by Emma Newman
“Oh.” Eleanor looked at her expectantly. “Well, the thing is…he’s just a…well, Charlotte and I…”
“Just say it, Cathy.”
“He’s a total arsehole and Emmeline is so sweet and he’ll just be the most awful husband and we can’t let it go ahead.”
Eleanor’s eyes were impressively large. “You do have a peculiar eloquence, Cathy. We simply need to find a way to make it more palatable for Society. As for your opinion on your brother-in-law, I suggest you keep that to yourself in future.”
“But Eleanor, he’s a thug!”
“Nathaniel is a passionate young man. He’ll calm down as he matures. As for this marriage, I see no reason to oppose it. The Viola girl is sweet, by all accounts, and comes from a respected and wealthy family. A family that will have political ambitions now that that idiot Frederick Viola is no longer with us. Those ambitions need to be kept in check and that’s exactly what this match achieves, along with the one between your sister and Bertie’s cousin. The Violas will be kept close where we can keep an eye on them and Bertie will need to keep Will happy to keep his daughter happy and safe. It’s all very neat and tidy. Just the way Lord Iris likes things to be.”
Cathy’s heart fell when she heard her call him “Bertie.” Of course, they probably knew each other before Eleanor was spirited away. “But it will be such an unhappy marriage. And Emmeline’s mother—” She stopped herself just in time. “Her mother is a dear friend and I know what Nathaniel is really like, and I can’t in all conscience tell her that her daughter will be happy.”
Eleanor finished her tea and placed the cup and saucer back on the table. “Cathy, dear, I am very fond of you. And it’s clear that you’ve never had a woman help you navigate life in Society. You have such potential and I’d hate to see it wasted. I have no intention of forcing you to be anything other than yourself, but you have to let go of some childish notions. Marriage is not arranged for happiness; it’s arranged for the mutual benefit of the families involved. If the couple discovers happiness, then it is their good fortune. I suggest you reassure your friend as best you can and leave matters to take their course.”
“But—”
Eleanor stood. “And you need to learn which battles are worth fighting.” She smiled sweetly and kissed Cathy’s cheek. “This isn’t one of them, dear. Now, I will take your leave as I have a great deal to catch up on and a husband I need to get back into order.”
Cathy stood and watched her leave. “Shit and bollocks,” she whispered beneath her breath once the Dame was gone. She picked up a slice of angel cake and shoved it into her mouth, trying to decide if Eleanor was an ally or simply a kinder jailer.
The sound of a carriage arriving drew her to the window. Thinking it had come to pick Eleanor up, she stood and watched, churning over her options. There was no one in the Iris family who would oppose the marriage. The only thing she could do to stop the wedding was take down Bertrand Viola, and thereby make a marriage with his daughter a less attractive proposition. But she had no idea how to do that without it being catastrophic for Charlotte and her children. It would be so much easier if Charlotte were willing to escape into Mundanus, but Cathy could understand her fear. She didn’t have the right to bully her into anything, no matter how much she thought it would be preferable to living with that monster.
The carriage stopped and Mr Lutea-Digitalis climbed out. Choking on the angel cake, Cathy dashed from the room to warn Wilhelmina, only to find her coming down the stairs with her bag, Will beside her. Dame Iris was nowhere to be seen.
Cathy pointed at the door and shook her head at Wilhelmina as she desperately tried to swallow the mouthful of cake.
“I’m going home, your Grace,” Wilhelmina said with a smile. “I wanted to thank you for your hospitality.”
Cathy finally gulped the last of it down. “What? Wait, nothing has changed!”
“On the contrary,” Wilhelmina said. “The Duke has intervened—he listened, as you promised he would—and has seen to it that my husband will take better care of me.”
“But that isn’t enough!”
“It is for me,” Wilhelmina said, reaching her. “Your Grace, I have no intention of causing a scandal. I don’t want to cause any trouble. I just want to live my life without being afraid.”
“But how can you be sure he won’t just be like he was before? How can you be safe?”
