“He’s not playing, I don’t think,” frowned Caleb, shooting a worried look at the dog. “Elinor, what is going on?”
She grabbed his arm. “We must go to your library and that book. At once, Caleb. It is really,reallyimportant. I cannot tell you how important.”
“All right then. Let’s go.”
They hurried across the lawns, surprising Deryn, who was walking past the French windows as they rushed inside.
“Good heavens, Lady Elinor…is all well?” He glanced at Caleb.
“Don’t look at me. I haven’t a clue. But you might send a message to Molliney Park that she’s here? I’ll wager she took off in such a hurry she forgot to tell anyone.”
“Very good sir,” then he turned. “What shall I say, sir?”
Elinor and Caleb were halfway through the other door. “Whatever you think works, Deryn.”
“Hurry,” Elinor still had hold of his coat.
“Look, the book is still there. I checked this morning.” He almost missed a step, but caught himself up and just managed to avoid crashing into her as she stopped in front of the library door.
“That’s good, Caleb. Very good. Because it’s the most important book in your library.” She dragged him inside and shut the door behind him.
“Elinor, what the devil is this all about?”
She took a breath. “It’s about Tylwyth Teg, Caleb. It’s about the hundreds of years it has lain sealed and empty right beneath this house.”
Caleb frowned. “Dear girl, you can’t know that? There has been much construction, walls built and toppled, designs changed…it must be close to a thousand years since that story was told. And besides,” he tugged her down onto the couch beside him, “it’s a legend, darling. A tale told by parents to children. Did it have any basis in truth? Probably. But even so…”
She nodded. “I understand all that, Caleb. I really do. But just think for a moment. What if it was true? What if that community, all the homes that the Tylwyth Teg used to live in, play in, govern from…their entire world, I suppose…what if it was real? And still there, right now, beneath our feet?”
“I’d be astonished,” he replied mildly. “At the very least, I’d be astonished…”
“All right then.” Elinor produced the piece of paper he’d looked for. “Yes, I had it. I was curious, as you know, and wondered if this might be some sort of clue or note or something to the mystery of the book.”
“A fair question.”
Caleb’s skin was beginning to tingle. Elinor was so sincere, so believable, so convincing. He wasn’t as sure, but knowing her honesty, he stayed still and listened intently.
She took a breath. “I recognised the first words—they were in Latin.Libertas Est Omnia. And I’ll come back to those in a minute. Unfortunately, I had no luck with the rest of it, though, until in desperation I showed it to Bronwen. You remember her…”
“Your elf friend?”
She nodded. “Yes. We talked about the story of Tylwyth Teg.” She leant forward and put her hand on his knee. “It was real, Caleb. According to Bronwen, everything you told me about actually happened.”
He blinked. Carrádog made an odd whining sound and laid his head on Caleb’s knee, staring at Elinor, just like his master.
“It actually happened?”
“That’s what I was told.”
Caleb swallowed. “By an elf.”
“Who better to tell the tale?”
He didn’t need to interpret Carrádog’s soft woof. “Yes, lad, she does have a point.”
Chapter Eighteen
Elinor’s heart was in her throat as she did her best to present her amazing discoveries in a way that would seem believable.
