“Yes well, we ought to go inside,” he said, hoping she wouldn’t think to bring the pest into the house with her. Cosette bent to place it on the ground a moment later however, and with a sigh of relief Simon tried a sympathetic smile. They were her former children after all.
“Okay!” she replied, following after him as he opened the fence and held the door for her to enter.
His mother was back in the kitchen and had been just closing the stove when the two came inside. Simon wished he could smell the scent of the cooked boar, but his olfactory senses weren’t quite what they used to be after his brush with Death. His mother came to the entrance as the couple entered however, wiping her hands upon a checkered washcloth. She had a bit of a curious look to her features.
“Berty, Simon’s here!” she called, and Simon noticed right away that she appeared to be smiling mostly at the odd, young dinner guest Simon had brought.
“I’m sharpening the carving knife, dear.”
Mari paused, confusion striking her features a moment. “For what?”
“For the boar you prepared, dear,” his father said with long suffering patience.
His mother laughed. “Oh yes!” she said, taking a few remaining steps forward. “Simon, where in the world is your mask?” she asked, suddenly preoccupied with his face.
Mr. Todd could only hope she wouldn’t notice the lack of dirt on his person as she continued examining him.
“The air isn’t well out there, you know? You’ll suffocate, or get a nasty lung infection.” Mr. Todd offered a weak grin, swallowing hard past the apprehension boiling in his belly.
“Uh, Mother, this is Cosette.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Cosette. I’m Simon’s mum. You can call me Mari. If I forget your name please don’t be cross.” She smiled. “I forget loads of things these days.”
Simon looked sidelong at Cosette, thinking that despite her eyes and protruding front teeth, she looked rather human and very pretty in her lacy gown.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Cosette inclined her head, black curls spilling out of her bonnet. “Mr. Todd didn’t tell me how beautiful you were.”
Marigold laughed, waving her checkered dishrag in front of her in an attempt to remain modest. “Now aren’t you just the doll,” his mother said, leaning forward to tap her on the cheek affectionately.
Simon relaxed a little.
“Come into the dining room,” she continued, turning left towards the den. “Mr. Todd is late.”
Simon looked down, fetching his pocket watch from the innermost pocket of his suit. “I didn’t realize, Mum. I apologize.” All the gobbledygook with Manny’s circus, Cosette and the bank business had put him fifteen minutes behind. Simon was mortified at the thought of being so tardy.
“Don’t worry about it!” She laughed again. “Berty, are you ready with that knife?”
It warmed Simon’s heart to see his mother so full of spirit.
His father was in the dining room already, which was entered through the den. It was a warm place to eat, made so by the nicely glowing chandelier dropping down to cascade light over the dinner table. Three glass cabinets hugged the walls, all full of porcelain plates and fine china, and the rich dark wood table was filled completely by lovely casserole dishes displaying fruits, colorful vegetables and steaming hot scalloped potatoes beside the roasted boar.
Albert looked up at his wife as she called. He had removed his coat and was wearing a white shirt and suspenders over slacks. His ocular monocle, still green, caught the light of the room and shone as he glanced at them, first looking at Cosette with a measuring gaze, before regarding his son.
“Everything’s ready, Mari,” he said after a moment.
The two dinner guests were offered seats on either side, while Albert and Mari took the ends. The table was thick, but relatively small and so the four of them sat close enough together to avoid any awkwardness.
“I thought you may have been caught up with work,” his father finally said after food had been served. Simon had been quite content looking at the brown horses trotting around the wallpaper behind him, but looked up as he was being addressed.
“The accounts were a mess,” he lied, having prepared an excuse while on the train. “The proprietor there had a few matters he wanted to discuss with me as well.” Simon scooped up a fork full of meat, looking up before depositing it into his mouth.
Albert nodded. If there was anything his father could accept, it was that work and business should be among the top priorities in a person’s life.
“And so you brought?” his father continued, cocking an eyebrow.
