Not wanting Chaos to feel abandoned, as if the touchy beast was capable of such feelings, she had tried to visit him often. So today she dressed as comfortably as she could in the new restrictive clothing that made up her wardrobe and slipped on her new leather boots. She grabbed her utility belt and slipped it over her shoulder. The worn leather pockets were slightly out of place over her new garments, but she didn’t care. She may soon be Lady Wylie McCollum, but until they married, she was still just plain Wylie Petford, former stable hand, and gadget maker extraordinaire.
Wylie still wore her handmade goggles with pride, and she was thankful Adrian hadn’t asked her to part with them. Her heart raced at the thought of seeing her equine friend again, and once she had her hair in a thick braid to the side and her boots were laced snugly, she headed out, locking the new brass handle behind her.
The widow Turpin was outside, sweeping up as always, and Wylie smiled and waved to her.
“Off to the stables, dearie?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Wylie responded respectfully.
“Be safe, dear.” Wylie nodded and started off at a brisk pace. Ever since Lord McCollum had entered their lives, doing all that he could to fix up the humble Parish of Lugwallow, the widow Turpin had assumed the most pleasant of attitudes. In fact, the whole of Lugwallow had done so as well. New doors and new doorknobs had provided a sense of safety which had helped to alleviate a lot of stress for the inhabitants.
Wylie was so wrapped up taking in the sights, admiring the lovely architecture of the old buildings, that she arrived at Adrian’s house much quicker than she was prepared for.
“I should have taken my time,” she gently chided herself. Adrian’s glorious home awaited her, as if beckoning the new lady of the house. As Wylie approached the front door of his mansion, her stomach was turning somersaults.
She raised her hand to the big brass knocker, but at that moment the door was flung open by a smiling Hettie.
“Oh, my dearest! Do come in! I have the most wonderful news!”
“What is it, Hettie?”
Hettie grabbed Wylie’s wrist and dragged her quickly inside.
“You must see what was just dropped off. I had to okay the design. I can’t believe you’re letting me help with your wedding; it’s the most fun I’ve had in years!” Hettie was practically giggling as she led Wylie into the parlor where a gorgeous display waited.
“Hettie, I know nothing of this lifestyle, but you’ve been a wonderful help. Truly!” Her eyes flitted around the room, trying to see what Hettie could be so excited about.
Then she saw it, and her mouth fell open in amazement.
“Hettie…” tears gathered in the corner of Wylie’s eyes. “It’s the most exquisite thing I’ve ever seen! Is it real?”
Hettie laughed.
“Of course, it’s real, child. Go on, touch it. And Lord McCollum’s too. Isn’t it just lovely?”
There, displayed on a handcrafted mannequin in the parlor was the most elegant, lace-bodice wedding dress Wylie had ever seen. With full skirt and layers of ruffles, it looked to her like something out of a fairy tale.
Wylie couldn’t take her eyes off of it as she ran her fingertips over the delicate embroidery. It was a dress fit for a queen, and she couldn’t keep the tears of gratitude from running down her cheeks.
“It’s... it’s t...t...too lovely…” she managed between sobs. Hettie walked over to her and pulled her head into her ample bosom in a caring and comforting hug.
“There, there, dear girl. If anyone deserves it, it’s you. That man is head over heels for you, so you just admire that dress, and don’t feel bad.” Ms. Hettie smelled of fresh baked bread and strawberry preserves and it comforted Wylie.
“You’ve all been so kind to me...I...I don’t know what to say.”
“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” Hettie teased her and released her from the hug. “Over here, on the other side, is the outfit Adrian will be wearing. Best not stand there gawking too long though… that moody stallion has been stomping and flaring his nostrils like mad at Jacob. I imagine he’s mighty impatient for that gallop you promised him.”
“Oh, my goodness! I almost forgot!” Wylie cast an appraising glance over Adrian’s ensemble. A black waistcoat with dark pinstriped trousers, a soft cream-colored ascot, and a newly purchased top hat with a dark purple band to match the tulips and purple accents Wylie had chosen.
