Mr. Darcy’s Enchantment

Chapter 12 #2

“Thank you,” said Elizabeth. “Lord Eversleigh tells me Mrs. Collins is here.” Why was she stating the obvious?

“I offered her a place to stay, since she has a long-standing acquaintance with me and had only just met Eversleigh.” He gestured to the staircase.

“That was generous of you.” She started up the stairs, conscious of his presence behind her.

“Mrs. Collins is also welcome in the public rooms here, but she has expressed a preference for some time alone.” He sounded defensive.

“I have no doubt of your hospitality.” Once she would have, but not now.

He rapped on a carved wooden door. At Charlotte’s invitation to enter, he held it open for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth flew to embrace her friend. “Oh, Charlotte! I am so sorry!”

Charlotte clung to her wordlessly for a moment as the door closed behind her, leaving the two of them alone. Elizabeth stepped back to look at Charlotte, leaving one arm around her.

Her friend looked weary and grim. “Thank you for coming, Lizzy, especially after how badly Mr. Collins treated you. I was not sure if you could ever forgive me. ”

“Do not be foolish! I never blamed you for what he did. I know you would have helped me if you could. And now I cannot even hold Mr. Collins responsible for it since he had no choice but to obey Lady Catherine.” At least that was what she wanted to believe. In truth, she did not think she could ever forgive him for sending her away as he did.

“I am glad. I have worried about it, but I was afraid of what Mr. Collins would do if he caught me trying to contact you,” said Charlotte. “Now that no longer matters.” Her eyes grew shiny.

“What happened? Viscount Eversleigh said only that Mr. Collins had changed after the spell on him was gone.”

Charlotte lifted her hands in a gesture of helplessness. “He came in from working in his garden, tossed his gardening gloves on the floor, and announced that he hated gardening and it should be my responsibility. He had always been happy to spend time in the garden before, but I told him I would do it if he wished. At dinner he was silent until I said something about hoping Lady Catherine’s health had improved. He shouted that Lady Catherine was a fool, and he was tired of being her lapdog. I know you never liked him, Lizzy, but he was not an ill-tempered man. This man was a stranger. When he was not back to himself two days later, I asked Mr. Darcy for help.” She buried her face in her hands and sank down onto a wooden chair.

“Oh, Charlotte, how terrible for you! I am so sorry.”

“Viscount Eversleigh came to the parsonage and talked to Mr. Collins, but whatever he said seemed to make no difference.”

“What did Mr. Collins do?”

“The next day he rode off to Canterbury without telling me where he was going and did not return that night. When he came home the next day, he said he wanted to annul our marriage.”

Elizabeth gasped. “Can he do that?”

“The church allows marriages that are compelled by sorcery to be annulled.” Charlotte’s voice broke .

“But that would leave you with nothing!”

Charlotte brushed away tears. “That does not matter as much as the things he said, about how he would never have married someone like me if he were in his right mind – oh, Lizzy, it was so horrible. When he proposed to me, I knew it was too good to be true. What man would want poor, plain Charlotte Lucas? But I wanted my own home so much that I let myself believe it.”

“He does not deserve you. Oh, Charlotte!”

Charlotte swallowed hard. “He was always annoying and foolish, and I am much better off without the man he has proven to be.”

“What will you do? Will you return to Meryton?”

“I cannot. Meryton was bad enough when I was merely a poor spinster. It would be worse as a rejected wife. I do not even know if my father would take me back.”

“What will you do, then?”

Charlotte lifted her chin. “I will swallow my pride and accept charity. Mr. Darcy has offered me a cottage on his estate with a maid and a small income. He claims to feel an obligation to provide for me since my life was ruined by his aunt’s actions.” Charlotte’s hands stole over her stomach. “I will have a home of my own without needing to tend to a foolish husband, and I will have someone else to care for soon. I do not need Mr. Collins.”

“A child? I am so glad you will have someone to love. You will be a wonderful mother. Mr. Darcy is doing the right thing in helping you.”

“He is a much better man than Mr. Collins, but that does not take much. Are you and he...” Charlotte tapered off her question delicately.

