Mairi laughed out loud, and several people turned to stare. “How can I possibly refuse? You have asked in such a fine manner.”
She took his hand, and he led her onto the floor, where eight other couples were waiting in line to begin the dance. With deference to their status, the remaining dancers waited until Mairi and Ephraim were in place before the orchestra started to play.
Mairi felt as though she were floating on a cloud as Ephraim twirled and sashayed her around the room. She had no idea of any of the steps, but with a covert glimpse to her right and left, she was easily able to pick up the movements. When the dance was over, she could barely conceal her disappointment.
She was in a Jane Austen book!
“And who, pray tell, is this?” an authoritative woman asked Ephraim, who, upon hearing the woman’s voice, slipped Mairi’s hand into the crook of his arm, his muscles tightening around it. She glanced up at him and was impressed by his self-assurance, sensing some of his trepidation, which bubbled below his calm exterior.
“My lady,” he said between gritted teeth and bent into a deep bow. “Please meet Her Grace, The Duchess of Kilchoan.” He sent Mairi a warning glance, unspoken words of caution passed between them—be careful was the message. He did not let go of her hand, continuing to grip it tightly, making it almost impossible for Mairi to stretch out and welcome the new woman.
“Pleasure to meet you, my lady. My lady…?” she faltered, waiting to hear the name.
“Beg pardon,” interrupted Ephraim, completing the introductions, “This would be the Viscountess Lyall.”
Another beautiful woman crossed the room to stand beside them. She reminded Mairi, for a fleeting moment, of someone, but the memory was so indistinct she let it go and placed the thought in the back of her mind.
“Ephraim,” the newest woman said flirtatiously, gently hitting his arm with her fan, “your manners are to be reprimanded.” Then, with obvious contempt, she slid her eyes disdainfully over Mairi’s face and body. Mairi would have given anything to mentally cleanse herself from the foulness of her inspection, but ever the professional, she remained in her role—the one in which she’d been cast, by Appoloin,—that of duchess, and stared proudly into the woman’s cold eyes.
“Who is this lovely young woman?” she purred condescendingly.
Ephraim opened his mouth to speak, but the Viscountess Lyall did not give him a chance to utter a word, answering smugly on his behalf: “Have you not heard, Angela, this is the Duchess of Kilchoan, Appoloin’s wife, can you believe it?” she gushed.
Angela! Mairi screamed inwardly, when hearing the name, she froze, all her muscles tensed and her body became rigid. As the shock flowed through her, a sensation she dreaded began to take hold of her body, and her spine began to tingle. She urgently sought Appoloin, scanning the room for any sign of him, but he was nowhere to be found. She started panicking, taking in short breaths, all the while, feeling her body begin to disintegrate. Her mistdreaming self was about to make its presence known, and within seconds, she would disappear right before the eyes of everyone at the ball. The very last thing she wanted was to let Angela know her true self. That secret would be kept well hidden for as long as possible.
“Now, now, now, Ladies, leave this charming girl alone,” Mairi heard.
So engrossed had she been in trying to prevent disintegrating, she was unaware of yet another woman joining their circle. The soothing tone swept over Mairi like liquid comfort, and almost at once, she relaxed. Her body stopped transastralising into mistdream, and she let out a sigh of relief. It was as though this person was weaving a spell of safety around her, and as the tension began to dissipate, Mairi was sincerely grateful.
All danger was not over, however; evil was clearly nearby, and Mairi’s terrified, pleading eyes stared into the face of a small, handsome woman who now held her spellbound. She gazed into fathomless brown eyes, and was aware of tiny shards of light exploding in them, reminding Mairi of a dark night lit by stars that were too distant to touch, yet so close you could feel their magic. She could believe a spell had been cast and was quite content in the knowledge that it was one to assist her and ease her fears.
Mairi noticed the woman draw back her lips into a tender smile, displaying perfectly straight teeth, and was transfixed. When she spoke, the words fell to the floor like magical droplets. Mairi was astonished to see them burst into tiny splinters of light, which then disappeared.
When she laughed… Mairi knew she was in the company of one from another world.