“Oh, well this is Cosette!” Simon cleared his throat. The young girl was gazing at her food, momentarily enraptured with the meat upon the dish. With her fork in hand she speared a large piece, taking a bite with the pointed canines.
“This is good!” she exclaimed, swallowing and taking another bite.
His father watched her, and Simon noticed him taking a good long look at her eyes.
“Cosette,” Albert said, cutting off a piece of boar. “I hope you won’t find me rude if I ask a personal question.”
Simon’s nostrils flared. His eyes darted towards his mother who was giving her husband an inquisitive look.
“No, not at all.” Her eyes smiled. Simon was preparing himself for the wizard questions his father was bound to ask. What are you, he’d probe. Are you cursed? Are you some sort of demon cavorting around with my son? Simon could only imagine.
“What exactly, is your relationship with my son?” he asked.
Simon was a bit taken aback with the query, feeling it was out of character. Had retirement sought to endow his father with a hearty case of manners?
Cosette chuckled. “Simon and I are very close,” she said, looking over at him sidelong. “I fancy him my soulmate.”
Mr. Todd immediately took no time in turning a bright, burning crimson. His mother, who had been listening intently, sat up straighter at the girl’s confession, her mouth forming a delighted O.
“Is that so?” Marigold grinned in that way mothers often do when they immediately jump to conclusions and begin to fantasize about grandchildren playing at their feet. His father however, seemed more or less surprised, pausing in his pursuit of dinner to quickly look between his son and the young girl.
“Simon?” he asked, curious about the color of his son’s face.
“W-well, I suppose you could say…” Simon half wished his father had asked the wizard questions in the first place. He was certain his current disposition and awkward squirming was igniting false ideas in his parent’s minds.
“How did you two meet?”
Simon wasn’t sure whether to be glad for his mother’s interruption or wary of it. Either way, Cosette turned to reply.
“He used to visit me at the window.”
Oh gods….
“The window?” His mother leant forward.
Simon, feeling rather bombarded at the moment, rushed to ambush the conversation before it could get too revealing.
“Cosette lives close by,” he explained, garnering looks from the entire table. “I often pass by her house on my way to town.” Simon smiled at the young lady. “She bakes the most wonderful apple pies.”
“Pies!” His mother stood up, surprise and concern were in her voice. “I forgot the pie in the oven!”
Albert shook his head, pressing a hand on top of his wife’s. “You baked that pie already, dear.”
“I did?” Mari pressed a hand to her chest. Her black wrap fell down from her shoulders and settled on the back of the chair.
“Yes, Mum,” Simon agreed, a bit thankful for the interruption. “We ate some of it together this afternoon.”
His mother blinked, seemingly searching her son’s eyes before laughing. “Oh, silly me!” She giggled, waving her hand as she sat back down and resumed her dinner. “I must have forgotten all about it.”
“Anyway,” his father conti
nued. “Tell me about Darlington. What’s changed since we’ve left?”
Simon inhaled, relaxing a bit in his chair. He was tired from having to maintain his physical form, but noticed his mother’s eyes sparkling devilishly as she went back to eating. Simon wondered if perhaps she had interrupted on his behalf. No one knew him better than she, certainly. He decided quickly after, that despite her failing memory, his mother was still the smartest and most empathetic person he knew.
The rest of the evening went wonderfully. Though Mr. Todd was certain his parents assumed him to be in some sort of romantic relationship with Cosette, they didn’t pry any further into the believed romance. In fact, the dinner went on smoothly as they spoke about his position at Hershal Bank, Darlington, their old house, and of course his travels here.
Cosette meanwhile, shared in a lot of the mirth being passed about the table, contributing most to the discussion of their journey to Ebonguard. Simon was a bit amazed to learn she had been aboard Manny’s circus, staying with Cherie, and a passenger aboard the Cardinal. Simon had, of course, left all the kerfuffle with the wizard mob out, but thankfully Cosette didn’t seem inclined to mention it either.