“Not after Lady Catherine ruined my good name. The Matlocks are trying to repair my reputation, and it may change over time, but for now, no.” She shrugged, hoping to appear untroubled.

“That horrible, selfish old woman has caused so much pain. It is not right.”

And it was hard to see how Lady Catherine’s sorcery could be kept secret if Mr. Collins was trying to gain an annulment based on it.

DARCY PRETENDED TO read a book as he waited for Elizabeth to emerge from Mrs. Collins’s room. He suspected she might try to leave without seeing him, and he had no intention of allowing that to happen. It had been three days since he had said goodbye to her at Rosings. After those weeks when he had seen her every day, often many times a day, these three days had felt like an eternity.

An eternity of missing her and an eternity of doubt. One minute he would remember her passionate kisses and her gentle touch on his cheek, and he could not understand how she could deny him. The next minute he would hear Eversleigh’s voice describing his magical bond with Elizabeth, and he wanted to rend his own flesh with his fingernails. Until he knew what – and whom – Elizabeth wanted, he would drive himself mad with questions.

He heard her footsteps on the stairs and hurried to meet her. “Miss Elizabeth, may I have the honor of escorting you back to Matlock House?”

“I would like that,” she said quietly, but he could not judge her mood. She took her bonnet from the butler and tied it on.

Darcy held the door open and followed her down the steps. She waited at the bottom, and he took that as an invitation to offer his arm. She tucked her hand in his elbow without hesitation. At least she was not afraid to touch him.

As they began to walk, she said, “I must thank you for intervening on behalf of Mrs. Collins and for your generosity to her.”

Her gratitude made Darcy uncomfortable. “It was the least I could do. Lady Catherine’s behavior harmed many people, but perhaps none more than her, and certainly no one could be more blameless.” It was not what he wanted to speak to her about, but he was grateful they were speaking at all.

“You could have done nothing, and no one would have been the wiser, so I thank you.”

“I knew you would want her to be protected.”

She hesitated. “You are very kind.”

He had to say something. “I hope you have found Matlock House comfortable.”

The corners of her lips turned up in that delightful expression that told him he was about to be teased. “Comfortable at Matlock House? Are you certain you remember who I am – Lizzy Bennet who walked through three miles of muddy fields, who is terrified of Collegium mages, and who had never dealt with an aristocrat before these last weeks? The chairs at Matlock House are comfortable. So are the rooms and the beds. I am not comfortable, merely out of place.”

“I was surprised you agreed to go there.”

“As well you might be! I decided to take your advice and at least attempt to rescue my reputation. I have not even used my...things that I use.” She wiggled her fingers.

Of course. She would not wish to speak of magic on a public street. “I thought you were determined to keep using those things.”

“I was.” She gave him an arch smile. “But I am not without the ability to change my mind or to listen to advice.”

“Are you following Eversleigh’s advice or mine?”

She huffed. “Perhaps, just perhaps, I am clever enough to think that when two gentlemen I respect offer the same opinion, it might be worth listening to.”

“I see.” But his opinion alone was not enough.

She did not reply for some time. “How is Miss de Bourgh?” she asked with forced cheer.

He had upset her. “She is well. I am glad to report that an adult woman can learn control of the elements far faster than a young boy. She has made good progress, although it still gets windy at night now that Pepper has left. Eversleigh has asked Aelfric to visit her every few days to help her with any problems that may arise.”

“Aelfric?” She sounded dubious.

“It seems the Sidhe have elemental magic, although they do not struggle to control it as I do.” A passerby gave him an odd look. “It is easier in...the place where Aelfric lives. I felt no pressure from the elements there.”

“Has Miss de Bourgh met him again, then? Dare I hope it was not a disaster?”

“She seems to like him, and she listens to his advice more than she does to mine.”

“I am glad I was not there to see that! You might not have resented it, but I would have done so on your behalf.”

“Oh, I resented it.” That made her smile. “I did not mind resigning my teaching duties to him.”

“I would imagine not!”

Since they seemed more in accord on the subject, he continued, “He may be able to help her where I could not. Her strongest abilities, unmaking and air, are my weakest ones. I have never unmade anything by accident, for which I am profoundly grateful.”

