“Yes,” said Darcy and Elizabeth, emphatically.
“And you all know how we are doing this?”
“I cannot speak for the others, but I certainly do,” said Darcy.
“Good. Then I will confirm with everyone else and we will be on our way.”
The riskiest part of their journey was the first part: setting out from Founder’s Hall. The Mage Hall was undoubtedly being watched. No one should know they were traveling to the coast, and certainly they did not want to give away their exact destination. In the end, the plan involved sending their luggage in farm carts, hidden under hay, and having the three carriages travel in different directions. An additional precaution was having the carriages waiting for them in different places, which meant they had to make their way on foot or on horseback.
The young ladies – Jane, Miss King, and Miss Bingley – along with Redmond – took the London to Brighton Road. LordGrayson and his Janus Twin Lord Harcourt traveled with Lord Matlock towards Rochester to obtain the latest reports about Napoleon’s movements. And Bingley, Darcy, Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet took the road to Maidstone, Kent.
The purpose was to avoid detection and confuse anyone who might pursue them. Two of the groups were to stay the night at an inn in Maidstone and from there split again to meet at the coast. It was up to Lord Matlock’s group to visit the different telegraph towers and discover the latest updates about Napoleon’s movements. Meanwhile, Colonel Fitzwilliam was in charge of communicating between the three groups if necessary. His primary role, however, was to ensure the safety of Elizabeth and to pass on information if she received any news from Riquer.
Darcy could tell Lizzy was worried by the way her hands were twisted in the folds of her travel cloak. She was looking out of the window, but she was certainly not admiring the scenery. The tight line of her back told him she was fully alert for any signs of Imperial Mages. If anyone could spot them, she would.
Next, they drove through some of the narrower London streets, going through such tight alleyways that it would be impossible for anyone to trail them without being discovered. Watchers had been appointed to observe from windows, and some of Colonel Fitzwilliam’s men were following on horseback. It was a tense journey as each of them tried to pick up traces of magic through the crowds. They had instructions to return if there was any doubt, and everyone was on edge. Darcy fervently hoped they would not have to return to the Hall and be forced to set out all over again.
A watchful silence reigned in the carriage as they left London. They were more exposed here. All three of them were focused on looking for traces of magic outside. Darcy’s eyes roamed overthe green countryside, looking out for anything unusual. At least they were not hemmed in by trees on both sides of the road.
The tension in the carriage lasted for some time after they left the crowds behind them. As they moved further into the countryside, some of Darcy’s worry began to dissolve.
“I think we are safe,” he said. “Can you sense anything, Elizabeth?”
“Nothing,” said Elizabeth.
Darcy trusted her judgment. She was the best at picking up signs of danger. She had single-handedly dealt with an attack on Founder’s Hall before the other mages had even suspected they were in danger.
Once it was apparent that they were not being followed, the two horsemen behind them drew closer. Darcy gave a signal through the window, and they melted away into the trees.
They pulled down the shades halfway, obscuring them from the casual observer, but still enabling them to look out. It was a minor precaution, intended to discourage gossip, but otherwise not particularly useful. If the Imperial Mages were on the lookout, they would rely on magical signatures, not on sight.
“It looks like we have managed to evade them.” Elizabeth’s shoulders relaxed.
Mr. Bingley gave a little whoop.
“For now,” said Mr. Bennet. “We should not let down our guard completely.”
“Not completely,” said Elizabeth, “but it would be very bad luck indeed if they happened to find us by accident.”
Darcy wanted to give a whoop himself. They had cleared the first hurdle. They were on their way.
As they reached open farmland, the sense of being followed slowly receded, and Elizabeth began to abandon her vigilance. It began to rain, and the dull gray sky and patter of the rain, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of the horse’s hooves, lulled her into a half-sleep.
She woke up as the carriage slowed to a halt. She sat up in alarm as she heard Darcy and the other gentlemen talking about the possibility of being attacked by highwaymen.
“What is happening?” she asked in alarm.
“Nothing yet,” said Mr. Bennet, amused. “But we are approaching Bromley Common, which is notorious for its frequent attacks. I was considering the possibility that we might be about to fall into a trap.”
“Take no notice of your father,” said Darcy. “I have journeyed many times this way, and I have never experienced an attack.”
Elizabeth was still groggy from sleep. She looked from one to another, trying to decide if there was any truth in her father’s statement. “Why have we stopped, then?”
“There is a long line of conveyances ahead of us, so I suppose the road is blocked by a fallen tree or something of that sort.”
“Or highwaymen,” said Mr. Bennet.
Elizabeth frowned at the way her father found ways to make light of every situation. “What if it is not highwaymen? What if we have been followed by French mages and they have set up an obstacle to hold us up? Or worse, an ambush?”
