03 The Mislaid Magician Read online

  "Couldn't tie my own shoes with the magic the chit left me," Scarlet explained. "Anything that came from the ley lines, she lapped up without even noticing. My own magic still worked, else I'd never have been able to cast the glamour on the Conroy brat. But any ley magic I tried on her fell flat. I followed you at a distance when you came to fetch the brats. I was glad to be rid of her, to tell the truth. I knew I could collect her from you whenever I needed to, provided I was willing to go without ley magic the whole time I had her."

  As confident of his ability to draw on the ley network as he was of his ability to fool the Webbs into permitting him to do so, Scarlet made a new plan. He believed, as Conroy had, that Drina and her mother would be too frightened of endangering one another to speak to the authorities.

  As long as Scarlet was privy to the ley powers, he had the ability to come and go almost at will, no matter the strength or sophistication of the magical barriers he faced. Rather than forgo that power, Scarlet intended to leave Drina with us until the time suited him to come and collect her like an unclaimed letter. Word of Conroy's arrest had not reached him at the time Scarlet set out to invade Skeynes and seize Drina. If Scarlet had known that the Conroy scheme was discovered, he would never have run the risk of crossing the boundary spell we cast, nor of being linked to Drina's abduction.

  Scarlet went on for an hour or more after I left to see about the asparagus. Thomas assures me that there will be testimony aplenty to dish all his accomplices, most particularly the Webbs, and enough circumstantial evidence to establish Scarlet's account as one to be trusted.

  Once I left the cellar, my first consideration was the comfort of our exalted guests. My second was the unrest in the nursery caused by the impending loss of Drina. A poor third, I confess, was Georgy's opinion of all this.

  No, fear not. She has not written another poem. (Or if she has, Georgy has sufficient good sense—just—not to tell me about it.) No, the new burden of her song is that she has sadly misjudged her poor darling Daniel. I need hardly tell you how tiresome I find this refrain. For all we know, Poor Darling Daniel has had to fly the country to avoid his debtors.

  But I must not complain. As you have had Aunt Charlotte to deal with, yours is by far the more odious role. It gives me great pleasure, I must confess, to learn that she more than met her match at Haliwar.

  The Duchess of Kent, not surprisingly, intends to whisk her daughter back to Kensington Palace under military escort first thing tomorrow morning. The children seem to be taking Drina's departure in as good part as they can be expected. The loss of their playmate is redeemed, but only just, by the romance of her situation.

  Edward is taking this the hardest of any of the children. My heart would be wrung by the look in his eyes if I did not know perfectly well that the next bullfrog to cross his path will set his spirits entirely to rights.

  I am only thankful that Arthur and Eleanor have been so effectively distracted by the Wrextons, who are administering the most thorough magical examinations imaginable. They make Lady Sylvia and her tea tray seem quite antiquated in comparison.

  I am sure the Wrextons will write you a full account of the twins before they breathe a word of their results to me or to Thomas. Rest assured I shall relate to you any crumbs of information that fall in the interim, on this or any other topic.

  Drat. I distinctly heard the parlor maid swear just now. If Edward has found another snake, when I have specifically forbidden him any more experiments in natural history whilst the Duchess of Kent is in residence, I shall make Thomas roar at him immediately.

  Until the next domestic disaster then, I remain,

  Yours,

  Kate

  19 May 1828

  Skeynes

  Dear Cecy,

  Peace has descended on our household at last. I am delighted to report that Mr. Scarlet was dragged off in irons yesterday, with soldiers and wizards at the ready in case his recent good behavior wears off.

  The Duchess of Kent and her military entourage took Drina home today. I cannot pretend that the departure of the duchess was anything but a relief, but Drina is a different matter.

  The children said good-bye to the princess in the relative privacy of the little parlor. (I suggested the nursery, but apparently that was considered beneath the dignity owed Drina's station. The little parlor made a compromise acceptable to all parties.) The Duchess of Kent watched us all attentively throughout for any signs of familiarity. The children could not have behaved better.

