The Wraith and the Rose

by C. J. Brightley

  “You look lovely, my darling,” said her mother as she came down the stairs.

  “Oh, dear,” muttered her father.

  She frowned up at him. “I thought I was supposed to be lovely, Father.”

  “You are lovely, and I could not be more proud of either of you.” Sir Jacob smiled at them. “Poor Theo Overton is about to lose his heart. I hope he’s prepared for that.”

  Lady Hathaway smiled. “He seems like a charming young man.” She looked at her husband quellingly. “Jacob, we did come here primarily for Lily to have a season. This result is not entirely unexpected, you know. A beautiful daughter does attract the attention of admirers, and I see no reason at this point to be displeased that Theodore Overton is one of them.”

  Oliver smiled and looked down. “Poor Lord Selby. Never got a second chance.”

  Lily looked stricken. “Was I rude to him? I didn’t mean to be! I was so overwhelmed by everything.”

  Her brother shook his head. “He’ll survive. It’s not as though he doesn’t have options.”

  Lady Overton gave him a severe look. “That is quite enough of that sort of talk, Oliver.”

  Oliver shrugged obligingly. “Sorry, Mother,” he murmured with a smile.

  The drive was quiet, and Lily had all she could do not to twist her hands in nervous tension. Why she should be so nervous, she couldn’t say.

  When they turned off the road onto the long, winding driveway, everyone looked out the window with interest. Elegant birch trees lined the graveled drive, their silvery trunks bright. The carriage drew up in front of an enormous brick manor house.

  The door opened as Sir Jacob was alighting from the carriage. A footman came out, and behind him Theo came and descended the stairs at little less than a run.

  “It’s an honor, Sir Jacob,” he said earnestly. “Lady Hathaway, Oliver, Miss Hathaway.” He offered a hand on one side of the steps as Sir Jacob assisted them from the other side.

  He bowed most courteously to each of them in turn. “Thank you for coming. My parents are inside. May I escort you, Lady Hathaway?”

  He offered his arm with the appropriate degree of respect, and Lily’s mother smiled at him. Sir Jacob escorted his daughter, and Oliver brought up the rear.

  The Hathaways tried not to gawk as they entered the beautiful mansion. The huge double doors opened into a spacious foyer with a wide staircase that arched upward toward an elegant balcony. Doors on either side led to the opposite wings of the house. The marble floors were inlaid in intricate interlocking patterns. The walls were papered in gold damask. Lanterns flooded the room with light, an extravagance at any time, but especially in such a large house.

  Theo gave them a lively tour as he escorted them. “My parents occupy the east wing of the house, and they have given me the west wing. We eat together when we can. The kitchen is in the rear, and we share the staff of the house, although I do have my own assistant. It seems hardly fair to call him a footman, although I suppose he is. Anselm has been faithful for years, and I count him a good friend.”

  Lily glanced back at the footman trailing them just in time to see an affectionate smile cross his face before he resumed his studied air of controlled neutrality.

  “The house is lovely,” said Lady Hathaway.

  “It has been in the family for generations. My great grandfather was born in one of the rooms in the east wing.” Theo’s friendly, easy hospitality seemed to make the great house seem cozier and more friendly than it had at first.

  Sir Theodore and Lady Overton were gracious hosts, and before long they had drawn the Hathaways into pleasant conversation about the weather, the newest fashions in women’s and men’s evening attire, horseback riding, and other topics.

  Lily said shyly to Theo, “You said at the ball that you knew of Haven-by-the-Sea. May I ask how?”

  Theo’s sparkling smile made her heart flutter with delight, and she resolutely told herself that she was being ridiculous. No one could possibly be so utterly charming; he must have some flaw.

  “I got lost there as a child,” he said confidingly. “I spent several hours roaming the cliffs until I found my way back to my parents.”

  Her eyes widened. “How old were you?”

  “I was ten.” He added with a mischievous smile, “My mother and father were not best pleased when I disappeared for six hours!”

  Lily blinked. “There’s not enough in Haven-by-the-Sea to be lost for that long.”

  He chuckled. “You might be surprised! On which end of the town is your family’s estate?”

  “You can hardly call it an estate, but it’s on the southern end near the top of the hill. From my window, you could see north over the town, and from the upper sitting room, you could see out over the sea.”

  Theo listened with tender attention and offered every courtesy that a gentleman might offer to a lady at dinner. Lily, who had been concerned that the conversation would be terribly awkward, found herself feeling warmly delighted in his presence, as he appeared to be in hers.

  The second course had just been laid when the footman who had welcomed them, Anselm, stepped into the room just after one of the servers. He handed a small, sealed note to Theo and murmured something in his ear.

  Theo glanced at the seal, broke it, and read quickly. He stood and bowed. “Excuse me, Sir Jacob, Lady Hathaway, Oliver, Miss Hathaway. Father, Mother.” He hesitated, then said, “A friend is in need. I doubt I’ll be able to return before you must depart; if that is the case, please accept my humblest apologies.”

  His father stood, apparently intending on following his son into the hallway, and Theo stepped closer to murmur into his ear. Sir Overton nodded, his face grave, and then handed his son something hidden in his hand.

  Sir Theodore turned back to his guests with a smile. Lady Overton gave her son her hand, almost as if she were passing him something as well.

  Theo bowed deeply to the Hathaways. “Thank you for coming tonight. I hope I may see you again, Miss Hathaway.” At her shy smile, he beamed. Then he hurried out, his steps quick and sharp down the hall.