Ephraim welcomed the new woman, and kissed her on both cheeks, but kept Mairi’s hand securely in place, under his arm, and chuckled. “Duchess, let me introduce you to the Lady Phyllis, Countess of Jersey.” The Lady Phyllis laughed beguilingly and patted her black hair, which had come loose from the pins that held it on top of her head. A few grey strands highlighted her jet-black hair. “Come here, child, let me take you away from these two.” She gave both ladies the cut direct, seemingly oblivious to the furious glances thrown in her direction.
“Don’t let these vipers cause you any great distress. They are bereft of humour.” Taking her hand from its safe haven with Ephraim, The Lady Phyllis tucked it under her arm, and led her away from the Ladies Lyall and Angela, who continued to glare at her retreating form. Their malevolent look was enough to wither any soul, but it merely bounced off Mairi while in the safe-keeping of this special lady, who wibble-wobbled from side to side as she walked. Looking around, she beckoned Ephraim to keep pace with them as they strode across the room.
“Now that was a close shave,” Ephraim muttered across her head to the Lady Phyllis.
“Why did you put the child in such peril, Ephraim? You should have known better,” she grumped.
“I apologise, Phyllis. I had not seen them enter and had been assured they would not attend this gathering. My sources got that wrong. You know, Phyllis, had I been aware of their presence, I would, of course, have been doubly vigilant. They were too quick for me this night.”
“But, she was—”
“Okay, that’s it!” stormed Mairi in hushed tones. “I am not a girl. I am not a child. I understand,” she added hurriedly, “well, actually, I do not understand. What is going on here? Why do you think I need protection?”
Ephraim looked to Phyllis, who lifted an eyebrow, then both turned to Mairi. “Child,” Phyllis said carefully, “have you also lost your memory?”
Mairi hated the way they were looking at her. It was as though she was in need of a specialist doctor, one who would immediately restrain her in a straight jacket, then stow her away to a closed ward in a hospital, in some darkened forest, or maybe, whisk her to anywhere as far from here as was possible! She quickly withdrew her hand from Phyllis’s arm and was surprised by the reaction it caused. This simple movement left her chilled. She wanted to return her hand to the safe nestling in the crook of Phyllis’s arm and regain that feeling of security. A shiver tingled down her back, and her body went into racks of trembling.
“Now, we’ll have none of that,” Phyllis said, replacing Mairi’s hand under her arm. “We meant you no disrespect. We are concerned for you is all.”
The three of them meandered to the wall, where an expansive table was set against it. An extravagant buffet had been laid, together with crockery and jugs of wine.
“I would stay away from the salmon, m’dear,” Phyllis said as her face grimaced. “It has been sitting in this room for some time, and under the heat of those candles.” Phyllis indicated the two large wall sconces with lit candles, now dripping wax. “Who knows what evil lurks in the bones. I swear I heard a girl, not so long ago, who was very unwell in the rest rooms.”
Mairi shuddered, revolted by the thought of the decaying fish, which remained beautifully presented. Cherries adorned the spine, lemon slices were tucked into the sides and it was garnished with edible flowers. She agreed, if it had been sitting for any length of time then there was no doubt that her eating any woul
d lead to her losing the contents of her stomach in the most unpleasant of way and in the nineteenth century she wasn’t certain how she would cope.
“Try some of the spiced apples, and the berry tart, but avoid the chicken pie. It’s perhaps walked the same road as the salmon.” With a delightful giggle, Phyllis spun to face the table and began piling food on her own plate.
Mairi lifted a plate. The array of food was incredible; various pies were spaced evenly across the table, separated by an assortment of exotic fancies. The effort the kitchen staff must have gone to in creating the tremendous range of foods was staggering, and she felt dreadfully sorry for those hard-working kitchen staff, sweltering in the kitchens below. They were probably, at this very moment, kneading pastries and breads while other staff would be preparing the fillings.