“That would be an uncomfortable skill.”

“Indeed. Aelfric has promised to bring her some fay-made bedding he claims is resistant to unmaking. It will make life easier for the maids.”

Elizabeth giggled. “I suppose it is impossible for her to disguise her abilities from her staff.”

“Quite impossible. ”

She asked in a more serious tone, “Will that be a problem for her?”

“I think not. I brought in a curate from a neighboring parish to talk to the staff, since they would not talk to me, and it appears they were well aware of Lady Catherine’s abilities and Sir Lewis’s experiments. Once they learned Anne was responsible for Sir Lewis’s demise, she became a heroine to them. Elemental abilities are substantial improvement over...” He glanced from side to side before saying quietly, “Sorcery.”

“I should say so!” she exclaimed. “But if they knew what was happening, why did they say nothing?”

“They thought we would not believe them. Although I do not like to admit it, they may have been correct. We were so convinced we had made England safe from sorcerers, and Sir Lewis’s behavior was nothing like Oliver Cromwell’s. It has been a lesson for us.”

“A frightening one.”

At least they were talking, but it did not answer his most important question. “I asked Eversleigh to explain fay kinship to me.”

She looked up at him through her lashes. “Are you thoroughly confused yet?”

“I am confused about your bond.”

“So am I! When I was a child in Faerie, I knew about kinship bonds, but I did not think I had any apart from my bond to Titania because I was one of her mortals. I did not know Oberon was my shurinn, but I trusted him very easily, even when I should not have. I have vague memories of playing with a Sidhe child who must have been Aelfric. I remember feeling unusually close to him, but I did not realize those were kinship bonds. It is a new experience for me now. I have never had a brother, and suddenly acquiring two of them, both with kinship bonds, is very strange. But it has been useful in making me feel at ease with Eversleigh. ”

He could not help himself. “Do you plan to marry him?”

Elizabeth halted in place. She carefully extricated her hand from his arm and said coldly, “Mr. Darcy, if you think I could behave as I did that night while planning to marry Eversleigh or any other man, I have nothing further to say to you.” Her voice shook on the last words. She hurried away from him without looking back.

He stared after her in dismay. What had he done? Should he go after her and try to explain?

She hesitated when she reached the corner, looking back and forth between the street straight ahead and the one to the right.

He caught up with her in a few strides. Stopping behind her, he said quietly, “Matlock House is to the right.”

She did not acknowledge him, but turned and blindly darted out into the street, right in front of a high perch curricle drawn by a pair of matched bays at a fast trot.

His heart in his throat, Darcy grabbed her arms and pulled her back. The wheel boss bumped against his thigh. Good God, that had been too close! But she was safe, her back pressed against him.

Once the pounding of his heart had slowed, he asked, “Are you hurt?”

She paused before answering. “Pray release me.”

His hands dropped to his sides. At least this time she looked before crossing the street.

His chest ached as he followed her. Even if she would not speak to him, he was not going to let her walk unprotected and alone in London. He stayed a pace or two behind her until she was forced to stop by a delivery cart blocking her way. He had to try again. “Elizabeth.” No, that was too familiar. “Miss Elizabeth. Miss Bennet.”

She did not turn to look at him. “If you are composing a list of what I am called, you have forgotten Lizzy, Eliza, and Libbet.”

At least she was responding! “I once told your cat that I am a very stupid mortal, and it is still true.”

She seemed to relax a little. “I will not argue with you on that, sir.”

“It is confusing to me. I know you dislike many things about me, yet you seem so comfortable with Eversleigh. You have a magic bond with him. He understands your life in Faerie in a way I cannot. He is a viscount. And I would be very surprised if he has not thought about marrying you.”

She gave a gurgle of laughter and finally looked at him. “Oh, yes, he thinks about marrying me. Whenever he is particularly frustrated with Lady Frederica, he thinks, ‘It would be so much easier if I simply married Libbet.’” She caught Eversleigh’s grumbling tone perfectly. “That does not mean he wants to marry me. And there are two very good reasons why I would never marry him.”