Wilhelmina smiled shyly at Will. “I trust my Duke when he says it will never happen again. That’s enough for me.”
The knock at the front door brought Morgan into the hall as Will kissed Wilhelmina’s hand, making her blush crimson. “Remember what I said, Mrs Digitalis. The moment you feel unsafe, you send word to me. It won’t happen, but if it does, you know I will intervene.”
“Thank you, your Grace,” she replied breathlessly, and then picked up her bag as her husband was admitted.
“There you are, my dear,” he said to Wilhelmina as if they’d simply been separated during a crowded ball. He bowed deeply to Will and inclined his head to Cathy.
Cathy watched as he kissed his wife’s cheek, balling her fists up as Will came to her side, probably to hold her back if needed.
“I’ll see you at Black’s,” Will said to him, and Digitalis gave him a nervous smile.
“I look forward to it, your Grace,” he said, unconvincingly, and the couple left.
“What the hell was that?” Cathy asked once the door was firmly shut.
“Now, don’t start,” Will said. “Let me explain first. Is there any tea left from the Dame’s visit?”
She nodded and marched to the drawing room. Will followed and closed the door behind them.
“Oh, angel cake,” he said cheerfully. “I do like that.”
“Will!” Cathy folded her arms as he went to the table and broke a chunk off a slice and ate it, as if nothing had happened. “How can you protect her?”
Will grinned, looking rather smug. “Remember me telling you that there’s often a quieter, alternative way to solve problems? Well, there was the proof. Tea?”
“I wanted to see a change in the law.”
“I know, my love, but there was no way that could happen. The Patroons would never allow it, and that poor woman couldn’t stay here for much longer without the gossip starting. It really had to be solved swiftly, before Digitalis took it higher.”
“There you go again, putting the men first.”
“Oh, Cathy. Come and sit down, my love, and let me explain.”
She hesitated, torn between wanting to yell at him and wanting to know how safe Wilhelmina could possibly be. His hand patted the sofa next to him and she wanted to be close to him again, no matter how angry she was. She sat beside him as he poured more tea.
“This is rather stewed,” he said. “Shall I call for more?”
“Just tell me what you did.”
He twisted round so their knees were touching, something she found remarkably distracting. “I obtained some information on Mr Digitalis and learned he has a secret that he has managed to keep hidden thus far. I made him aware that I know of it now and that if he treats his wife with anything less than the highest respect and affection, I’ll destroy his reputation and his standing within his family.”
Cathy stared at him.
“I know,” Will smiled. “I was rather shocked by how simple it was too.”
Sickened, Cathy realised Will assumed she was speechless with admiration. “You think that blackmail is the best solution to this?”
“I think that Wilhelmina is safe and her husband won’t cause any trouble, now or in the future.”
“What if he loses his temper and pushes her down the stairs?”
“My love, a change in the rights of the woman within marriage wouldn’t prevent that. A man’s temper is not something that can be reined in by such things.”
Cathy wanted to bang her head against a wall. He’d not only undermined everything she had done to keep Wilhelmina safe, bu
t also cut off the motivation for anyone to change the law. “But men mistreating their wives is all but sanctioned when the women are seen as property.”
“Darling, please can’t you see that you’re talking about things that simply aren’t going to change? I have found a way to keep her safe, and if you discover any other mistreatment, I can help to protect the ladies in those marriages too. Quietly. Without earning the wrath of the Patroons.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Cathy yelled, unable to hold it in any longer. “Digging up dirt on all the men in Londinium and blackmailing them is not a solution!”
“Then give me a better one. One that doesn’t endanger us.”
“We need to have some bloody guts and make the change and weather the storm.”
Will rested his head in his hands. “This damn wish,” he muttered. “It makes you say the most ridiculous things.”
That was what Will thought drove her? How could he have such an opinion of her? “This isn’t Poppy’s wish magic! This is me! I stayed to change Society and fuck all is changing!”