When dinner ultimately concluded, Simon Todd apologized to his mother for her having to make up the spare room and expressed his need to ensure Miss Cosette was returned to her temporary living arrangements for the evening.
“The train will have stopped for the evening,” his father admitted, showing them to the door. “But you can try Barnaby Ashcroft’s Inn down the road.”
“Oh!” His mother piped in excitedly. “Barnaby’s a nice old man. He’ll give you a few rooms for a good price. Be sure to mention your father’s name, Simon. They were both in the military.”
Simon nodded, feeling relieved. As the door was opened, several lit lanterns flickered outside, drawing shadows along the road. Mr. Todd had a sudden memory of the Grimguild shadowmancer.
“Very well. Thank you both.”
“Will you be back in the morning?”
Simon said he wasn’t sure. With all the hubbub revolving around Cosette, he wasn’t sure of the next time he’d be able to see his parents. The thought made him feel enormously guilty and somewhat sad as well.
“I’m not sure, Mum.” Simon pressed his lips into a thin line. “Perhaps not, but I promise to visit you again real soon.”
“You let Mr. Hershal know you need a holiday once and awhile to visit your old mum and dad!” she said.
His father nodded. “Your mother’s birthday is coming up in three months. She’d love to see you then.” Albert brushed the hair of his moustache, rotating his monocle as he spoke.
“Oh yes!” Mari beamed. “It will be all the more surprise when I forget about it in an hour!”
Albert placed his arms about his wife’s shoulders, smiling. For the first time since the journey began, Simon wondered about the dragon gold and how he could give his mother so much with it. He’d be sure to bring her back a grand birthday present indeed, something to match the fox brooch his father had given her. He could see it shining at her neck.
“Alright. I’ll be sure to see you then.” He stepped forward, hugging them both as Cosette moved to wait at the fence.
“Your family is lovely,” she said when they were finally alone, strolling beneath the dim street lamps overhead.
Simon shook his head, rubbing at the bottom of his nose when a petal from a Lady Heart tree fluttered about his face. “They are,” he said, turning in her general direction, feeling much more at ease now he could convert back into his ethereal form.
Chapter 35
A Leaf Through The Library
The Ebony Library was a warm, polished building with flourishing spiral staircases, dark, panelled ceilings and ornate banisters that shone in the lamplight. The diamond patterned marble flooring was so glossy it looked akin to glass, and the books, all of various sizes and shapes, were well kept, smelling of ink and aging paper.
Jane felt right at home amidst the aisles of leather bound tomes. The scent of the library reminded him of his lair, the hoard of books, treasures and keepsakes. He needed to be in a comfortable place he thought as he meandered about the aisles, searching for something to pique his fancy and distract him from his thoughts. There had been a matter of several things increasingly vexing him in the last few weeks. It was to a point that he couldn’t even enjoy the prized first edition of his favorite book once he finally located it.
“Until this moment, I thought I knew myself.” Jane closed the worn weathered novel as he prowled about the library. It was late at night, beyond the ninth hour if the clock was to be trusted. After spotting Mr. Todd and his odd companion at the circus and then promptly finding himself lost among the crowd, Mr. Darcy had, with the luck of finding a few good, learned citizens of Ebonguard, managed to locate the library relatively hassle free. He had been thankful for a few hours away from his fellows to think. And having had the opportunity to stop at Mr. Dashing’s apartment before finding himself adrift, Mr. Darcy was happy to stay here, forgoing dinner with the others, and wandering back to their lodgings at his leisure.
“I could just devour them all,” He mused aloud, counting then recounting the rows of books. “But it seems awfully ill mannered.” He pressed his lips into a thin line, arms crossed behind his back as he listened to his own footsteps echoing on the polished floor. The library was much grander than the one at Grimguild. Though the Wizard University had sported six narrow floors, the Ebony Library had three, though they were much more expansive.
