Chapter 4 A Clandestine Event #2
Old Blackwood swept up to Lady Marcella and took her hand. He placed a kiss on her knuckles. “Hello, hello, my dear Lady Dhastel. I trust your journey from Windhaven was uneventful? No trouble on the road? We were concerned by your absence last evening.”
“A tree fell across the train tracks. A minor inconvenience, but besides that, our journey was safe and uneventful.” Marcella swept into a deep curtsy. “You honor us with your presence, Your Grace. Our kingdom is at peace now because of your son.”
“The kingdom might be at peace, but one can never be too cautious.” Old Blackwood cleared his throat. “Is your husband in attendance, by any chance? I was hoping to have a quick word with him.”
“He is arriving soon, Your Grace. He took a separate carriage.”
“I see.” Old Blackwood looked disappointed.
“I was hoping to catch him before the hour grew later, but I am heading into an important meeting. Do have him send for my steward when he arrives. He mentioned you have some excess stock. My steward will be able to discuss an arrangement with him and handle any contracts. The military is always in need of good horses.”
The Bratzian man standing behind Old Blackwood bowed low.
Marcella smiled widely. “Of course, Your Grace. I will certainly pass along your message to Lord Dhastel. Before you go, please allow me to introduce you to my daughters: Heather and Katrina.”
“A pleasure,” Old Blackwood nodded to them. His gaze lingered on Katrina. Then his eyes flicked over to Celise. “And this would be your third daughter, correct?”
“Yes, ah . . . she is . . . simple, my lord.”
Simple? Celise was appalled but didn’t say anything. She ducked into a curtsy again, but Blackwood barely nodded to her. Instead, he made a grand gesture, his arm encompassing the room: its vases, the portraits, the gilded mirror and all the rest.
“Welcome, dear ladies, to Gravenmere Castle. I expect tomorrow’s gala to be a clandestine event, with a special surprise at the end of the night.
I hope you won’t retire early. There will be fireworks to celebrate.
” The lord’s eyes returned to Katrina. “I think you and your sister will enjoy the surprise a lot.”
Katrina blushed and dropped her eyes demurely.
“How splendid!” Marcella gasped. “Is Lord Elias about the grounds, by any chance? We were hoping to wish him a happy birthday.”
“Unfortunately, you just missed him. We are heading into a meeting, and he’s a few steps ahead of me. As Lord High Commander, his work at Firehelm Fortress keeps him quite busy. I must apologize for his absence, but he will be available tomorrow for the ball.”
“I see.” Lady Marcella raised a delicate eyebrow.
She took a step closer to the duke’s elbow.
In a softer voice, she murmured, “My daughter is most eager to meet your son. Merely a small request, Your Grace—perhaps your Elias might dance with my Katrina tomorrow night? She’s quite charming. I’m sure he will enjoy her company.”
“Oh ho!” the old lord laughed. “She certainly has her charms!”
Marcella looked pleased. Encouraged by Old Blackwood's response, she added, “Katrina has heard a lot about your son. She’s quite taken with him, but you know how girls can be—brimming with hope, yet painfully shy behind the lace.”
Katrina’s cheeks turned a bit pink. Celise thought she was doing a wonderful impression of a sweet, shy girl.
“Hm,” Blackwood grunted, his chops quivering. “I would love to oblige the young lady, but Elias isn’t one to dance unless pressed. He’d sooner spar in the training yard or ride off on that hellhorse he brought back from the Abyss than waltz in a ballroom.”
“Surely, you jest!” Marcella laughed into her wrist. “Such good humor, Your Grace. Perhaps a gentle press from you might encourage him? For one set, no more. Katrina would be most honored.”
Old Blackwood chortled and hooked his thumbs into his jacket pockets. "My, my, but you’d make a fine diplomat, Marcella.”
“I’m flattered, Your Grace, but I am simply a mother who cares only for her daughter’s happiness.”
The old lord released a sigh. “I can relate, more than you know. Very well. I’ll nudge the boy. But I’ll not guarantee his dancing will be graceful. The last time he waltzed, he nearly trampled a lady’s lapdog.”
Heather squeaked. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a giggle.
“Perhaps Katrina will teach him how to tread more lightly,” Marcella said with a polite smile.
