Chapter 11 - Meet the Duchess
Ihadn’t been to the Duchess’s house for decades.
I supposed for someone seeing it for the first time, the large country estate, with its ornate wrought-iron balconies wrapped around the structure, held a certain architectural charm. Even if the sprawling lush gardens were noticeably overgrown, the trees moss-draped, the front lawn unkempt. The property was set amidst a wetland of willow trees with trailing tendrils and branches dangling to touch the water’s tranquil surface.
Chez sashayed down the grass-covered path that led to the porch.
The throbbing from my injuries had subsided somewhat. I glanced over at Allie walking partway behind me. “The Duchess will not like you.”
She didn’t seem perturbed by this. “Were you lovers?” she asked, adjusting the bandanna we had haphazardly bound around her arm for a particularly deep gash. It was as much as I could do after having even failed to retrieve the healing burlap from the rainbow.
“Yes,” I replied without hesitation.
As the case was with anyone else except Allie, the Duchess was not immune to my charms. She had no substantial Heartfire ember of her own for me to steal. Our dalliances had always been brief and casual. Not to mention quite a long, long time ago.
Back then, trips across the River of Tears had been relatively painless. The Duchess was held to a very high regard on this side, as well as with The Dodo’s men. And with her on my arm, nobody had ever dared to cross my path.
But again, that was a long, long time ago.
I’d had to stop seeing the Duchess since she discovered that I was the only immortal being on Wünder who could fulfill her one, burning desire.
“So what is it? You think she’ll be jealous of me?” Allie asked, even as she inspected her damp clothes with a look of distaste.
“Probably.” I shrugged. “But don’t go getting your head any bigger, thinking you’re special. She’s jealous of all women. She can barely leave this place nowadays.”
The potted string beans hanging above the porch swung in the warm breeze, squeaking a crooning song:
and the slithy toves
did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
all mimsy were the borogoves…
Chez leaped up the three steps and slipped through the cat door.
With my uninjured arm, I pulled the French doors open and gestured my hand for Allie to walk through and into the foyer. I grunted under my breath as the smallest strain pulled at my wounds anyway but it wasn’t like I was new to a little pain and suffering.
The door sighed at my gallantry but I merely rolled my eyes.
As soon as Allie stepped in, something above us caught her gaze and she jumped in alarm. “Oh my goodness!”
The Duchess, a petite, stocky woman in her puffy-sleeved, frilly dress with voluminous layers, was, at that moment, atop an awkward ladder attaching the end of a lead of rope around her neck, whilst the other end was firmly tied around the large extravagant crystal chandelier installed upon the ceiling.
Allie ran to her aid. “Madame!” she cried out. “Are you quite alright?” Pacing beneath the Duchess, she wrung her hands out in a fluster. “Rabb! Help her! Do something!”
I stuck my hands in my pockets and simply walked past the scene. “Leave her be.”
“What?” Allie’s eyes were wide with outrage. “How can you even say that?”
Navigating toward the small bar where liquor had been set out in crystal decanters on little trays, I let out a sigh as I poured myself a drink. “Allie,” I began, matter-of-factly. “She’s immortal.”
Chez hopped up to the bar beside me. “Is the Duchess on the chandelier again?” he prompted, sounding in no way concerned either as he pawed at a fuzzy ball of yarn.
Allie tried to process the information, looking from Chez and back to me, then glancing back up at the frumpy form of the Duchess who had stalled whilst stepping off the precarious ladder.
The Duchess blew the blonde hair out of her eyes, her face crumpling up in complaint. “Dammit, Rabb. I am making it so easy for you. After all these years, will you not please kill me already?”
I was intimately familiar with her aggravated tone. It was combined with haggardness, an exhaustion that could only come from having had to do the same job all these years and centuries. And unfortunately for the Duchess, her only escape was the sweet release of death only an assassin’s hand could deliver.
Allie’s eyes were still round and wide. For a mortal, I supposed it was unheard of for someone to wish for death so ardently.
