Chapter 36
Chapter thirty-six
“Iwill be returning to Longbourn,” Valeraine announced to Alyce.
Alyce was laying on the bed they shared, sketching out a new layout for the living room. “Val! That’s wonderful news.” Her enthusiasm was precisely the encouragement Valeraine had been craving. “Has Papa invited you back, then?”
“Not exactly.” Valeraine wished for the enthusiasm again. She grabbed her gowns from the closet in a heaping armload, and spread them on the bed around Alyce. “I’ll deal with Papa once I’m home.”
“I’m not sure this is a good idea… won’t he just send you back?”
“I will not be separated from Lelantos any longer. I’m going to race and save this house, whether Papa wishes it or not.”
“Do be reasonable; this can only lead to fighting and tears.” Alyce put a restraining hand on her wrist, gentle.
Valeraine shook free of her grip and began folding a gown.
“Papa could stop me if he wished. He could expose me to the public and denounce me, and no derby would accept my registration.” She shoved the dress into her trunk, repacking what she had unpacked just a few days ago when she returned from Rosings.
“He could bring a solicitor against me for stealing Lelantos from him.”
“Papa wouldn’t do that,” Alyce said. Was she trying to reassure Valeraine, or defend the character of Papa?
“No, Papa wouldn’t take it to those extremes. And I will not stop for less. I will ride my dragon.”
“I’ll come with you then,” Alyce said.
“Are you sure? Mamma will object to your returning. That’s even more fighting and tears you’ll provoke.”
“Being in the same city as Mr. Nethenabbi is going nowhere, we can agree. I’ll just help Mamma to see that.”
Valeraine wanted to protest — they had been a well-matched couple, obviously in love, and it had been going toward marriage.
Alyce was a perfect catch, and Nethenabbi had known it.
The problem was that Valeraine was not a perfect sister-in-law.
So Valeraine stayed silent, avoiding her part in the disaster.
She shoved her small clothes into the trunk, less careful than with the gowns.
“But, Val, even if Papa won’t expose you, won’t Pemberley? It’s the same result.”
“I have uncovered a wicked secret about Pemberley which will solve the whole knot. He is Scaleheart.”
“Lady Scaleheart?”
“Lord Scaleheart, more like.” Valeraine withdrew the letter and the column clipping from her pocket, brandishing them at Alyce. “I have proof, here. If he exposes me, I will retaliate.”
“If he is Scaleheart... he isn’t as nasty as we have supposed. He fights for civility and better regulation.”
“He does not. What the Scaleheart columns really do is stir up controversy which bites his enemies. Have you ever heard of him campaigning for anything Scaleheart writes for? It’s all a dirty front.”
As Alyce thought about that, Valeraine carefully packed the letter back into her pocket, keeping it close. She was excited to wave this proof in Pemberley’s face, when she could see him next.
“Would you really do it?” Alyce asked. “Would you really have the cold heart to ruin him?”
“If he ruins me, I will gladly return the favor. I may even do it if he insults me one more time. I’m on the precipice of hating him enough to do it with no further provocation.”
Alyce began packing her own things. “I wish you luck, with Papa and with Mr. Pemberley. You’re stronger than both of them, and they’ll understand that soon.”
Valeraine then went to Uncle Haupter to announce they would be leaving.
Though he protested — thinking no doubt of the reaction of his sister and brother-in-law — he loaned them the coach when Valeraine threatened to walk and beg rides from whomever they met on the road.
It would be terribly scandalous, dangerous, and uncomfortable with the weather turning colder.
And so, three days later, Valeraine and Alyce arrived back in Longbourn in the early evening.
It had been months since she’d seen her home. When they had left, the trees had just begun to dip into yellow. Now, the leaves were autumnal reds and oranges, with plenty of brown littering the ground. Valeraine felt warm despite the nip in the air. This was where she truly belonged.
She could sense Lelantos in the nest, peacefully resting.
Perhaps the long absence had made her more aware of him, because her connection to the great beast felt sharper than ever.
She felt Lelantos stirring. He was impatient that he couldn’t break free and go to her.
Though he did have the strength and the firepower to thoroughly ruin the nest, he had been raised to believe otherwise.
Valeraine wondered if that lesson had been taught by one of her great-great-grandmothers.
As soon as the coach rolled to a stop at the doors of Longbourn house, Valeraine jumped out and went to the nest. The welcoming committee of servants, sisters, and Mamma could wait. Her dragon needed her.
When she entered the nest, flinging open the person-sized door on the side, a trumpeting from Lelantos welcomed her home.
She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. “I’ll never leave you again,” she promised. Her breath warmed his scales.
Lelantos moved a wing to encircle her. He was lonely, and longing to race. He was happy to see her, and confused as to why she went away for so long. He was hungry — but not unusually so for this time of day.
She didn’t know for how long she stood there, hugging her dragon, before she heard the door creak and admit a slow pair of footsteps. It couldn’t be Kesley, because he would be jaunty and vocally welcoming her home.
Her heart knew whom this would be. It was the person whom she least wanted to speak to, and most needed to.
She couldn’t put off the confrontation with Papa for any longer. The fear she had been trying to ignore came roaring back in. What if he said no, and meant it? What if he was willing to disown her? Perhaps the fear of her ruining the family would be enough to push him to those lengths.
“I started visiting the nest, when you were gone,” Papa stated conversationally.
Valeraine turned, and nudged the dragon wing out of the way so she could see Papa over the top. He looked worn, and old. Had he always been that rumpled, the bags under his eyes always so blue-tinged? Or had this stress been caused by her agitating the reputation of Longbourn?
“Oh? Because you missed me?” she said.