  Drina was gracious and unaffected about the whole ritual. She took leave of her former playmates with the same dignity she has displayed throughout her stay. How a woman as haughty as the Duchess of Kent could have subjected herself so utterly to the will of a cad like Conroy, I cannot imagine. Colonel Winters told me the man entered the household as her late husband's equerry. He insinuated himself into her good graces until she trusted him with everything, and he repaid her by substituting his daughter for hers.

  Drina accepted as her due rather surprisingly graceful curtseys from Eleanor and Diana, and an equally elegant bow from Arthur. Edward's attempt at a bow was interrupted when he thought he saw a bug on the carpet at Drina's feet, but a swift nudge from Arthur recalled him to his senses in time to straighten up before the duchess made any slighting remarks. (Not that Edward would care a jot for any remark an adult could make if he had discovered a truly distinctive bug, mind.)

  Diana presented Drina with a rather wilted nosegay she had gathered herself—rather wilted, but still very pretty. Drina kissed both the babies farewell. I cannot speak for anyone else's opinion of that gesture, but I found myself unaccountably moved by it. If ever she should manage to grow into her formidable name, Alexandrina Victoria will make an admirable Royal Highness.

  We waved Drina and her mother (not to mention the escort arranged by Colonel Winters) off with cheers. The children were pleased with the grandeur of the soldiers in their red coats. I was pleased to see the back of them. With no soldiers on the premises other than the toy ones guarding the Map, the household felt almost empty. I reveled in the fact that our only remaining houseguests were the Wrextons. (I admit it. I count Georgy and your children as permanent fixtures in the household now.) Life is so much simpler without the military presence.

  Mr. Wrexton feels sure that Scarlet's inability to perform magic on Drina stems from the realm itself. Any use of ley power against Drina merely fizzles to nothing. If true, this would explain why Drina had no opinion of Scarlet's magical abilities. It also implies that my spell did less to subdue Scarlet during his struggle with Thomas than Drina's mere presence did.

  Aunt Elizabeth has a further refinement to the theory. She hopes to prove that the ley power Drina sapped from Scarlet explains the precocious use of magic the twins display. Until Drina arrived, the toy soldiers were just toys, the Map a mere map.

  The Wrextons accompanied Thomas and me this morning as we rode out along the boundary, as Thomas wished to renew his protective spells. I could not help but enjoy myself in such company, and the expertise of both the Wrextons was very welcome in the matter of revising and improving his choice of enchantments. With good weather for the ride, the day approached perfection.

  We recast the protection spells and rode through the gates on our way back to the house just in time to see an elegant carriage drawn by four matched bays fairly thundering up to our doors ahead of us.

  Thomas rose in his stirrups for a better look at the equipage. "From the look of the daubs on the doors, that's Daniel's turnout."

  Thomas, Mr. Wrexton, Aunt Elizabeth, and I gazed at one another speculatively.

  "Has Georgy said anything about this to you?" Thomas asked me.

  "Not a word," I replied. "She hasn't asked you to frank any letters for her, has she?" At Thomas's denial, I said, "That settles it, then. Georgy would never simply post a letter herself. Indeed, I am not entirely certain she knows how."

  "If Georgy hasn't sent for him, Daniel came of hi
s own volition." Aunt Elizabeth looked pensive. "How very enterprising of him."

  "Hardly characteristic," said Mr. Wrexton in his driest tone.

  Thomas was all impatience. "There's only one way to find out who sent for whom." We urged our horses to keep pace with his as he added, "Georgy can set up housekeeping where she pleases, with her husband or without him, for all I care. But she isn't staying under my roof one more night."

  "Thomas," I reminded him, "it is my duty as her sister to make certain Georgy is safe."

  "Rubbish." Thomas looked quite fierce. "That is a duty Daniel took on when he married her, and it's high time he remembered as much."

  As I was in entire agreement, I did not dispute the point. We made haste—but by the time we had dismounted beside the carriage, its occupant had already gone indoors.

  Belton was his usual calm self, and enlightened us as smoothly as if he had been practicing for half an hour. "His Grace, the Duke of Waltham, has arrived to call upon the Duchess of Waltham. They are in the tapestry room."

