Page 37 of Triumph at Pemberley

With a taste of ashes in his mouth, he said, “I will write your letter.” There was no other choice. Suddenly he was glad that Jasper had taught Georgiana to fight.

“Good,” the High King said silkily. “My little Sparrow will bring you pen and paper, and I will examine your letter before she delivers it. Do not attempt any tricks, or you will suffer for it.”

Chapter 15

Darcy slumped back against the wall, regret and grief welling up in his throat. He had done it, betrayed Georgiana to save Elizabeth’s life. He had written the letter, blown on the strange ink Sparrow had brought him to dry it, and given it to the fae. Now all he could do was wait.

Elizabeth squeezed his hand. “I am so sorry,” she whispered. “But you had no choice. Georgiana would say the same thing.”

He did know, but it did not help. “I have always been able to help people,” he said in a low, helpless voice. “When Georgiana wanted to live in London, when one of my friends fell into debt, when a tenant needed a new roof, I could do it all. I could fix things without having to choose. This time I chose to sacrifice my sister, after promising to keep her safe.” He would have to live with his pain and guilt, but he could not let Elizabeth be sent to Faerie forever.

“No, in fact you did not choose, not if I read your letter correctly. You told Georgiana what the High King had proposed, and you left the decision to her. You did not tell her you would throw her out onto the streets if she did not give herself up. You were given no choice by the High King, but you left her an alternative. It is his fault, not yours.”

He dropped his head into his hands. “Georgiana has suffered so much already. She should not have to face this, too.”

“Of course not. But your sister is stronger that you think. Have you not seen how much she has changed this last year? How she has gained in confidence and strength?” She lowered her voice so she was whispering in his ear. “And she is not alone. Granny and the dragons will be giving her advice and helping her face this.”

He said nothing, because there was nothing to say. Yes, Georgiana was stronger, but she would still be helpless before the King of Faerie. Just like he and Elizabeth were.

“The waiting is hard,” Elizabeth said unevenly.

Then he realized that he was failing her, too. He might have saved her from Faerie by writing that letter, but she was still suffering. He needed to put his own distress aside and care for his beloved Elizabeth.

It did not matter that Sparrow or other fae might be looking on, or even that the High King might be spying on them. He put his arms around her and tugged her onto his lap. As she buried her face in his shoulder, he murmured in her ear, “My dearest love. We will find a way out of this.”

Her shoulders shook, but then she took a deep breath and steadied herself. “Yes, I know. It is just so hard being away from Jenny. I have never been apart from her for more than a few hours, and now I have not held her for two nights. I know Nurse is taking good care of her, but I ache to feel her in my arms. She needs her mother.” She muffled a sob.

“It is a very natural feeling, though I can assure you she is in very good hands –” Then her words caught up with him and he stiffened. “Two nights?”

“I will never forget a minute of them, lying here in the dark wanting your arms around me and to be with my baby.”

“Elizabeth,” he said carefully. “It has been four days since you disappeared.” And he would not forget a single one of them, either. It had been agony to wait so long, to the point where Granny had threatened to imprison him with her Talent if he tried to leave before they were ready. He could not even explain why it had taken them so long to agree, Granny and the dragons. They never told him what they had planned.

And now something was very wrong, if Elizabeth thought it had been only two days.

“No, I assure you!” Elizabeth snapped. “I have had nothing to do here for even a moment. Surely you can depend on me to count how many times the sun has disappeared and—” Then she broke off, and her face went ashen. “Unless time runs differently inside this tower.”

“But it is in the mortal world,” he argued. His mouth went dry, his heart turning to ice. If time was different here, then they must be in Faerie. Even if they escaped tomorrow, many years might have gone by before they returned to Pemberley. Jenny would be half grown, spending her whole life abandoned by her parents. England would have long ago fallen to Napoleon. Everyone would have assumed them dead.

It was likely true, though, especially as the sounds of his men outside had vanished as soon as he entered the tower. He had thought little of it at the time, and now it was a knell of doom.

“Sparrow.” Elizabeth’s voice was oddly pitched. “Is this tower in Faerie?”

A rustling sound, then the scratchy voice. “It is in a space between the worlds.”

A new wave of helplessness washed over Darcy.

Elizabeth gasped and burst into tears, burying her face in her hands.

“What is the matter?” asked the voice, and the little fae faded back into view.

Somehow Darcy managed to find his voice. “Kind Sparrow, my wife is afraid of what this means. Mortals who return from Faerie are often gone for many years. We have a tiny baby at home who needs us. If the High King lets us go, will years have passed before we see her again?”

The little fae came closer and crouched down next to Elizabeth. “I am sorry for your pain. Time will have passed, yes. Your little Jenny will be perhaps a week or two without you.”

Elizabeth raised tearstained eyes to gaze at the fae. “A week? That is all?”

“If he releases you soon. If he keeps you here longer, it will be more.”