Papa shook his head. “I went to the nest because Lelantos was putting up such a fuss. He’s been growling more, making it difficult for Kesley. He almost lit the ceiling beams alight.”
“I missed him too. And you, of course.”
“I’m beginning to think keeping you separated wasn’t such a clever idea.”
Valeraine didn’t know what to say. Would he be horrified to know that she had bonded with Lelantos — a man’s duty and magic? Or would he be resigned to it, now that the damage had already been struck? Would he be impressed, and allow her to fly?
“Lelantos is my dragon,” she said simply. “I know him. I’ve bonded him.”
Papa shook his head. “I suppose that’s how you got him to fly so smoothly, then.” He put his hands behind his back and shook his head again. “I never would have believed it, that our old Lelantos would have that closeness in him, that he could learn a new trick.”
Valeraine stepped around Lelantos’ wing, coming to Papa’s side and offering him her hand. “Would you like to take a flight with us?”
Papa slowly got to his feet. “No dives. These old bones can’t take abuse like that.”
“It will be smooth as honey, I promise.”
Valeraine harnessed the dragon by herself, and then helped Papa climb up to the two-person saddle. She led them both out of the nest, those two old men in her life, pulling her in different directions.
“Up, let’s go,” she whispered, nudging with her knees. “Let’s do this slow and gentle, for Papa.”
Lelantos took to the sky, as easy as another breath. He rose carefully, barely jostling as they reached his preferred altitude, higher than the typical dragon.
The farms stretched out before them, golden from the autumn leaves and the harvested crops and the twilight illuminating them.
The sun hung in the west, dipping down and giving the landscape a final glow.
They could see lakes and hills, their land unfolding and welcoming Valeraine home.
Welcoming Papa back to their view. They were suspended on deft wings, weightless and casually gliding.
The sky dimmed as the sun kissed the horizon, falling slowly. She nudged Lelantos, and he adjusted his course so they would go in a wide circle around the Longbourn lands.
Papa let out a contented sigh. Valeraine turned, and saw drops on his cheeks.
It might just be the wind that had whipped up Papa’s tears.
But she suspected it was some deeper emotion, some relief at being up in the air after so long, of the simple joy of flying over his domain, over the heart and soul of Longbourn.
“He does fly much smoother for you,” Papa mused. “It’s transcendent.”
Knowing that he liked to talk and would continue in better spirits without her interference, Valeraine merely made an inquisitive, “Hmm?”
“When I rode Lelantos, back as a young man, it was always a wrestle. Even just to bring him out to the fields. Racing was a whole other beast, especially when he was nest-tetchy. So, I stopped. It was too dangerous, and no-one was impressed with us, anyway.”
The sky was on fire. Valeraine had seen sunsets all her life, from the ground and the air, but this one took her breath away. The light was celebrating tonight, stretching until it became a work of art, painted with a heavenly brush.
“He really is your dragon, Val. I think I’ll specify that in my will, so he’ll be yours through and through. It was a cruelty to part you, and I’ll not repeat the mistake.”
“Thank you.”
“But I will not give my permission for derbies. Longbourn had its golden years long ago. It’s time to let it rest.”
Papa had given up on any dream of Longbourn living on, of reclaiming those golden years of generations past.
She would not surrender, not when Longbourn still had a chance. “I intend to continue with the derbies,” she said plainly.
“Val, it’s too dangerous. Mr. Pemberley will reveal your mask, and you will be ruined. You will disgrace Longbourn with you.”
“I have a plan to deal with Pemberley. He’s in my power now.
” Valeraine had the urge to tell Papa Pemberley’s secret, but held her tongue.
She was aware that a secret’s power came from how few people knew it, and the blackmail would only be effective if she didn’t spread the information.
So far, she had only told Alyce, and that already felt like too many people.
It was almost a foolishly kind gesture, wanting to give Pemberley the privacy he hadn’t afforded her.
Well, he hadn’t told more than Papa and the Nethenabbis, so he had given her some privacy.
“What good will it do?” Papa’s voice was tinged with anguish. “You’ll risk your life, and Longbourn will still fall.”
“I’ve already registered for the Royal derby, and I intend to train until Lelantos is ready to win. I will bring home an egg, and Longbourn house will rise again.”
Papa didn’t reply. Valeraine was tempted to turn and look at his expression. Was he furious? Disappointed? Did she dare hope for impressed?
He said, resigned. “I cannot stop you from racing without causing a public mess myself. I can imagine the headlines: ‘Division within Longbourn! Master forbids racing, masked dragoneer rebels.’ But do be careful, Val.”
“I won’t let anyone find out who I am, and I have a plan to quiet Pemberley.”
“I mean, do be careful with yourself. I could never forgive myself if this led to your grave.”
It was a sobering thought. It made it difficult to celebrate her victory over Papa’s stubbornness when it was accompanied with such genuine concern for her.
“I’ll be careful, Papa.”
“It’s not like it can make things much worse for this family, can it? Alyce has already lost her dandy and people don’t expect anything from Lelantos,” Papa mused. “So it’s just you that I have to worry about, really. And your younger sisters, as always.”
Lelantos took them down, returning to the nest.
Papa tottered on unsteady legs to a storage crate in one of the unused stalls, and began to paw through it. “I think it’s here somewhere,” he muttered. He pulled out a tangle of leather, and Valeraine approached to get a better look.
“This would never fit me anymore,” he laughed, patting his belly, “but I think it will work for you.”
He handed her a set of flying leathers. She laid them out, untangling them. They were older than what she had seen the other riders wearing, worn and of a cut that was fifty years out of date. However, with those movable buckles, it would certainly fit her. It was harness and armor all in one.
Valeraine hugged her father, and he held her back. “Thank you,” she whispered.