He took a deep breath. “Why is that?”

“First, he is Master of the Collegium, and second, I could never match his sartorial elegance. I feel perpetually rumpled and disheveled when I am with him. He needs a wife who will look as effortlessly elegant and stylish as he does.”

Relief washed over him. Of course Elizabeth would never marry the Master of the Collegium. He should have realized that on his own. “You never look rumpled to me.”

She cast a glance down at the splashes of street muck on her skirt from the horses’ hooves. “If that is true, you are indeed a very stupid mortal.” But she said it with laughter in her voice.

He made a slight bow. “At your service.”

“It is not true that I dislike many things about you. I did once, but I know you better now. I am still not happy you are part of the Collegium, but I have been so surrounded by mages of late that I am becoming inured to it.”

Surely there had to be something he could offer in return. “I plan to speak to Bingley about your sister.”

“That is good of you. Do you know I am afraid to write to Jane?”

“Because you spoke to me about Bingley?”

She shook her head. “Because I cannot tell her about anything. She knows that I went to Faerie the first time, but how do I explain to her what I have been doing since without mentioning the second trip, sorcery, Aelfric, Eversleigh, either of my parents, or Mr. and Mrs. Collins? Mr. Bingley is but an afterthought on that list. The last letter I wrote to Jane was about the weather and Pepper’s adventures catching mice because I could hardly say that I was waiting to hear whether Lady Catherine would be executed, after learning how to make blood wards from a peer of the realm who is also a prince of Faerie, and healing Lord Matlock who was under a sorcerous spell. I certainly cannot explain why Lady Matlock insisted I stay at Matlock House when she had never met me before that day.”

“That is a dilemma. Should I be encouraged my name was absent from the list of forbidden topics?”

She blushed. “It seemed impolite to mention you to your face.”

He took a deep breath. “If you did tell your sister about me, what would you say?”

She was silent for some time, but it was not the silence of anger. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft enough that he had to lean towards her to hear over the street noise. “I would tell her I think very highly of you and wish you could play a different role in my life, but I do not know if it will be possible. I am doing what I can to make myself marriageable again, but a great deal will depend on what happens at the revel. If society chooses to frown on the Sidhe and women with magic, Lady Frederica and I will both be pariahs. But if it goes well....We will see.” She looked up at him with a question in her eyes.

It was all he could do not to take her in his arms. “I thank you. That is all I can ask. But I do not promise to accept society’s judgment if I disagree with it.”

Her smile was sad. “It never crossed my mind that you would.”

They had reached Matlock House. “Thank you for answering my questions.”

“Would you like to come inside?”

He shook his head. “They will be dressing for dinner soon, and I do not wish to leave Mrs. Collins alone for long. But I will tell my aunt that I would be happy for an invitation to dine soon.”

“I would like that.” She offered him her hand. He raised it to his lips and kept it there as long as he dared. If only he had the right to do more!

“VISCOUNT EVERSLEIGH to see you, sir.” Darcy’s butler held out a silver salver.

“Eversleigh? Send him in.” It was a timely distraction from counting the hours until he could see Elizabeth when he dined at Matlock House tonight. It could not come soon enough.

Eversleigh strode in, his eyes shadowed. “Darcy, thank you for seeing me.”

“It is my pleasure. Some port?”

“That would be most welcome.”

Darcy poured two glasses and brought one to Eversleigh. “Have you heard anything further regarding the plans for Lady Catherine?” That seemed the most likely reason for his visit.

“Not yet. There is to be a meeting of senior mages about it tomorrow, which will be a pleasant change from working on Lady Matlock’s charge to me of finding a few handsome young mages and poets to take part in her Midsummer Night’s Revel.”

“Have you had any success? ”

“I have, which is somewhat surprising since I could not tell them anything about the role they are to play. Even FitzClarence has agreed. Titania will be pleased to have a swain with royal blood.” Eversleigh loosened his cravat.

Something about that niggled in the back of Darcy’s mind. Eversleigh always kept his appearance immaculate. He did not do things like loosening his cravat.

“Is something wrong?” asked Darcy abruptly.