She expected him to shout back but instead he looked hurt. “Is it the only reason you stayed?”
“I didn’t know you enough to stay for you back then.”
“But you know me now.” His hand reached for hers, rested on top of it. “You said you love me. Isn’t that enough for you to stay?”
His eyes looked so sad. His hand held hers tenderly and he smelt so good. She shook her head, feeling derailed. “That…that isn’t the point. The point is that I’m getting nowhere. Worse than nowhere! Now people are shooting at my carriage and—”
Will paled. “Shooting? No one mentioned that!”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it does!”
Cathy squeezed her eyes shut, feeling like she was trying to keep her balance on a beam as Will kept trying to pull her off. “All that matters is the work,” she said, more to herself than him. “And Margritte hasn’t replied to my letters and this bloody Ladies’ Court is a crap idea and isn’t happening by the look of things. Charlotte is wasting away and she hasn’t heard from Margritte either. We’re starting to worry about her.”
When she opened her eyes, Will looked serious. “I have some news about Margritte, my love.”
The way he said it made her shiver. “Did Nathaniel find her?”
“Yes. The Patroons were putting on the pressure and he pulled out all the stops. I did all I could, but it wasn’t enough.”
“When?”
“A day or so ago—but I only just found out myself.”
Cathy’s throat tightened. “What will happen to her?”
“The Patroons discovered that she collaborated with a Sorcerer to capture me. They’ve exiled her to New Amsterdam. She’s forbidden from making any contact with anyone in Albion for the next hundred years. It could have been much worse.”
Cathy slumped, pulling her hand from his, tears falling freely.
“I’m so sorry, my love. I did all I could.”
She nodded. “I know.”
There was a knock on the door and Will called, “Come in,” as Cathy wiped away the tears.
“The Marquis of Westminster is here,” Morgan said. “Shall I show him in?”
Will nodded. “Maybe he’s found out something about the attack,” he said to Cathy.
Tom entered, having followed Morgan to the drawing room. “I’m still working on that, your Grace,” he said. “I’m here to see Cathy. It’s a personal matter.”
Cathy felt the tension return to her stomach as she saw the look in Tom’s eyes. This was bad.
“Can’t it wait?” Will snapped.
Tom, as surprised as her by his reaction, blushed. “I’m afraid not, your Grace.”
Cathy kissed Will’s cheek and went over to Tom. “I’m sure it won’t take long,” she said to Will, and left with her brother.
“We’ll be taking a carriage,” he said. “Will you want a cape or wrap?”
“What’s going on?”
Tom sighed. “I’ve just had to arrest our former governess, Cathy. Natasha Rainer is in my custody.”
21
When Sam’s car pulled up outside his house that evening there was a minibus outside, just as his security team at the gatehouse had warned him on the way in. The housekeeper was standing on the front steps, looking very stressed.
He got out, saw that there were two people sitting in the front of the minibus, and went straight over to Mrs Morrison. “Who are they?”
“I told security at the gatehouse to let them through because the woman said she’s Eleanor but that’s rubbish,” she said in her broad Lancashire accent. “I told her to wait in that there bus till you got back. She said she wants to take your guests home, but I thought they didn’t have a home, Mr Ferran. I thought that was why they was ’ere.”
“Okay. Go inside, Mrs M, I’ll take care of it.”
She gave a last glare at the minibus and went inside. As Sam approached, the driver got out, nipped round, and opened the door for the passenger. A very beautiful woman, who looked for all the world like one of the princesses from his childhood books, climbed out.
“Sam,” she smiled. “Mrs Morrison didn’t recognise me. I really am Eleanor. Don’t you see it?”
“Jesus,” he whispered. “What fuckery is this?”
She pursed her lips in a very Eleanor way but didn’t comment on his language. “I’ve been restored to my rightful place at the head of my family. I now have the resources to care for the other people rescued from the asylum. I’ve come to take them to their new home.”
“But they don’t want to go back to the Nether.”
