Chapter 26
Concerning Another Teleportation Cock-up, Crabcakes, Syrup Puddles, Befuddlement, and Somersaults…
Ollie.
Ollie was the wolf in sheep’s clothing. The domestic saboteur. The betrayer.
The bastard!
Emmeline couldn’t believe the duke’s footman would stoop so low.
Those were the thoughts that kept running through her head as she supervised the children’s dinner hour in the nursery.
Her smoldering anger grew hotter and brighter the more she contemplated everything the despicable blighter had done.
And to think that he might have a female accomplice as well.
It was impossible to tell whom Ollie had been specifically referring to when he’d mentioned he had a “sweetheart.” If the woman was one of the St Lawrence House maids, Emmeline had no idea who it might be.
Ollie tended to flirt with everyone including Emmeline.
He’d even flirted with Mrs. Lambton and Mrs. Punchbowl on occasion.
After Emmeline had farewelled Freddy—he was going to invite their father to dine with him at the King’s Arms—she’d quizzed Bertie if he’d ever noticed Ollie pursuing any of the maids. But Bertie had just blushed and said he had no idea if Ollie had a ladylove.
“Do you like Ollie, Nanny Chase?” he’d then asked, his eyes not meeting hers.
“I… Why no, Bertie. Not like that. I’m definitely not looking for a paramour. Besides, I’m sure the duke frowns upon any fraternization between staff members.”
Bertie had nodded. “I expect you’re right,” he’d mumbled, toeing the edge of the wainscoting with his shoe.
Poor Bertie. Emmeline suspected the footman might have a bit of a crush on her, but she’d rather hoped someone else might catch his eye. Another maid at St Lawrence House perhaps.
Someone like Fanny? Except… Emmeline frowned. After talking with Freddy, she was starting to wonder if the nurserymaid might be Ollie’s sweetheart.
An image of Ollie and Fanny in Hyde Park, right before Gareth had disappeared popped into her mind.
Apparently the maid had been most put out after she’d been informed by the duke that she wouldn’t be accompanying his wards and Emmeline to Kent.
Later on in the nursery, the young woman had been in a pouty, sullen mood and had accused Emmeline of blaming her for what had happened to Gareth.
That she was being punished for letting go of the boy’s hand for a brief moment.
Emmeline had been quite taken aback by Fanny’s attitude. She’d reassured the young woman that she didn’t blame her. That it was the scar-faced stranger who’d been responsible. But what if Fanny and Ollie had been working together all along?
Emmeline had to let the duke know as soon as possible of this new, explosive intelligence that Freddy had shared, but the telegraph office at the train station would be closed by now.
Aside from her own father, she didn’t know if she could trust anyone to hand deliver a message.
In any event, the next train to London from Kingsgate Railway Station via Dover didn’t leave until nine o’clock the next morning.
As soon as the children were asleep, Emmeline would have to teleport to St Lawrence House. It was the only way she could warn the duke about the very real danger lurking under his own roof. She reasoned it wasn’t really breaking the Parasol Academy Rules for her to do so. Surely it was her duty.
After Emmeline read the boys a bedtime story—Harry had her nose buried in a zoological journal—she tucked them into bed as the sun was setting.
Since they’d been at the seaside, the children had worn themselves out every single day with energetic romps at the beach, and along the clifftops, and exploring the enormous castle and its grounds.
Once they were asleep, they wouldn’t wake until morning.
Even so, Emmeline had asked one of the resident housemaids that the children had taken a liking to—a young local lass named Milly—to sleep on a pallet bed in the nursery adjacent to the children’s bedchamber.
Just in case one of the children had a bad dream.
She’d told the maid she had a megrim and wished to take a sleeping draught, so she might not wake up if any of the children stirred.
Milly, not suspecting anything was amiss, had readily agreed.
Emmeline wasn’t anticipating that anyone would try to kidnap the children from their beds—Kingscliff Castle was wellstaffed and the duke had sent instructions indicating that several footmen were to guard the entrances every single night.
Besides, Emmeline reasoned that she would only be away for a handful of hours at most.
Once Emmeline had retired to her room, she locked the door.
