“That would explain why they are worried, but I wish they would tell me what this Talent was supposed to do.” It was frustrating to be treated like a child – and that the one ability she possessed was one that was too dangerous to use. But there was something else she wanted to ask him about. “Have you heard anything from Granny in London? We have received no news from her at all, apart from a brief letter early on, saying only that she was well and enjoying London. It was literally three sentences long.”
He winced. “Writing is very hard for her these days, and she would not have felt safe putting anything more important in a letter, which would almost certainly be opened and read. We have not heard even that much. No doubt she is trying to avoid revealing the location of the village.”
“I do wish we knew more! Colonel Fitzwilliam, Lady Frederica’s brother, told us his friends at the War Office are complaining about Granny’s autocratic ways, but that they are all too desperate for any help she could give them to argue with her. They do not understand truth-casting, butthey are disturbed by what they see as an uncanny ability to discover things they would rather she did not know. He was not involved with her case, though; this was just gossip that he had heard.”
“It could be much worse,” Roderick said. “She would do best to stay in London for now. The Eldest of Gwynedd is furious with her, as are all the dragons. He would have put Sycamore under Silence, had not others convinced him that we could not afford to remain ignorant of what he has learned. I fear neither of them will be welcomed back after breaking the Great Covenant of Concealment.”
“I was afraid of that.”
“And you – you have been through a great deal since we last met. If you are willing, I would be eager to hear about what you have discovered in your contacts with Darcy. I have heard it all third hand, of course, but things are sometimes strangely misunderstood at a distance.”
Her back was beginning to ache, so she sat down in the old-fashioned carved chair before she related the story yet again. Then she added on her plans to leave for France.
His eyes widened. “Surely you cannot go alone! If need be, I will come with you myself.”
“Not you, too,” she teased. “Is there something about a woman who is increasing that makes everyone think she is incapable of setting one foot in front of the other?”
“But—”
“I have already had this argument with several people and won in every case, so do not waste your breath!” But perhaps it would be worth putting one thought in his head. “Have you met Rana Akshaya yet? She will be remaining at Pemberley even though I am leaving, and I think you would find her very interesting.” And Frederica would also be there, keeping an eye on Rana Akshaya and serving as a chaperone for Miss Darcy, but she need not mention that.
“Not yet. She does not come to the Nest, and I am told she does not care to be approached by mortals.”
“There is some truth to that. I barely see her, even though she is my guest.” She frowned. “Does Quickthorn know you are here?”
“I imagine every dragon in the Nest is aware of it,” he said wryly. “That would include Lady Frederica’s companion, though she has declined to take any notice of me.”
Had Quickthorn told Frederica that Roderick was here? She would certainly know he was a sore point for her companion and might have kept it to herself.
But keeping a secret like this was not something Elizabeth could do.
Frederica was waiting in the drawing room when Elizabeth returned. “How did it go?” she asked without preliminaries. “Did you solve any of your mysteries?”
“I am still mystified.” Not least by the decision by the Eldest to bind her against speaking of her new Talent that she could not use in any case. “But I have had many lessons in how to feel the foundations beneath me.”
“It sounds like a lot of work.”
“It was, but I also had the opportunity to meet some companions from different Nests, and that was very interesting. I had not realized that the Nests differed so much in size, from those with only a handful of dragons to one in the Highlands with nearly fifty. Most have no Gates.”
Frederica sat up straight. “The other companions have arrived? Perhaps I should make a trip up, too.”
This was why she could not keep Roderick’s secret. “I was very glad to speak to them,” she said slowly. “I was surprised to find Roderick is there, too, as an escort to a young companion from the Gwynedd Nest.”
Frederica’s face froze for a long moment. “I… see. Like the proverbial bad penny. I assumed he would hide away in Wales forever.”
Elizabeth took pity on her and pretended not to notice her distress. “I hoped he might have word from Granny, but he had heard nothing, either.And the dragons of the Gwynedd Nest are even angrier at her than the ones here.”
Frederica accepted the distraction with apparent relief. “Let us hope she is doing some good, then, at least enough to earn forgiveness. And you – now that you are back, how long will you be able to stay?”
“Hardly at all,” Elizabeth said. “The ship is almost ready, so I will leave here the day after tomorrow. Assuming your brother does not decide to keep me under lock and key, that is,” she teased.
She laughed. “He would not dare, and besides, he wants to know where Darcy is almost as much as you do.”
It only reminded Elizabeth of how she missed him at every moment. She had to find him. There was no other option.
Captain Thirtleby held out an envelope. “Welcome aboard, Mrs. Darcy. Here are your papers, in the name of Mme. Marie Dubois. You’ll need them in France.Passeport, they call them, and everyone must have them.”
Elizabeth took it gingerly. “How did you manage to get these?” It had taken the War Office months to set up Darcy’s papers.