  "All very well so far as it goes, Belton," said Thomas, "but he's not to leave this house without her. Is that clear?"

  Belton did not turn a hair. He never does. But I could not help protesting, "Thomas, really—it's not as if you can force them to be reconciled."

  "Oh, can't I?" Thomas had that light in his eye that means roaring is not so very far off. "A man deserves peace and quiet and refuge from his family when he is in his own home. His guests can settle their domestic troubles elsewhere."

  "Thomas!" Such a statement, in the presence of our houseguests, was so shockingly rude I could not keep silent.

  With an airy wave, Thomas dismissed the Wrextons. "They know I don't mean them." He marched through the entry hall, intent on reaching the tapestry room as soon as possible. Hard on his heels, we followed.

  At the double doors to the tapestry room, I attempted to speak reason. "You can't simply burst in on them."

  "I can do as I please. They can leave if they don't like it." On this note, Thomas threw open the doors.

  But the scene we discovered was one of utter domestic tranquility. Daniel was as dashing as it is possible for him to look, given his resemblance to an egg, and Georgy presented a charming picture of repentance as she nestled in his arms.

  "Oh, Kate!" Georgy beamed upon us all. "You will never guess what Daniel has done, no never! Not if you tried for a hundred years! A thousand!"

  "If he will take you back, fall on your knees and thank God for it," Thomas said. "I might myself."

  "He has agreed to testify against the Webbs," Mr. Wrexton surmised. "A very sound notion."

  The expression on Daniel's face was easily as fatuous as the one Georgy wore. "Dashed good idea. I think I shall. You wouldn't credit it, the way those two deviled me."

  "What has His Grace done, then?" Aunt Elizabeth asked Georgy calmly.

  "You haven't even tried to guess!" Georgy took pity on us. "Oh, very well, then. He has burned every copy of that dreadful book. Bought them back and burned them!"

  "Wouldn't that run to rather a lot of money?" I asked.

  "Oh, money's no object now," Daniel assured us all. "Had a bit of luck on the Change. One thing I learned from those ghastly Webbs was how to tell a good investment from a bad one, and the Stockton and Darlington Railway has made my fortune. Best bit of wagering I ever undertook. You wouldn't credit how much more the shares are worth now than they were when I bought 'em."

  "Daniel!" So transported by the prospect of Daniel's renewed fortune was Georgy, she could not keep herself from embracing him before us all. This did not seem to discomfit His Grace in the slightest. "Sweet Georgy!" he exclaimed, embracing her in return.

  "Sorry to intrude, old man," said Thomas. He marched us out of the tapestry room, closed the doors, and leaned against them. "Lord, what a disgusting spectacle."

  "There, there," I said. "They will be gone soon. It's so dreadfully dull and safe and soothing here, after all."

  At this reminder of Georgy's true opinion of us, Thomas brightened perceptibly. "It is, isn't it?" To the Wrextons, he said, "It's a mercy you've come to liven us up a bit."

  "Isn't it?" agreed Aunt Elizabeth. "And if we hurry, we will just have time to tidy up before luncheon, too."

  Daniel and Georgy joined us for a blessedly humdrum meal, which I am delighted to report was entirely dull, safe, and soothing. Thomas does not have his heart's desire just yet, for Daniel intends to spend the night here. But Daniel will take Georgy with him when he leaves tomorrow, and whatever fortune should befall them once they cross our threshold will be no concern of ours, or, at least, not much.

  You will be here before long. The children rejoice at the thought.

  A safe journey and a swift one to you and James. We look forward to seeing you soon.

  Love,

  Kate

  30 May 1828

  Haliwar Tower

  My dear Thomas,

  Wellington's wizards have arrived at last, so Cecelia and I are free to go as soon as we have finished turning matters here over to them. Expect us to retrieve our assorted offspring approximately one week after you receive this letter.

  I suppose you will not wish to wait for our arrival to learn what has been happening here. If Wrexton is still with you, I am certain he will also be eager for news, though I believe Old Hookey's people mean to ask for his opinion as soon as may be.