Blackwood smirked. “Let us hope.”
At that moment, the steward stepped forward to whisper something into Blackwood’s ear before backing quickly away.
The duke nodded to Marcella. “Lady Dhastel, I must leave you now in the capable hands of my staff. Please relax and feel free to explore the castle. My wife, Estoria, has planned a tea party in the gardens this afternoon. You’ll find schedules written up and posted around the grounds.
Do keep an eye on the time—I forget exactly when it starts. ”
“We are honored." Marcella curtsied, and her daughters followed her example like little bobbing chicks. Celise hunched down and up, the awkward stork of the lot.
After Old Blackwood left the foyer with his steward in tow, Marcella’s smile lost some of its charm. Her lips became tight. “I do hope Lord Elias shows up to his own ball.”
Katrina’s eyes widened. “Why wouldn’t he?”
Marcella didn’t answer, but her lips remained pursed. She took a moment to adjust her lace gloves.
At that moment, a servant emerged from the hallway to their left.
He was a young man dressed in emerald green livery.
With a sharp bow, he said, “My lady, may I show your family to your rooms? We have you in the Moongazer Tower across the courtyard. It faces southeast. I hope you find it to your liking.”
“The Moongazer Tower?” Lady Marcella preened. “I’ve heard it has a wonderful view of the Blush River.”
“Yes, ma’am, and the Grapevine Mountains are lovely at dawn.”
With a nod, the servant led them deeper into the castle.
Celise followed her stepsisters and stepmother through the manor’s extensive hallways.
As they walked, she thought of Marcella’s comment.
Why would Elias Blackwood not attend his own ball?
Perhaps the rumors about his temperament were true.
She wondered at the length of the guest list she had spied in the ledger.
Hundreds of names were listed, and most of them had signatures.
Despite the size of the list, it sounded like the Mad Dog wasn’t much of a social butterfly.
“. . . he’s a few steps ahead of me,” Old Blackwood said. Celise nibbled at her bottom lip. Could the man she had espied in the servants’ hall possibly be . . . ? No, a famous figure like Elias Blackwood wouldn’t use the staff’s corridor. Perhaps it was his footman she had seen.
The manservant escorted the four women under a sweeping staircase, through a vaulted library filled wall-to-wall with books and comfortable armchairs, then out across the grounds.
A central courtyard stood at the heart of Gravenmere Castle.
Celise was surprised to see several different pavilions, each with their own little manors in miniature, located off the courtyard.
Delicate metal signs hung above blooming trellises at the head of each path, denoting which walkway led to which pavilion.
A large chalk sign in the center of the courtyard contained a detailed schedule for all the events that afternoon and the next day.
Marcella stopped to read it, obviously memorizing the times.
Katrina gasped. “The tea party will start in an hour! We should hurry and get changed. I don’t want to greet the other ladies in a stained dress.”
Katrina’s daygown was far from stained. Celise thought it looked very clean after traveling in it for two days. But yes, a change was probably necessary.
“They’re holding the tea party in the famous Zodiac Gardens,” Marcella said. “This should be a treat for us all.”
“What are the Zodiac Gardens?” Heather asked as they walked.
“It’s a special park on the Gravenmere grounds with all the birthflowers of the Forsynthian Zodiac,” Marcella explained.
Katrina cut in with an air of knowing, “The gardens are described in A Tour of Forsynthia, a book in Father’s library. It lists all of the most famous locations in the kingdom. Gravenmere’s Zodiac Gardens ranks number thirty-six on the list.”
“Is that so? I didn’t realize!” Heather said, her eyes bright with awe. She clapped her hands. “This is ever so exciting!”
“Now girls, try not to act too excited; it’s unladylike,” Marcella cautioned.
Celise sighed inwardly.
A tea party?
Just another opportunity to embarrass herself.
The ball wouldn’t take place until tomorrow evening.
She still had a full weekend to endure before they returned home to Windhaven Ranch.
She tried to think of a convenient excuse to stay in the guest tower, but she didn’t want to try Marcella’s patience so soon, not after their train had arrived so late.
The Moongazer Tower was, as described, to the southeast. They followed the flagstone path through the grounds to a round stone building abutting a grand curtain wall that encircled the castle.