A gorgeous tall china vase stood between the two mannequins, a sample, she knew, of the ones that would be used at the ceremony. It was more beautiful than she could have imagined. Wylie wanted to stay there admiring them all day, but she could almost hear Chaos growing impatient. Never in her life had Wylie thought she would be planning a wedding, much less her own lavish affair. She squealed delightedly and ran from the parlor.
Slipping into the kitchen, she grabbed some apples from a bowl on the counter.
“This should ease his temper a bit.” Wylie smiled to herself as she ran out the front door and down to the stable.
She kept running through her mind the details she and Hettie had planned with Adrian’s approval. The place settings and decorations would be a combination of lace, purple floral patterns, and fine china. Following the wedding ceremony, they would have afternoon tea with the guests and as evening fell, the servants would light dozens of candlesticks strategically placed around the yard. A string quartet would take over from the wedding pianist in the evening, and they would end the night with much dancing and merriment.
Adrian had inherited his father’s wealth, but he had also followed in Lord McCollum's footsteps, training to be an engineer. That meant she would never have to worry about financial issues again, a fact she still couldn’t quite wrap her mind around.
She could hear Chaos raising a ruckus in the stable and, as she approached, a rugged boy of about seventeen stopped what he was doing, and tipped his worn hat to her.
“Ma’am.”
“Good day, Jacob.” She smiled warmly at him, and he smiled back, then dropped his gaze to the floor. He had a shovel in his hand which he was using to muck out the stalls.
“Mind if I take Chaos out for a ride?”
“Not at all, ma’am. Not sure how you do it. He won’t let me near him. He’s been terribly moody of late.” Jacob’s big brown eyes watched her admiringly. As if on cue, Chaos nickered even louder and stamped his hooves on the wooden floor of his stall. “And he’s worse than usual today,” Jacob added, before getting back to work.
“Nonsense,” Wylie giggled, “he just misses me. Don’t you, gorgeous?” She walked swiftly to his stall, taking his soft muzzle in her hand. Chaos nickered gently, his lips and teeth grazing her fingers. “Yes, you temperamental beast. I’ve brought you a peace offering.” Chaos brayed loudly in answer, tossing his head back, his long mane rippling on his neck. She slipped one of the apples into his mouth, and he chomped it loudly.
“Has he been like this since you started working here?” Jacob nodded in the affirmative, looking much like a frightened child, and still gazing at his feet as he did whenever she addressed him. His demeanor made her sad. It was as if he had been spoken down to so often that he believed himself to be unworthy. She would have to find out more about him.
“Yes, and it seems to get worse on a daily basis.”
“Hmm… suppose I need to spend more time with him. I imagine he’s not gotten the proper exercise as Adrian and I have both been so busy as of late.” Wylie frowned, suddenly sad that she hadn’t spent much time with her equine friend.
“No worries, I shall make up for that today.” She popped the remaining apple into Chaos’ mouth. Then darted into the tack room to grab his bridle and returned to slip it over his head. From there, she led him out of the stall.
“Jacob…” she called out, “Jacob!” He emerged from the stall he was cleaning, a boyish grin on his face.
“Yes’m?”
“Be a dear and hold these for me?” She put the
reins into his shaking hands while she grabbed Chaos’s saddle and tossed it on his back.
“Can you help me tighten the cinch strap?”
Jacob looked none too thrilled.
“Yes, milady. If he kicks me, I’ll be of no use to you though,” he huffed as he heaved on the strap and fastened it snugly.
In one smooth motion Wylie stepped into the stirrup and swung her other leg over his back. “He’s more neigh than kick, trust me Jacob.”
The teenage boy nodded nervously at her. “Yes’m, I’ll take your word for it.”
Once she was firmly seated with both feet planted in the stirrups, they took off across the meadow. Jacob hurried back to attend to his duties.
