Hesitating, she tried to assess the situation, then decided to trust her Wards to hold off any other intruders. Cautiously, she extended the Wards just far enough from the mirror to allow one person to come though.
Riquer stepped out of the mirror, looking strained. His eyes brightened when he saw her.
“Thank Heavens you are safe, Mrs. Darcy! I feared something had happened to you on the beach. After the rest of the balloons traveled inland, I tried to turn back to see if I could rescue you. I tried to use the mirror to reach you, but I could not connect with you." There was no doubting the sincerity in his eyes,
"It must have been while I was traveling through it."
A suspicion crossed her mind. “How did you know I would be here?”
“I did not. I came to warn everyone here at Founders’ Hall, in case they had not heard.”
One more suspicion niggled at her. “How did you manage to come through the mirror?” she said. “I thought you could not go through exterior walls.”
“I walked through the front door. Nobody stopped me. They never changed the Wards to exclude me. It looks like, unlike your husband, many people trust me.” He gave her a lopsided grin. "Once I was inside, I went to my chamber and used my old mirror. I sent you through that mirror to your bedchamber, remember? The mirror remembered the way."
She felt suddenly ashamed that she had doubted him. “You have done us a huge service by warning us about the balloons when you did,” said Elizabeth, slowly, “although you will be surprised to know, Darcy discovered it at the same time.”
Riquer whistled. “Really? He saw the balloons?”
“No. Someone else did. A little boy.”
“That is astonishing. Like your sister, Miss Mary.”
She nodded.
“And there I was, thinking I would be welcomed like a hero.”
She laughed. “You will be. But first we must go to make sure the Prince Regent is safe. Then you can claim that you saved the kingdom.”
"Where is your husband now? Is he safe?”
Elizabeth made a choked sound. "Is anyone safe? Your balloons will soon be casting fireballs on the whole of London. The Kingdom is about to fall.”
"Notmyballoons. More to the purpose, where is he?"
She hesitated. Could she trust Riquer with the information? Darcy had never trusted him. Why would he want to save Darcy?
What did she have to lose in any case? She had trusted Riquer all along. He had told them about the balloons. There was no point in holding back now. She needed to find Darcy, to find out what was happening.
“He is at Carlton House.”
"I will take you there," said Riquer. "If you use the mirror, you can transport yourself to my balloon when I reach it. It is floating above Founders Hall."
“I cannot go. I came here to take Mary to London.”
“Once you are on the balloon, I will come back and send her to you through your mirror.”
Elizabeth nodded. She had an uneasy feeling about Darcy. She wanted to get to him as quickly as possible.
“Very well, Mrs. Darcy. Are you ready to ride a balloon?”
“I am ready to use any means possible, if it will take me quickly to Carlton House.”
Chapter 29
Darcy’s mind was growing fuzzy. Somehow, he had to keep the Ward up. He did not even know if the Prince Regent was alive, but he dared not do anything that might break his concentration. Help would come, sooner or later, but right now, Darcy was not sure he could continue until then.
It was his fault things had come to this. He should have been more insistent with His Highness and found a way to convince him to leave before the Earth mage’s attack. He had one mission he needed to accomplish, and that was to keep the Prince Regent safe.
