?”
“But what if his life depends on accessing my power?”
The child inside her chose that moment to kick, as if reminding her that there was another life depending on her, too.
Would she have to leave for her child’s sake? It would be an unbearable choice. “Are you so certain it is a risk?”
“Certain enough to ride day and night to get here. Quite certain.”
The butler cleared his throat. “Pardon me for speaking out of turn, madam, but a Frenchman came here two days ago seeking employment. We sent him away, of course, but he did seem very interested in looking around.”
Elizabeth’s stomach churned, and this time she could not blame it on the child. Someone truly wanted to kill her. A memory assailed her, one she had thought little of at the time. “Yesterday, as I was walking alongsidethe stream, I heard a gunshot that sounded quite nearby. I assumed it was a poacher.”
The colonel’s face paled, making the mud stand out starkly. “Were it not for bad aim, I might have been too late. There is no time to lose. We will leave for Matlock at first light. Until then you should not be alone, and I must ask you to stay away from windows.”
“Matlock?” asked Lady Frederica. “Would they not know to look there?”
“Perhaps, but the good thing about living in a drafty old castle on top of a hill is that it is remarkably easy to defend.”
Elizabeth’s mind raced. Matlock, where she would be a stranger with no bond to the land. But perhaps there was another alternative. “Cerridwen,” she said slowly. “The wards on Pemberley keep out High Fae. I wonder if they could be set to keep out unknown mortals, too.”
Cerridwen’s eyes unfocused for a long moment. “Rowan says they can be.”
“Then I will ask for that to be done. It will make for some challenges, but it will keep French soldiers out.” There would have to be changes in the estate, with deliveries left at the gatehouse to be brought in by trusted servants. The staff had already adjusted to worse. “And we have other defenses we can use, too.” A castle might be easy to defend, but Pemberley had three dragons in residence who could set illusions and a host of lesser fae who were willing to fight for Georgiana.
The colonel frowned. “I would prefer to have you under my protection.”
“I appreciate your concern, Colonel, but I will be safe here, and I would rather see you put your efforts toward rescuing my husband.”