Eversleigh set down his glass. “Unfortunately, yes. The three gentlemen on your Board of Inquiry called on me earlier to inform me that they were reopening your case, and to delicately warn me that if I tried to interfere, they would put up their own candidate for Master.”

Not again! Bile rose in Darcy’s throat. “But they declared me innocent of the charges.”

“With some pressure from Lord Matlock. Now they see their opportunity.”

“What did you say to them?”

Eversleigh’s lip curled. “I told them you did not do it, but I could not stop them from wasting their time if they chose. And that if they had a better candidate for Master, they should put him forward in any case. It was an empty threat; none of them hold much sway in the Collegium. Troublemakers, every one of them.”

Darcy had not eaten since breakfast, but his stomach felt full of lead. “What would you advise me to do?”

“Nothing at present. They plan to ask you to come to a hearing again, and I suggest you decline the invitation. They will twist everything you say. Put anything you want them to know in a letter and give me a copy for the archives. I do not know why they have such malice towards you, Darcy. You may not be gregarious, but you have done nothing to earn this sort of hatred.”

If only the port could wash away the bitter taste in his mouth. “ Do you recall the case of George Wickham? He was expelled for using his magic to cheat at cards.”

“Vaguely. It was an easy decision, as I recall.”

“He did not even try to defend himself. He knew he had been caught. I was the one who brought the charges against him. He was very popular among a certain circle of malcontents in the Collegium. Oddly enough, three of them offered to be on the Board of Inquiry for me.”

“Revenge, then? Does Wickham have elemental magic? Could he be behind some of this?”

“He has no skill with water. I have thought about that often. The only skill he ever bothered to practice was illusion, but I have checked and there were no illusions involved in the droughts I am charged with causing.” He had wanted so badly to prove Wickham was behind his problems, but there was not a scrap of evidence.

“I cannot blame you for being bitter. I wish there were more I could do. I thought perhaps of adding other members to the panel, but the Collegium charter does not permit it. If they do find against you, your best chance will be to put the matter to a vote of the entire Collegium.”

“Where I have very few friends.”

“Lord Matlock, though, has many friends among the members, and his powers of persuasion will help you.”

“If it were just a matter of expulsion from the Collegium, as it was for Wickham, I would not care. But since my powers are elemental, I would face binding as well,” said Darcy bitterly.

“I know. I have not forgotten that for a moment. I hope it will not come to that, but do remember that you have the freedom of Faerie, and the Collegium cannot pursue you there.”

“You could.”

“Grant me some credit, Darcy. I would take expulsion from the Collegium myself before I would put a binding spell on an innocent man. Or guilty one, for that matter. Placing binding spells should be a crime like any other sorcery.”

“Yet you supported my uncle, even when you thought he had chosen to cast one.”

Eversleigh grimaced. “It is hard to give up years of friendship on discovery of one poor decision made many years before. I am glad we can now acquit him of casting the spell of his free will. Still, if he had not spent years campaigning against binding spells, I might not have been able to forgive him at the time.”

“I did not mean to raise a painful subject.” Darcy had enough pain of his own. “I will remember your advice. Faerie might provide a temporary refuge, but I cannot see myself spending the remainder of my life there.”

“I hope it will not come to that.”

So did Darcy. “How long do I have?”

“Until they ask for your testimony, there is no need for concern. Afterwards I hope they will follow the usual protocol of informing the Collegium before taking action, but I cannot guarantee they will not attempt to act on their own. I suggest you take precautions against being caught unawares. Either Lord Matlock or I will be checking on you regularly, and we will remove a spell if one has been cast.”

Darcy would still have lost control over himself and his body. Nothing would be the same again. He understood all too well why Elizabeth had feared being spellbound even when she knew it would be removed. “You were not able to remove the binding on Anne de Bourgh.”

Eversleigh turned his hands palm up. “That spell was of Lord Matlock’s devising, and he is the best spellmaster we have. These men are far less skilled.” He smiled suddenly, a tense smile. “I am also not above asking Aelfric for help. You saw what quick work he made of the spell on Miss de Bourgh.”