  The situation, in its briefest form, is this: Mr. and Miss Webb remain dogs for the moment. Miss Charlotte Rushton removes to Bath on the instant, or so she has been saying for the past week; apparently, she feels a need for stronger restoratives than those provided at Cheltenham Spa, where she had previously been staying. Her shattered nerves seem quite up to the task of terrorizing the Webbs' servants, however, and as she appears to derive considerable enjoyment from doing so, I expect she will remain as long as we do. Never fear; I shall not bring her to Skeynes. Haliwar is large enough that we meet only rarely, but not even the anticipation of seeing the look on your face would induce me to share a coach with her for three days.

  Cecelia, Skelly, and I have spent the last week sorting out the Webbs' study and workrooms. The fellow was a demon for records, and his sister kept meticulous notes on her magical experiments. Between that and the maps Wrexton brought up with him, I fancy we have pieced together most of the matters that have been puzzling everyone.

  I believe I have mentioned before the fact that the Webbs inherited Haliwar from their great-uncle. What we have discovered is that the great-uncle was the last in a line of magicians and wizards dating back to Cromwell's time, who had been charged with the job of overseeing the ley line network that Cromwell had established to keep his vision of Parliament intact. Haliwar was the keystone and centerpiece of the network. Lyndhurst, who is heading the newly arrived delegation of wizards, thinks that Cromwell's spell is the reason there have been so many difficulties over the Parliamentary reform bills these past fifteen years and more, but his theories remain unproven.

  What we do know is that Ramsey and Adella Webb knew all about the ley line network and determined to exploit it in every way they could. It is a good thing they thought mainly in terms of money; I shudder to think what might have happened if they had attempted serious political manipulation. Their plan was twofold—to repair and expand the ley line network so as to increase their influence, and to use the network as a stepping-stone to wealth.

  Their first attempt at moneymaking was an abortive try at peddling Parliamentary influence. Fortunately, no one believed them capable of doing any such thing, and they had just sense enough not to reveal the manner in which they intended to exert their influence.

  When the Stockton and Darlington Railway looked like becoming a success without them, the Webbs turned to a different scheme. They proposed the competing southern railway project, and discovered that they could use the ley network to influence members of Parliament not only to approve their bill of incorporation, but
to invest in it, as well. Once their railway was approved, I believe they intended to manipulate both the railway and Parliament to promote their fortunes further. One can see where it would have led. In the end, they'd have tried to run the entire country for their own benefit.

  Unfortunately for them, things began to go sour when the steam engines started running regularly on the Stockton and Darlington. The engines disrupted the ley lines and looked like putting a premature end to their plans. So they started using the ley lines to disrupt the engines.

  That brought Herr Schellen onto the scene. Judging from her notes, it was Adella Webb who contrived the transformation spell, using the ley lines and the stone circles as the focus. Skelly has a long list of reasons why this was an incredibly foolish thing for them to do; I shall get him to write them up and include them separately for Wrextons edification. The only one that is directly pertinent is that they still hadn't determined just what the railway was doing to the ley lines, so using the ley lines in an untested spell was unutterably foolish.

  The Webbs didn't see it that way, of course. Their spell looked like an unqualified success. As soon as they were certain Herr Schellen had been transformed and was safely out of the way, they sent a manservant (your Mr. Scarlet, I believe, who seems to have been surprisingly busy about more plots than one) to collect his personal effects in secret. Once they were sure that Herr Schellen's landlady thought that he had simply absconded without paying his rent, they went back to business, sending Scarlet south to link additional stone circles to their ley network whilst they tackled assorted potential investors.

  Daniel, Duke of Waltham, was high on their list. It's a good thing for him that, like you, he seldom bothered to take his seat in the House of Lords, because the ley network was still tuned to affect Parliament. The Webbs wanted access to a stone circle near that ancestral castle he brags about, as well as to his bankers, and they'd have had it if Daniel had been attending to politics as regularly as he attends to the gaming tables.