She took delight in everything, from the food to the guests who were dancing, men to one side, women to the other. A gentle bow here, a small curtsey there, then all change into another pattern. There were also some guests playing cards, whilst others simply stood languidly around, chatting, and were totally oblivious and probably even more indifferent to the work going on in the kitchens beneath their feet. Yet they would expect to be served throughout the night, with a continuous flow of fresh pies and culinary delights.
She admired the bone china plates, with hand painted rambling pink roses etched around the rim, and thought it best to acknowledge her appreciation of the effort and hard work gone into to the preparation of the spread, by eating something. She placed a healthy slice of cherry tart onto the plate just as Phyllis added a slice of apple tart as well.
“Come, child, I would like you to meet my good friend the Lady Halcyon of Heaslop. I think you will enjoy each other’s company.”
The cherry tart drew her attention. It had that warm bubble of hot fruit dribbling out of the top of the pastry, and she could almost taste the cherries—she was so hungry, and hadn’t eaten since breakfast. She just wanted one little bite! Yet another person? she thought, and was aware of how ungrateful she sounded. Ignoring the pie, she walked with Phyllis to meet her friend.
She noted the willowy, beautiful woman, whose blonde hair was coiffured in soft waves and piled high on her head. Mairi was struck by the gracefulness of her every movement. This, together with her posture and mannerisms, displayed all the signs of aristocracy. Mairi, waited quietly, until formal introductions could be made. Lady Halcyon’s dance partner thanked her and bowed, taking one of her gloved hands, he kissed it. Acknowledging Mairi and Phyllis, with a curt nod, he turned sharply and walked away.
“And who may this charming young lady be?” the Lady Halcyon asked of the Lady Phyllis.
“Well, H,” Phyllis said informally, giving clear indication of their warm friendship. “If you just hold your horses and give me a moment, I was just getting round to introducing the pair of you.” Phyllis chuckled merrily. “This is The Duchess of Kilchoan.”
Mairi was interested to see the Lady Halcyon’s eyes open wide in surprise. “Well, I never, Phyllis. The Devil himself has taken a bride? I never thought this day would ever come. Tell me, dearie,” she said, her eyes narrowing, “what is it you have that is so special to make a man like that want to give up his roaming ways?”
Mairi was at ease. These ladies made her feel as though she was standing in the company of her cousins, and the imp in her came to the surface. Pausing for the effect she desired, she inspected the room, doing her best to appear nonchalant, before answering, her lips turned into a gracious smile. “I think the reason might be, because I’m incredibly good in bed.”
The Ladies Phyllis and Halcyon drew in a shocked breath of air, then covered their mouths with their fans, tittering quietly. But Mairi knew they were laughing. They might be experts with the fan, but their eyes couldn’t hide their thoughts.
“My goodness,” Lady Halcyon said, upon regaining her composure. “You are a feisty one, are you not?”
“Not so feisty,” Mairi said honestly, “just a little out of time at the moment.”
“But you’re not even dancing,” the Lady Halcyon insisted. “How can you be out of time?”
Phyllis sent a word of warning to Mairi, with a small shake of her head, advising her to so say no more. As Appoloin had said, they had no way of knowing who was aware of her presence in this century.
A casual word might be overheard, and caution was prevalent. Yet Mairi wanted the camaraderie she missed so much when she was with Lauren and Valerie. Her heart yelled, “Just say it!” Her head, however, kept her quiet, and she let Phyllis know she understood.
“I turned around and you were gone,” Ephraim said huffily. “You could have told me, Phyllis.” With a nod to Lady Halcyon, he said, “Evening, H, you having a decent time of it tonight?”
“Ephraim.” Halcyon warmly smiled as he took her hand and kissed the back of it.“It is always a pleasure to be in your company. Of course I am enjoying myself. Devil take care when I am intent on making merry. Do you not think?” She laughed, but a sadness crept into her eyes.
“Now, now, now.” Phyllis stepped forward. “None of that, none of that. Tonight is a night for you to forget, H. It is a night for you to enjoy new and wonderful moments.” She glared at Mairi. “And very naughty company.”
“Say what?” Ephraim spluttered. “Very naughty? What did I miss? What was said? Oh, for heaven’s sake, bother and bumblebees, Phyllis, why do you never tell me things?”