Wylie found riding Chaos more exhilarating than being in her dragon form and flying across the sky. As the Teselym, she had responsibilities. She had to pay attention to the needs of humanity, to weed out those who didn’t really need her help against those who were victims of pure evil.
On Chaos’s back, however, she was just a girl on a horse, skimming over the ground, without a worry or a care. No one expected anything from her out here, and Chaos was simply happy to be out and free. She wished it could last forever. However, her responsibilities would call her back soon enough, and she would have to go back to real life, though this is where she truly felt at peace.
“Whoa.” Wylie commanded sternly, after several laps around the property. Chaos slowed, then came to a complete stop. She patted his neck, “I’ve missed this so much,” she told him, and he nickered softly in response. They sat there for a few moments, both of them breathing deeply, watching the sun slowly descend.
“Well, I suppose it’s time to head back.”
Chaos nickered, but she knew he agreed.
As they approached the stable, Wylie could see the silhouette of a well-dressed man, top hat in hand.
The smile on his face was plainly visible even at a distance. Jacob was talking to him, but as Wylie approached Jacob scuttled out of sight and Adrian came towards her.
“My betrothed, how was your ride?”
Wylie jumped down from Chaos, smiling broadly.
“It was simply lovely. Hopefully I’m back in his good graces again.” She undid the saddle and handed it to Adrian, and then led the stallion back into his stall, securing the gate behind her.
Adrian put away the saddle, then scooped her into a warm embrace. She giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek, which had the beginnings of coarse stubble.
“I tell you to stay away for a day, and you’ve already decided not to shave?” she teased.
“I told you my love, I fall to pieces when you’re not around. I stop shaving, I stop bathing, I don’t eat…”
“Oh please,” Wylie rolled her eyes at his feigned dramatics. Chaos nickered behind her as if laughing.
“Don’t worry, Chaos, I don’t believe it for a second.”
“So that’s it, you and the horse are teaming up against me?” He pretended to look hurt, and it made her giggle. She kissed his rough cheek again.
“Perhaps if you shaved, we could spend the remainder of the evening together,” she teased.
Adrian suddenly frowned.
“Do you have time for that?”
Reminded of her duties, her smile disappeared.
“Oh yes, I forgot. No, I suppose I don’t.”
“Want me to walk you home?” he asked softly.
“Yes, I would like that very much.”
Adrian took Wylie’s hand in his, and they set off arm in arm. They talked of The Great Exhibition, and all the wonders Adrian had seen there, that day. Wylie smiled and nodded, but in her mind all she could think of was their wedding day and how for the rest of her life, everything would revolve around The Time of the Dragon, and her Teselym duties.
It made her heart hurt.
Chapter Three
Mid-June of 1851
“Wylie, are you sure about coming with me today?” Adrian sat across from her over a breakfast of fresh hot muffins, and Ms. Hettie’s famous strawberry preserves.
“Absolutely. Jacob is doing quite well in the stables. Chaos doesn’t care for him, but I’ve told him to leave the temperamental beast alone and all should be well.”
“We may be there for a few days. I can’t just leave my invention in the care of my servants day after day.” Adrian’s face was stern.
“My love, I completely agree. We talked about this, it’s okay. I want to be there, I certainly don’t want to be here alone with the servants. I’ve already divvied up my possessions to the people of Lugwallow. My only responsibility now is to you...” her voice trailed off.
“What about your Teselym duties?”
Wylie sighed heavily.
“Yes, always that, Adrian. I just don’t wish to talk about it. I’ll grab my Dracosinum and meet you at the carriage shortly?”
Adrian scooted his chair out and walked around the table to her. He grabbed her hands and pulled her up into his arms, kissing her deeply.
“I love you, Lady McCollum.”
Wylie’s heart fluttered at his words.
“I love you.”
“I have a couple of small things to do and then I’ll join you.” He smiled and winked at her before disappearing into one of the many rooms of the mansion. Wylie was sure she would never get used to the size of it. It was intimidating.