“I know, I won’t force them into it, but I’ll house them in a property that has a reflection. Then I can visit them easily and it will be easier to find staff who understand the delicacy of the situation. It’s the only way. I wouldn’t have chosen to travel in such a ridiculous vehicle unless it were absolutely necessary.”
Sam folded his arms. “Does Cathy know about this?”
“No, Cathy has enough to deal with. Besides, as I’m now Dame of her family, she would have to agree with me. You’ve been very kind, Lord Iron, but we don’t need your help anymore.”
Sam didn’t feel he had the right to decide for those people—and besides, without Eleanor there to bridge the gap between them and life in Mundanus, things would fall apart. None of them would speak to him, for one thing. “If they want to go with you, I won’t stand in the way. But I want you to make it clear that they have a choice.”
Eleanor raised an eyebrow but then inclined her head in agreement.
He stood aside as she and the driver went into the house and kept out of the way in his study whilst things were sorted out. He hoped it would all be done before the representative from the Sorcerer of Essex arrived.
Finally, there was a knock on the door. He let Eleanor in. “All done?”
She nodded. “They all elected to come with me and pass on their gratitude for your hospitality, as do I. We may come from opposite worlds, Lord Iron, but you will always be dear to me.”
He smiled, trying to adjust to her youthful face. It wasn’t just that, though, it was her bearing. Before, she’d seemed quietly matriarchal, someone who could humiliate with just a look or bolster confidence with a few words. Now it was like trying to have a conversation with a queen. “Any time you need me, Eleanor, I’m here.”
“It’s Dame Iris now, dear. We mustn’t let our standards slip just because of the extraordinary circumstances.”
“Can I ask you something, before you go?” At her nod, he said, “I don’t understand. Why would you want to go back? From what Cathy says, life in the Nether sounds like hell.”
Dame Iris gave a sad smile. “Cathy sees life in the Nether as suffering under tyrannical rule. It’s her way. But I can assure you, the tyranny of ageing is far crueler than that of the Fae. She’s too young to understand that and I hope she never will. Oh,
don’t look so worried, dear. She’s going to be absolutely fine. I will look after her and soon she’ll be far too excited and busy to get herself all worked up about silly things.”
“Why? What’s she doing?”
“She’s going to have a baby,” Dame Iris replied brightly. “And with that dashing husband of hers and all that comfort and wealth, she’ll soon forget about Mundanus. I wish you good health and a happy life, Lord Iron. I would like to say that I’ll see you again, but I doubt our paths will cross in the future. Good day to you.”
Sam watched her go, too shocked to reply, and then it was too late. He listened to the crunch of the gravel beneath the minibus tyres as he tried to imagine Cathy settling down in the Nether. She’d never mentioned being pregnant. He shook his head. No, he just couldn’t see her wanting this. “Fuck!” He slammed his hand against the doorframe. He should have just hugged her in London, broken the magic and brought her home with him. No, that wasn’t right either. It was her choice. Wasn’t it?
He pulled out his phone and called her. “Cathy, Dame Iris has just taken all the people from the asylum with her. They wanted to go, and I didn’t think I could stop them. Look…she said you’re going to have a baby. Are you? Are you sure you’re okay? I can be with you in just a couple of hours, just say the word. You don’t have to stay there, even if you’re pregnant, okay? Just…just call me and let me know you’re all right.”
Sam paced the room a few times and then decided to shower. It could be days before she picked up her messages.
Cleaned up and back into his jeans and an old fleece, he felt much better. No voicemail or texts. He sighed. Should he just go down there and see her?
The sound of a car on the drive drew him to the window of his bedroom and he saw a taxi parking up. Beatrice.
He raced down the stairs and opened the door, eager to greet her personally. The woman he assumed was Beatrice was paying the driver, so he slipped on his shoes to go and help with her bags.
She shuffled along the seat and tried to open her door but the driver was saying something and she looked confused. Through the closed doors, Sam could only hear a muffled voice, but it was enough to tell the driver was angry about something. He walked round and knocked on the window.
