Ianthe gasped, much as Damon had done when he’d first seen such magic.
As his mother pushed her palms out and away, the bramble moved further and revealed the stone wall that guarded this side of Nightshade Manor from Bocka Morrow and their neighbors.
Then, in a blink, the nightshade for which the estate was named, sprouted from the ground, covered the walls and bloomed.
Ianthe gasped again.
“Now, shall we return to the carriage and continue on to the manor?”
“Come along, girls,” Damon called to Nephele and Clio. They turned, their fingers and mouths, as well as the fronts of their dresses, now stained purple from the blackberries, not that Damon minded. Their nurserymaids may, however.
Cordelia wasn’tcertain that she could believe what she’d just witnessed. She was a reasonable adult and did not possess a fanciful disposition, yet what she’d just seen was incomprehensible.
She’d been raised in Bocka Morrow where there were ghosts, witches, mermaids, and pixies, yet despite her twenty-one years on this earth, this was the first time that she’d witnessed something truly magical.
She turned to Edward, who was grinning.
“They are witches.”
He nodded, then turned to watch as the carriages traveled through the drive between the stone walls covered in nightshade. More coaches followed and she assumed they were servants and belongings. After the last coach entered, Cordelia held her breath expecting the bramble to return, hiding the entrance to the estate, but it did not.
Lady Chandos was a witch! Cordelia would have never expected as such. And who was the gentleman traveling with his three daughters? Cordelia had never seen him before, but he must be a relation. She assumed he was the father, but he didn’t appear old enough to have a daughter the age of the oldest, who she determined to be near Edward’s age of thirteen. Perhaps he had married young, or he looked younger than he was.
That wasn’t what mattered. There were new witches in Bocka Morrow. Were they all witches? More importantly, were they good witches or something to be feared?
“All is restored,” Edward said.
Nothing was restored. There was still a dirt road when one had not been there before, blackberries were plump, and nightshade had bloomed in a blink.
“There is no more silence,” he said.
Yes, ithadall returned—the birds chirped, trees rustled in the breeze, and the flowers danced in the fields, as if nothing had occurred.
Were they more powerful than most?
“Help me from this tree,” Cordelia insisted. She needed to learn what she could of the family because the Marchioness of Chandos was not what she presented to Society.
Once she reached the gardens where she’d left her book, Cordelia continued toward the manor, noting the ribbons she’d left on the walk to attract pixies were gone, then marched to the library where she anticipated Adam, her older brother would be.
“What do you know of the owners of Nightshade Manor?” She’d always thought it was owned by the Drakos family. Then again, perhaps Lady Chandos was related. If Cordelia knew where their copy of Debrett’s had disappeared to, she’d find it and research in the information herself.
He set the quill aside and leaned back in his chair. “Nightshade Manor was built by the Drakos family centuries ago. Why?”
“The Marchioness of Chandos just arrived.”
“She is a sister of Lord Basil Drakos, the Earl of Wharton and current owner. His other sister is the Countess of St. Alban,” Adam answered. “Any heir can visit and take up residence at any time.”
“Were you aware they are witches?”
“Yes, weren’t you?”
Cordelia sank into a chair before his large desk. “No.”
He shrugged. “It’s no secret. All Bocka Morrow knows. I’m surprised you didn’t.”
How could she not possess this information? Cordelia thought she knew everything about their community.
Lady Chandos’ daughter, Lady Larisa was a good friend to Adriana. Was her sister aware they were witches? Were all of them witches? Should she warn Adriana?