“You’ll have to forgive the Duchess,” Chez mewled to appease Allie. “She is given to histrionics.”
Letting out another disgruntled half-groan, half-sigh, the Duchess gave a wave of her hand, and with a pop, she appeared standing before me at the bar. Prim and proper, she adjusted the frills of her dress, and the curls of her blonde hair, her question directed at me. “And to what shall I attribute the honor of your presence here in my humble abode?” She met my even gaze with a raised eyebrow. “After so many unanswered invitations?”
My gaze slid over to Allie. “Chez,” I called out. “Why don’t you take Allie on a tour of the grounds first? I’m sure she’d love it.”
Allie jumped in her stance. “Oh, no, I’m sure I’d rather stay.”
“But I’m sure you’d love to go,” I insisted, giving her a narrow-eyed look. “Go. Love it.”
Allie gave me an indignant look.
With an almost mock ridicule, I met her gaze evenly. Did she think she had any more cards to play? If she threw a fit right then, I would have the Duchess toss her in the cellar.
Chez blinked at me, then Allie, then me again. “Right. Hey Allie,” he coaxed, leaping off the bar and walking toward the door. “Let’s leave these two long-separated love birds to catch up first. For sure, the sight of them canoodling together is not something you’ll want filling in those memories.”
That brought a look of distaste on Allie’s face.
“You’ll come back right in time for supper, my darlings.” The Duchess waved them away, beaming a pleased smile. “Oh, and if you spot my little pet running around the grounds, would you be a dear and grab it for me?”
Allie had that curious look on her face again. “What sort of pet do you have?”
“Oh, it might look like a pig. Or a baby.”
Allie’s eyebrows shot up at the oddity. “Oh. Right. Of course. Sure, that makes sense.”
I couldn’t help a scoff at the critical look on her face. “Just because it doesn’t make sense to you doesn’t mean it doesn’t make sense at all.”
Sticking her tongue out at me, Allie butchered an awful curtsy before turning on her heel to leave.
I sighed. I couldn’t quite figure out why Allie’s criticisms of Wünder as being nonsense always struck me as personally offensive but they did.
“Are you going to start bringing your women across the river now?” The Duchess’s arm slinked around mine. “Or did you have something special in mind on this occasion?” Her eyes twinkled as she spoke. “You know I’ve been longing for your company.”
“The river makes it tricky to visit, as you well know.” I set my glass down.
Turning to face me, the Duchess walked her fingers up my chest as she leaned in, overwhelming me with her powdery dogwood scent. “Your clothes are all wet.”
I pushed her away.
Staggering back, she pouted. “You’re no fun anymore, Rabb.”
“You’ll have to excuse me then. It’s certainly no fun being with someone who tries to get me to kill them. I would never have cause to kill you as the Queen would never command it.”
“The Queen can shove it,” she bit out. “Just because she holds our leash doesn’t mean we can’t do what we want.”
I didn’t respond. Had the Queen commanded me to end the Duchess’s life, I wouldn’t have hesitated. But the Duchess’s work was integral to keeping the Queen in power. Nobody else in Wünder was ever able to harm her. Except maybe me.
She let out another labored sigh. “Well then, why don’t we just cut to the chase and you tell me why you are here.”
Wholly unaccustomed to what I was about to say, I pursed my lips in hesitation first. “I…need your help.” Even saying the wretched words brought a stitch to my chest.
But the Duchess merely let out an airy laugh. She beckoned me over. “Come. Let’s see what Cook has prepared for us today.”
The Duchess led me to the conservatory where the floor-to-ceiling glass windows let in the late afternoon light, bathing the plants and flowers around the tea table setup. The flowers in their pots were jumping around and pushing the other plants out of their way to be in direct sunlight.
“Quiet!” The Duchess snapped her fingers and the flower pots all clanked still where they stood. Walking along, she rubbed her hands together. “Ooh, can you smell that? Cook has baked some lovely peppered bread.”