Wylie ascended the stairs and walked the length of the hallway to their shared room. She had already packed her bag in case they needed to stay away for a few days. Her Dracosinum rested on the nightstand where she had slipped it off.
Wylie’s fingers delicately brushed the polished wood top of the stand, grabbing the chain in her hand, she slipped it over her neck. She smoothed out the covers of their bed one last time, admiring the delicate purple tulip pattern. A wedding gift from Adrian to her.
Wylie smiled softly, grabbed her bag, and closed the door behind her as she left the room. The Great Exhibition awaited, and she could hardly contain her excitement.
“Good morning, milady,” Cyrus greeted her warmly.
“Good morning, Cyrus.”
He had rushed to meet her, taking the bag from her hand and putting it in a compartment of the carriage.
“Are you all ready for the exhibition?”
She nodded her head to him.
“I suppose I’m ready as I’ll ever be.”
“You’re going to love it, milady, there has never been anything like it, I assure you. It’s remarkable.” The light in his eyes as he spoke was unmistakable.
Wylie smiled at him, ready to respond, but Adrian’s gloved hand met her waist at that moment, and he assisted her into the carriage.
“Shall we?” he asked.
“Indeed.”
Cyrus clambered into the front with the new driver. It was someone Wylie had never seen before.
“Adrian, who is that?” She pointed at the back of the driver’s head.
“Oh, he’s a friend of mine. I’ve hired him for the time being to take me to and from the Exhibition so that Cyrus can be at your side at all times. I don’t want you to feel obligated to stay with me and my invention.”
“Nonsense, Adrian. I want to.”
“Trust me, my love, I would be doing you no favors to have you standing there with me as countless strangers come up. I want you to enjoy yourself. It truly is a wondrous event. You’ve never seen anything like it, I assure you.”
The carriage started with a jolt, and they bounced gently along. Wylie wasn’t sure how she felt about Adrian leaving her to walk around the exhibition grounds with Cyrus, but instead of questioning the matter further, she found herself being lulled to sleep.
“Wylie,” Adrian spoke gently, “wake up.” She opened her eyes, just as they were pulling into Hyde Park. Wylie had been here before when Adrian had taken her on a picnic. Though instead of the usual smattering of trees surrounding the Serpentine, a large building had been erected very near the road
. The building hid the entirety of the park and the water behind it.
“W... w... what is that?” Wylie’s eyes grew as large as the decorative saucers on display in the china cabinet at Lord McCollum’s manor.
Adrian smiled at her.
“It’s called the Crystal Palace. It was erected solely for the purpose of this event.” Adrian’s eyes lit with a sparkle of excitement.
“Made entirely for this event?” Wylie could hardly catch her breath at the sight of it. As massive as Hyde Park was, the new building seemed to stretch for miles. As she exited the carriage with the assistance of Cyrus, Adrian kissed her softly on her forehead and then he was off.
Cyrus led her through the entirety of the building. Each area was sectioned off into courts for the each of the countries in attendance. She dabbed some Eau de Cologne from a fountain in the Austrian Court and tasted the most delectable chocolate drops in the Saxony Court.
There were great iron gateways dividing the various areas. Swooping red velvet curtains hung from balcony to floor. Every manner of dress from a multitude of countries, glorious statues, and breathtaking displays abounded. It was the most remarkable event she had ever attended in her entire life.
By the end of the day, Wylie was quite exhausted, and yet quite sure she had not seen the entirety of it. Cyrus led her to Adrian’s marvelous steam-powered carriage that had proven to be quite the spectacle on that opening day.
Many people had gathered around, keeping Adrian and his assistants quite busy patiently and graciously answering questions. After a time, Adrian noticed Wylie and stepped through the small gathering to lead her back to the carriage where she could stand at his side.
The Phoenix Lord (The Dracosinum Tales) Page 2