Darcy stared into his untouched port. “Do you know how long it took me to learn to control my elemental powers? When I was a boy, anything I tried to drink turned into a whirlpool in my glass. Water jumped out of buckets when I walked past, and there were buckets of water everywhere because I also accidentally set things ablaze. My mother would not pour tea when I was in the room. When I had nightmares, the lake outside my window would overflow its banks. I prayed every night for God to take this curse for me. My father worked with me daily to teach me control, but I did not want to watch every thought I had or every step I took. I wanted to run and play like other children, but they would not be allowed to play with me because if I became angry, a sinkhole might open under them. When I finally learned the control I needed, I was sent off to school where everyone said I was too serious. When other boys were cruel to me, I could have made the contents of their chamberpots fly up in their faces or their ink spill, but I did not because that would be the wrong use of my powers. I know I have not made the wells of men I dislike run dry because I take great care to keep that from happening, always checking to make certain I am not affecting the flow of water deep in the earth. I always envied men like you who could learn to use their powers when I had to learn not to use mine, which is very much like learning not to breathe.”

“I had no idea.”

But the words would not stop now that he had let them loose. “Do you know why elemental mages are so rare? Most of them die as children. They drown in their own beds while asleep or are burned alive by fires they started but could not put out. I had servants watching me every minute, day and night. I was never alone. I learned illusion to hide myself from those prying eyes. And now these workaday mages who have never done anything more than set locks or build wards are sitting in judgment on me, and I can do nothing about it. Sometimes I think Miss Bennet is right, and the Collegium is rotten to the core. I wonder how many other petty sorcerers like Sir Lewis de Bourgh may be hiding their sins by participating in the Collegium. ”

“I have been wondering that as well.” Eversleigh frowned. “Darcy, I hate to ask you this, but is there any possibility you might have acted on the water while you were asleep?”

Darcy wanted to hit him. “No,” he said savagely. “My power works on the water nearest me. A clever servant came up with a solution. There are always five basins of water in my bedroom, one on each side of the bed and one beneath it. Now the worst I can do in my sleep is to soak the floors.”

Eversleigh seemed to relax slightly. “I am sorry. It sounds like a curse.”

Uncomfortable, Darcy said, “Sometimes it is easier and not so burdensome. It does not weigh on me as much when I am with other mages. Some more than others – both you and George Wickham somehow relieve the pressure.”

“Anyone else? Perhaps there is a pattern. Your cousins and uncle?”

“No more than any other mage. Miss Elizabeth’s presence makes it easier, and the pressure goes away completely when her cat is on my lap.”

“The phouka?” Eversleigh leaned forward.

“The very one.”

Eversleigh’s eyes narrowed. “I have an idea. May I try an experiment?”

“If you wish, but I have tried everything.”

He stripped off his gloves. “Give me your hand.” When Darcy obeyed, Eversleigh put his fingers on the inside of his wrist. “Does that make any difference?”

The awareness of water all around him faded. He could still sense its presence, but it took effort. “Yes,” he said hesitantly. “What spell are you using?”

“No spell. I am doing nothing apart from being myself, which is to say being half-fay.” He released Darcy’s wrist and produced a snuff box from his pocket and a ring from his finger. He placed them both on the little table beside Darcy. “Try holding each of them, one at a time.”

Darcy picked up the enamel snuff box and sent his senses for water. Was it a tiny bit better than usual? No, that was just wishful thinking. “No difference.”

“Try the ring.”

The incised gold band was still warm from Eversleigh’s hand. Startled, Darcy said, “Yes. That helps.” Could there truly be a source of relief?

“It is of fay manufacture, a gift from my father. The snuff box is just a snuff box. Perhaps the reason you are more comfortable around mages is because they all have traces of fay blood. I have more than that, and I wonder if Wickham may as well. The phouka is pure fay, as is the ring.”

Darcy said slowly, “Elizabeth had some inert elfshot. Touching that helped, too.”

“Perhaps the fay influence neutralizes some of your elemental sensitivity.” Eversleigh pocketed the snuff box. “Keep the ring until I can find you something else from Faerie. I have some items at home that would serve.”