“I really would rather not eat them, but I can’t just have them coming into my home.” Jane snorted, wishing suddenly that he were somewhere outside the city so he could turn into a dragon and have a fly about. He always thought best while in the air and when his giant brain wasn’t crammed into an insufferably small cranial cavity.
Mr. Darcy paused, looking about the lonely corridors of the elegantly decorated building. The ceilings vaulted upwards towards the center, dipping at the ends like stalactites before levelling out into flat panels. Large, tin mobiles of the moon, planets and sun hung overhead, ornate in design but dull in color. The immense card catalogue as well as the library’s front desk, was on the first floor where Mr. Darcy was currently mulling it over. The man who was clicking away upon some letter making machine at the desk, was young with a few awkward hairs growing about his chin.
Jane looked at him as he went by, but the boy paid him little mind as he sat and drew text upon parchment with the complicated, steel apparatus. Jane even bade him goodbye as he exited the door, but the lad was seemingly swept up in his work and so didn’t notice him as the disguised dragon went out the large front door with unchecked book in hand.
Oh well, Jane thought, tucking the tome beneath one arm. He had ample time to stop me.
He walked for a bit after that, paying little notice to the nighttime natives of the city. Men and women had since removed their gas masks as night had fallen, and so Jane looked less out of place without one. The smoke was still pungent in the air, but not quite as thick.
Wandering for a bit, immersed in his crisis of thought, Jane sighed when he finally spotted a rather isolated glade midst the forest of skyscrapers. He seemed to be in a park by the look of the flowering trees overhead, somewhere residential. Mr. Darcy surmised that he must be an hour or so out of the city center, but the library had been on the cusp of its congested infrastructure anyway.
In either case, it was a prime spot to transform.
He removed his shoes, socks, tie, spectacles and all manner of clothing before setting his newly acquired book on top. The crack of expanding bone and squelch of extending muscle was prelude to the gust of air that rushed beneath his wings as he spread them to either side. Taking off almost immediately, Jane flew upwards beneath a rather charitable stream of wind, away from the city so as to lower his chances of being spotted. It hadn’t been his first flight about Ebonguard. His lair was very far away. In fact, he
would have liked to return home if he could, but that damnable ward he had cast upon his hoard was still in the way.
Never again, he promised while airborne, would he try out a rogue scroll he found in a library.
But the puzzle he faced when his companions arrived to his lair was unsettling. Gobbling them all up was out. He supposed he could have just destroyed the map, but feared Mr. Dashing wouldn’t stop until he had located it again. This of course meant more wasted time following them about until the map’s position was eventually ascertained. Dashing never showed it to them, but Jane was certain it was always about his person.
No. Thanks to his new found friendship, Mr. Darcy knew he was going to have to take some sort of loss for the time being, but how was he to prevent them from trying to completely abscond with his entire hoard and worldly treasures?
The dragon scholar flew about for an hour until he came up with an idea. He felt rather proud of himself for having done so and confident enough in his plotting that he decided to fly back down into the relative safety of the park. The night bugs with their glowing abdomens landed on his flanks, looking akin to the diamonds that shimmered amongst the purple scales. Red eyes searched the late springtime night garden until they located his clothes still sitting beneath a park bench. Jane swiftly changed back, donning his attire almost as quickly as he shed it.
“How hard could it be to trick a few humans?” He snickered, smoothing back his hair and readjusting his spectacles. Miss Baxter could prove to be a handful, yes, but so long as Jane kept his wits about him there would be no need for concern. Besides, he thought, he still had a few days at best to smooth out the details in his mind and think of any obstacles he may encounter along the way.
Moving back towards the city, Jane walked with a bit more spirit in his step, offhandedly admiring the quainter brick buildings of the outer city. He therefore was much astonished when he espied Simon Todd looking a bit downtrodden walking his way along the sidewalks.
The Curious Case of Simon Todd Page 38
