He kissed her hand and rose to his feet. “The loss has been mine. Whenever I am away, I tell myself you cannot possibly be as lovely as I remember, yet when I return, you are always even lovelier.”
“You see,” said Titania to Elizabeth. “He is completely different from his brother. Your brother. That makes youshurinn, you and Prince Evlan.”
Shurinn? The word caught at a hidden memory. People who were both kin to the same person, but not to each other. Yes, that was it, and there was a special bond between them. She remembered the concept, but she had never expected to have ashurinn, nor a Sidhe brother.
Eversleigh – no; Prince Evlan – said, “So I have just learned. Libbet, my dear, it is a pleasure to see you again and to acknowledge you asshurinn. I see you have another of my friends from the mortal world here.” He turned to Frederica, who had chosen to dress in the same diaphanous and revealing silks as Titania’s dryads. His eyes raked downher to her feet and then back up again. “The exquisite Marigold Meadowsweet. Faerie suits you, dear girl.”
“Just as I have been telling her,” said Titania with a hint of a pout. “I would like to keep her, but she stubbornly insists on returning to your mortal world.”
He bowed. “My journey hither involved this very question. The friends of these young ladies had expected them to return last night and were deeply concerned when they did not. I offered to come on their behalf to check on the welfare of the young ladies.”
“What foolishness!” the queen cried. “What harm could befall them here?”
Apparently Titania did not view glamour traps as dangerous.
“Mortals can be very foolish, but they do mean well,” Eversleigh said.
Elizabeth said quickly, “We had indeed meant to return last night, but a surprise delayed us, and then this morning Prince Aelfric asked me to accompany him on an errand. We intend to return later today.”
Frederica said slowly, “I planned to return because I did not want anyone to worry, but if you will be able to reassure them of my well-being, I would not mind staying here a few days longer, if the queen will permit it.”
“Certainly you must stay, my little Marigold,” said Titania. “It has been so dull here without mortals!”
Eversleigh bowed to Frederica. “As you wish. It would be a terrible shame to force you back into mortal clothing so quickly, my dear Marigold.”
Color burned in Frederica’s cheeks. “I would by no means suspend any pleasure of yours, Prince Evlan.”
He sighed dramatically. “I suppose you are safe in saying so, since your father knows at least a dozen ways to end my life. And you, Libbet?Do you wish to remain?”
Elizabeth opened her mouth to say she was more than ready to return – but was it true? There was no reason for her to remain at Rosings now that Beltane was past, and she would lack even Frederica’s company and chaperonage. Had she never met Prince Aelfric, she would have been happy to remain for a time in Faerie where no one called her a witch, she did not have to depend on charity, and she had no responsibilities. But she had met Aelfric, and he had torn her heart apart. “I suppose if you tell Mr. Darcy of our plans, I need not hurry back.”
“You can tell him yourself if you like. I left him just outside the grotto.”
Darcy was here? A rush of relief filled her. When had that happened, that she stopped dreading his presence? “Can you take me to him?”
“Certainly. But might I suggest that Marigold Meadowsweet remain here? I do not think Darcy would appreciate your present attire as much as I do.”
“Libbet is welcome to him,” said Frederica, seeming unperturbed by his blatant flirtation. “I prefer to continue my education in all things Faerie.”
Eversleigh made an extravagant bow. “I shall hope for the opportunity to take part in your further education.”
“I MUST SHOW EVLAN MYfoals while he is here,” Prince Aelfric told Darcy. “Since there are so few Sidhe steeds left, I am experimenting with breeding them to your thoroughbreds in the hope of offspring that retain the Sidhe characteristics.”
Since this conversation was an improvement over the open hostility the prince had shown until now, Darcy asked politely, “Haveyou had good results?”
“Not yet. The colts are fast, but their legs are too spindly. Look, here comes Libbet.”
Darcy caught his breath at the sight of Elizabeth. She was dressed in a combination of mortal and fay styles, her hair loose around her shoulders and entwined with flowers. His fingers itched to bury themselves in her tousled curls and the rest of his body seemed to think she would look even better with that hair spread across a pillow. His pillow, to be precise, after passionate love-making.
Elizabeth curtsied. “Prince Aelfric, we meet again. Mr. Darcy, I give you good day.” A tabby cat twined around her feet.
Darcy bowed. “Miss Elizabeth, I am glad to see you are safe.”
Prince Aelfric stiffened, but Elizabeth put her hand on his arm. “I pray you to call me Libbet. The fay prefer us to use the names they have given us when we are in their lands.”
“Libbet, then.” Darcy could almost hear the swish of his governess’s rod descending in response to his poor manners. Still, to show he had learned his lesson in this case, he added, “I am Diarcey here. I am glad Prince Evlan found you.”
“I am sorry to have caused concern. We had intended to return last night, but the situation was more complex than I had anticipated. I see you have already met Prince Aelfric, who holds a great distinction: I quarrel with him even more frequently than I do with you.” The warmth in her arch tone took the sting from the words.