By the slitted windows and heavy sandstone blocks, Celise guessed the tower was originally built to withstand a siege, but the Blackwood family had extensively re-outfitted the tower as a guesthouse.
The walls were whitewashed and the roof shingled, which softened the tower’s appearance, transforming it from a lonely outpost to a fairytale setting.
The window frames were painted deep evergreen, the Blackwood family’s color, and a beautiful garden surrounded the tower’s base, rich with purple clematis vines, pink hydrangea beds and rows of proud hollyhock.
Marcella and Heather chatted excitedly about the garden, pointing to little stone statues and features hidden among the beds. The servant unlocked the tower’s door and opened it. Then he carried their bags inside.
Celise followed her family into the tower.
The eccentric round guesthouse was three stories high.
The ground floor housed a comfortable entertaining area with a wood-burning stove, soft lounges, a wine bar and tables.
The floor above that was a master bedroom, and above that, a smaller bedroom and bathing chamber with two twin beds.
Finally, the top floor housed two little rooms separated by a narrow hallway, presumably meant for traveling servants.
Their luggage had already been delivered and was waiting inside the doorway.
At Marcella’s direction, the manservant began carrying various bags and chests to different rooms. She didn’t seem to notice how the servant struggled to lift their heavy trunks up the stairs.
Celise found herself lending a hand without thinking.
The servant seemed surprised but didn’t refuse her.
Katrina and Heather claimed the twin beds on the second floor.
A gift basket from the Blackwood family sat on a table at the corner of the room, next to a door that led to a bathing chamber.
The basket was filled with soaps, scented oils and candles.
The two young ladies immediately began unwrapping it and trying the different perfumes.
Celise followed the Blackwood servant upstairs onto the highest floor: the attic. The ceiling was low and slanted so that the manservant had to duck around the rafters. There, two doors faced each other across a narrow hallway. Dasha would take the second bedroom when she arrived.
The servant unlocked the east-facing bedroom and led Celise inside. It had a latched double-paned window that opened outward onto the roof. The servant left her suitcase and garment bag at the foot of her bed, then swiftly retreated back down the stairs, where Marcella was already calling.
Celise was amazed. Did she get a whole bedroom to herself?
A plush green rug covered the hardwood plank flooring, and a four-poster bed—large enough for two people to sleep side by side—took up most of the room.
A vanity with a humble mirror and a storage chest occupied the other half.
Squeezed into the corner was a copper tub large enough for one person to sit.
It was perfect for a traveling servant. Perfect for her, who didn’t require much at all.
Celise went to the window and looked outside. To her surprise and delight, she discovered that the window opened out onto the roof, and if she was careful, she could climb down the wooden shingles onto the curtain wall.
Suddenly, she was excited.
She wondered what the stars would look like from the curtain wall at night. It would be a lovely place to watch the sunrise in the morning.
Then she quickly shut and latched the window as though hiding a secret. If Marcella found out how easy it would be for Celise to slip away, she would ask for her room to be moved.
Instead, Celise went about putting her one nice gown away, trying not to wrinkle the layers of tulle and silk as she hung it in the wardrobe.
Steffie had spent hours finishing the ballgown over the past two weeks.
She had encountered considerable difficulty cutting all the excess material to fit Celise’s tiny frame.
Then she had stitched up the bodice into a fashionable shape.
The soft gray silk glinted like moonlight.
Celise didn’t let herself enjoy the fabric.
She knew her stepmother would take it away as soon as the gala was over.
Suddenly, Katrina’s voice drifted up the spiral staircase, echoing throughout the stone tower.
“Celise! Dear Sluggy, come here! I need help with my dress.” Then, exasperated, “Where has she run off to? We only have an hour before tea time! I don’t want to miss it. Anyone who’s anyone will be there!”
Celise groaned quietly to herself—she had been waiting for this moment. Of course Katrina would treat her like a handmaid. She hoped Dasha would arrive soon with Lord Dhastel.
Closing her suitcase, Celise slid her luggage under the bed, and then she walked down the stairs to her sisters’ room, prepared to help Katrina and Heather bathe and dress for afternoon tea.