She nodded. “I couldn’t very well allow you to visit, even though I knew you would not be taxing, and reject everyone else. What would people say? I did not wish to have the gossip surround me anymore than you would have wanted that.”
Except, he could have fully courted her, and nobody would have remarked on his visiting or remaining by her side all evening.
“That is why your cousins and Lady Samantha are really trying to find a veiling spell. So that I can quiet the noise and enjoy an entertainment for once instead of it exhausting me.”
If only he would have demanded answers the one night that he had followed her into the gardens, then a lot of pain may have been saved.
Except, none of that changed their current situation. His current situation. He was still turning into a werewolf, and she had recited the words that made it happen.
“I will find a way to reverse the spell, Lord Chedworth.”
“Well, we won’t be able to do that sitting out here,” he said and pulled himself from where he was sitting on the sand.
He held a hand to Lady Antonia.
She looked up. “No thank you.”
His anger. She already felt it enough that she couldn’t even touch him, or be near his person, not that he could blame her.
Philip waited until she stood and brushed the sand from her gown and then followed her into the house where his family waited.
“I will retrieve my great-grandmother’s spell book, as had been my intention earlier.”
“The others are also waiting and ready with hopeful answers.”
Lady Antonia blew out a sigh. “I appreciate their assistance.”
“Did anything new occur tonight?” his mother asked as Philip entered the parlor.
“My hands and ears.”
She said nothing, simply nodded as Philip crossed to the sideboard for a glass of brandy. It was past midnight, and everyone should be abed, but he doubted there would be much sleep in the house until after the full moon. By then they would have reversed the spell, or he would be a werewolf for the rest of his life.
He was scared and would willingly admit that fear.
Lady Antonia returned a moment later carrying an ancient tome. “This is the spell,” she said, pointing to a page.
His mother held out her hands and Lady Antonia placed the book on her palms.
A servant rolled a tea cart into the room and Maia was the first to rise. “Let me pour you a cup of tea, Antonia. I am certain you need one. Should I ask cook to prepare you something to eat? You did sleep through supper.”
“No thank you. A cup of tea is all I need.”
“Have you tried to raise the faded words?” his mother asked.
“That had been my intention when I returned to the house earlier.”
“Do you have a spell?” Lady Wharton inquired.
“Yes. I put the parchment in the back of the book.”
“Gather what you need and go into the garden, where you first read the spell,” Lady Norcott instructed.
“Why?” Philip asked.
“The center is where our magic is the strongest. The magic of Drakos women, which will hopefully feed Lady Antonia’s magic.” She looked down at the book. “These words are ancient.”
“It is also the waxing crescent moon,” his aunt, Lady Wharton said.