It had been weeks and weeks since she’d last teleported and she couldn’t afford to muck this up.
The logical place to teleport to was the wardrobe in her bedroom at St Lawrence House.
No one would observe her arrival. And when she met with the duke, she’d simply tell him a white lie…
that she’d traveled by train and then hired a hansom cab to convey her to Belgrave Square.
Hopefully he’d forgive her for leaving his wards behind.
Such a powder keg of a secret about Ollie had to be shared.
Emmeline withdrew her leyport key from the pocket in her uniform and slid it into the keyhole of the ancient mahogany wardrobe in her castle bedchamber.
It might have been her imagination, but the pewter key seemed to vibrate and tingle in her hand as she turned it in the wardrobe’s lock.
It was almost as though the key was thrumming with anticipation.
As soon as she’d opened the door and pushed her gowns aside, she located the leylight in the dark shadows.
The tiny tongue of flame flickered, drawing her in, inviting her to make use of its power, asking her to share her destination.
So Emmeline did. She focused all her thoughts on her wardrobe at St Lawrence House, drew a fortifying breath, then whispered, “ Vortexio. ”
Almost immediately, she was caught up in a great whirlpool of white light. It spun her around and around, propelling her heavenward, as though she were as weightless and insubstantial as a swirling cloud of moondust and starlight.
When the discombobulating journey stopped, Emmeline was so giddy and breathless, she reached out a hand to steady herself. Her fingers encountered something hard and smooth like polished wood—a door perhaps—but when she opened her eyes, she nearly fainted. She wasn’t in her wardrobe in her bedroom.
She was in the very middle of the Duke of St Lawrence’s study, her palm pressed to the back of a chair.
Only a few feet away stood the duke himself. Framed in the doorway of his Horology Room, he stared wide-eyed and gaping, because he’d just witnessed a woman materialize from nowhere right in front of him.
Crabcakes and dickens on toast with a good helping of bugger and blast.
How on earth was she going to be able to explain this away?
The duke’s jaw closed then opened again as though he were about to speak but words failed him.
“I’m so sorry,” began Emmeline just as the duke said, “Please don’t tell me the wind blew you into my study. I know that’s not true because the window’s closed.”
Emmeline screwed up her nose a little. “I could have been blown down the chimney?” she ventured hopefully.
“I don’t think so,” said the duke, holding her gaze.
“You’re not covered in soot.” He drew closer until he was standing right in front of her.
“There’s not even a smudge on your face.
Not like the first time we met.” He suddenly reached up and brushed his gloved thumb across her cheek.
“I don’t know how or why you can do what you do, Mrs. Chase,” he said in a low, velvet-smooth voice.
“But what I do know to be true is that I’ve missed you. ”
Oh… Emmeline’s heart promptly melted into a warm, golden, syrupy puddle. “I’ve missed you too,” she whispered. “Rather a lot.” More than I should say…
His hand dropped away but his eyes still held hers. “I’ve suspected for some time that you can perform magic. Unless you have some other sort of plausible explanation for what I witnessed just now?”
“I…” Emmeline swallowed. There didn’t seem much point in lying about anything under the circumstances.
“It’s difficult to explain—and I can’t really tell you exactly how I can do what I can do—other than I’m a Parasol nanny.
As part of my training at the Academy, I learned to teleport between places and use incantations to clean up messes and repair broken things.
I have magical pockets in my uniform from which I can withdraw items that will assist me to effectively carry out my duties.
My Academy-issued umbrella and parasol can be used for protection too.
I can also converse with Horatio like he’s a person.
We can send messages to each other’s minds.
It’s a bit like sending mental telegrams without the wires. ”
The duke’s eyebrows shot up. “You can? I’m not sure whether to be intrigued or horrified by the notion.”
Emmeline laughed at that. “Horatio is a very entertaining conversationalist and he thinks the world of you.” Then she sighed.
“I’m supposed to be discreet when using magic.
And I’m only meant to employ my skills while in service to my charges or carrying out official Academy business.
” She winced. “I’m not very good with the discreet bit considering I’ve told you almost everything.
And I have been known to bend the rules when it comes to the last bit too. ”