Mairi relaxed once more, laughing with the three of them, Ephraim feigning indignation, Phyllis chortling and, Halcyon? What was Halcyon doing?
“You remind me of someone, child,” she said gently. “Someone I miss so very much. You have his eyes, and like you, he had that lovely Scottish accent. He could charm the birds out of the trees, could my Callum—he certainly charmed me. How I miss him.” A tear dropped onto her breast. “Oh, bother, there I go again, weeping for love lost. But it was so beautiful while it lasted, and it was over so quickly. It was as though he was brought here on an Angel’s breath, just to meet me, then, just as quickly, he was gone.” Looking down to wipe the tear away, Halcyon missed Mairi’s reaction to her words. She stood still. Terror, gripped her like a prison made of giant icicles, and held her frozen to the spot.
Callum… could it really be her uncle? Had he travelled here using his mistdream, while leaving his comatose form lying on the bed, in his house in Edinburgh?
Chapter Nine
“It is best we do not dwell on Callum at the moment,” Appoloin said as they bounced around in the carriage, on their return to his home in Eaton Square. Mairi held tightly onto the door handle, for fear she would fall to the floor. Appoloin realised she was in distress and stretched across, taking her hand from the door pull, and holding her tight into his body.
“I don’t want to forget about my Uncle Callum,” she said angrily, pushing against his chest in an attempt to escape his stronghold, but it was a false attempt. She felt safe and secure in his arms. But he was exasperating.
“How can you be so flippant about him? He lies in a paranormal coma, but his mistdream self is floating around, God knows where—and tonight I discover he’s been here! HERE!” she screamed at him.
“I heard you the first time, Mairi, and I did not know of his appearance in this century.” Mairi started to speak, but he held his palm near her face. “I shall correct myself. I do not know where he is, nor do I have knowledge of any ‘appearances’ anywhere. But he is not my concern just now.” Looking worriedly into her eyes, he insisted, “You are, Mairi. You have been found, and I must decide where to take you next. I thought we would be safe in this century, but the veil surrounding this time has been ruptured, possibly even by your uncle.”
Mairi was shocked. Her eyes widened, and she could feel her breath cutting short. Minuscule lights began to fly from her body, and she could feel her sense of belonging dissipate, until Appoloin shook her. “No, Mairi. You cannot mistdream. Stop, now!” he urged.
T
hankfully, it was enough to bring her back to the moment. Her body stopped dissolving, but she shivered uncontrollably. Even Appoloin’s strong arms could not stop the continual shuddering that threatened to break her apart. She could hear, far in the distance, mistdreaming, a promise that all would be well if she only took a step and crossed over into mistdream, where she would be able to discuss the problem with her cousins and seek their advice. She could meet them and let them know about Callum… It would only take a few seconds.
Her eyes began to flicker, and lights began to emanate from her hands. Appoloin grabbed them in one of his powerful hands, and with the other, pulled on her chin, making her eyes focus on his, those beautiful eyes. There was an urgency about the way he was looking at her, and she wanted to stay, but the roaring of mistdream was getting stronger.
“Mairi!” he shouted. “Stop this at once. You cannot go to mistdream. We must talk about what I have discovered. Do not leave me,” he begged.
Something in the way he spoke, in the urgency of his tone, brought her back again, and this time she shut down mistdream. This was far too important to both of them, she knew. Mistdream would wait. Her cousins would always be there, and she would see them soon.
“Mmmm, alright,” she murmured and smiled sleepily at Appoloin. Her eyelids flickered, and she fell against his hard chest. The unusual day with all the strange developments, new faces, new Angels, new century, and her near walk into mistdream had taken its toll, and Mairi could not prevent sleep taking hold. She felt no embarrassment, safe in the knowledge that Appoloin understood what it was she was experiencing. She allowed her body to melt against him when exhaustion dragged her into a deep sleep, grateful she had been with him and not standing in the ballroom when her brain could no longer cope and had to shut off, taking her into a peaceful sleep.
The Park Family: Mairi: Retribution Page 12