I peered out the side of the glass house. I couldn’t see where Chez had taken Allie.
The Duchess noticed my attention veering away. “I’m sure they’ll be back shortly. Please.” She gestured to the spread of food before us. “Help yourself.” Situating herself upon a tall white padded armchair, she shrugged. “And pray tell, what sort of help do you need from me that warrants all this fuss?”
Picking up a plate, I met her gaze evenly. “This girl has lost her memories. Without them, I cannot ignite her Heartfire ember.”
“Ah.” She sighed. “Ironhaven. I remember such a case.”
“And?” I prompted eagerly. “Did the lady retrieve her memories when the Queen captured her heart?”
The Duchess paused for a beat. “Yes. As you perhaps already know, the magic of Heartfire embers is amplified by the connections people have made through their lives, their collections of loved ones, their shared memories. The Heartlamp unlocks all this power.”
I nodded. “Yes, but can you tell me why some victims remain as ghosts and yet some die right away?”
“Oh, that depends on the Heartfire ember,” the Duchess explained. “The more powerful the magic it contains, the less there is left over.”
Perfect.
A little shiver of triumph shot through my body, I almost couldn’t contain it.
My plan was going to work.
Almost spurred on, I picked out more food to load my plate. “Excellent. Then all I really need is a Heartlamp to contain her heart and get Allie’s memories back, thus igniting her Heartfire ember.”
Muted, the Duchess just nodded. “Tis true.”
I moved along the platters of salty seafood, cured cuts of meat, and blocks of cheese.
Maybe Allie was fascinated by whatever sights Chez was showing her outside at the moment, but I was feeling a bit giddy at the prospect of acquiring the power of that coeur. Once I extracted that legendary mystical Heartfire ember power, I should be able to reenergize my clock tower and halt the countdown on my existence.
“Rabb?” The Duchess’s call broke into my train of thought.
“What?” I blinked at her.
Her forehead was creased as she noticed what I was doing. “Why are you…sorting the food?”
I glanced down at the plate where I had quite noticeably pushed some mushy red fruit to one side as though afraid it would contaminate the rest of my selections. “Allie doesn’t like tomatoes.”
The Duchess’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? How do you know that?”
Nonchalantly, I explained, “She always picks them out. Her food trays have always come back with them left over and when we were on the boat—”
Her mouth was slightly ajar in wonder.
Stopping, I clenched my jaw. “What?” I asked again, tersely this time.
She looked away. “Nothing,” she dismissed. “I’m just…surprised you’re doing that for her. Surprised you even noticed.”
I froze.
Tilting her head, the Duchess gave me an amused look. “Did you only realize that yourself just now?”
My skin prickled. I dropped the fork I was holding and set the plate back down. “It doesn’t mean anything.”
I stepped back in dismay. My stomach stirred in unease. That godforsaken woman, I gritted my teeth almost in vindication. I was this close to being rid of her completely, and I would only be so glad.
“Oh Rabb, would you be a dear and hand me that knife?”
Still distracted, I moved to pick up the utensil. When I spun around, the Duchess was in mid-jump to throw herself at me in an attempt to impale herself on the knife.
I wove away just in time. “Seriously, Duchess.” I shook my head at her with a dark glare.
The Duchess’s shoes squeaked on the floor as she skidded to a stop—quite unharmed. Throwing up her hands, she blew out an aggravated breath through her pursed lips. “Fine! I give! You won’t even give me the courtesy of ending my tedious life. What else have I got to do?” She marched right around the table to slump back in her padded throne.
Fidgeting in my stance, I craned my neck to check on Allie and Chez out the windows again. “Listen,” I started, lowering my voice. “I am trying to get this girl to willingly deposit her heart in a Heartlamp, so I would appreciate it if you don’t tell her what happens afterward. I told her I would help her go back home if she gave me her Heartfire ember.”
The Duchess broke a conspiratorial smile. “My dear Rabb, you are as ruthless as ever.” She put a finger to her lips. “Not a peep from me.”