  Lily squashed her disappointment; she had dearly enjoyed Theo’s friendly conversation, sparkling smiles, and attentive courtesy. But Sir Theodore and Lady Overton were delightful hosts and clearly intended to make their guests comfortable, so the odd tension eased almost immediately. Although they adhered to every nuance of the intricate rules of dinner parties, they made it seem easy and natural, and they didn’t blink when the Hathaways inadvertently betrayed their small-town manners.

  After dinner, Lady Overton, Lady Hathaway, and Lily retired to the drawing room, where they were served tea and tiny airy cakes adorned with crystalized rose petals. Lady Overton suggested a poetry reading and started them off with a sweet little love poem.

  Lady Hathaway, only slightly familiar with this new fashion among the noble ladies of Ardmond, assented, and read the next poem in the volume Lady Overton had given her. It was also a love poem, and as she read, she glanced at her daughter. Lily blushed sweetly. When it was her turn to read, she felt awkward and strange, but as the evening went on, the pastime became more enjoyable. Lady Overton had a lively wit and a delightful sense of humor; she was unfailingly courteous, but not pretentious in the least.

  Lily thought that she would be a wonderful second mother, then nearly shook herself for jumping ahead so precipitously. Theo had hardly proposed, and she barely knew him. Nevertheless, Lady Overton’s company was thoroughly enjoyable.

  When Lady Hathaway said reluctantly, “I believe we probably ought to be departing soon,” Lily felt a real pang of regret.

  The Overtons bid them goodnight with graciousness and warmth, and the Hathaways said their farewells with reciprocal warmth and affection.

  In the coach, Sir Jacob said, “Well, that was unexpectedly pleasant.”

  Oliver said, “I really thought they’d be snobs, and I’ve never been so happy to be wrong. They’re the nicest people I’ve ever met, I thi
nk.”

  Lady Hathaway said, “It’s a pity Theo had to leave.”

  Lily caught sight of movement between the birch trees. The moon was full, and even among the trees there was a little light. She thought she saw a figure on horseback. She craned her neck to see better as the carriage followed a curve in the driveway.

  The figure cantered up to the manor and dismounted, then handed the reins to the groom who had hurried to greet him. She thought she saw a second, smaller figure, too, and something about the second person seemed strange. His hair, if it was a boy, looked violet in the moonlight, but that was ridiculous.

  She lost sight of them as the carriage turned.

  “What did you think, Lily?” prompted her mother.

  “What?”

  “About this evening.”

  “Oh. It was delightful.” Lily thought of Sir Theodore’s kind face, with his smile lines and his warm eyes like his son’s, and Lady Overton’s sweet voice as she read poetry, and her delighted laugh when Lily had read the humorous poem she must have heard a hundred times. “It was reassuring, I think, because Theo seems so much like them. I thought it must be a façade at first, but I think he really is that friendly.”

  Oliver’s white teeth glinted in the darkness as he smiled. “I actually like him, Lily.”

  Chapter 6

  A Little Magic

  “I want to go to the Fair Lands and help the Wraith, and I want you to go with me.”

  “That’s absolutely mad.” Oliver’s eyes were wide.

  “Why?” She met his gaze stubbornly. “He can’t have that much more magic than you and I put together. He’s human, isn’t he?”

  “Well, yes, but he knows what he’s doing. He’s brilliant, and he probably has a whole team helping him. I know nothing about the Fair Lands, except that they’re perilous and unpredictable, and neither do you!”

  “All we have to do now is find a way into the Fair Lands.”

  “No, Lily.” Oliver looked panicked. “It’s a terrible idea. What if the Fair Folk catch you?”

  “What if they don’t? I’ll be careful. I won’t go wandering around foolishly. I just want to see how it is there, and whether there is anything we might be able to do to help the Wraith.”

  The opportunities for a young lady to find passage through the veil to the Fair Lands without being discovered by her parents were few and far between. Lily didn’t even know how to start looking, but decided that feeling around with her negligible magical senses was the most logical starting point.

  She tried at various points around the city when she was out visiting Araminta or the dressmaker with her mother, but she had no success until one day when they passed near the children’s home. She held her breath, trying to figure out from which direction the feeling came.

  It was a fuzzy, indistinct sort of unsettledness, and the direction was difficult to pinpoint. The movement of the carriage made the exercise all the more challenging. The only thing she was sure of was that the feeling came from somewhere between the palace and the children’s home, perhaps a bit to the south. It was a wide area.

  Later that afternoon she asked Oliver to take her on a drive. Her mother looked a little confused by the request, but Oliver, seeing her expression, readily assented.

  They hired a carriage and had the driver let them out as near to the feeling as Lily could determine. Once she and Oliver were alone, she murmured to him, “I felt an opening near here, I think. There was something strange.”

  Little groups of people strolled up the street, and Oliver and Lily turned to look around and wait for them to pass. When the people were out of earshot, Oliver said, “What does it feel like?”

  “I’m not sure how to describe it. Like a hole, or a pluck in the fabric of the world. I wish my magic were stronger,” she said in frustration.

  “I can’t sense it at all,” Oliver said consolingly. “Where shall we go from here?”

  He let her lead him down the street and into a disused alley. At the far end, there was another turn, and Oliver hesitated. “This really isn’t a place for a lady.”

  Lily frowned. “We won’t be here long. I just want to see.” The little alley ended in a dirty little courtyard between several buildings. She drew him toward one corner. “Something here feels strange.”

  She put her hand against the wall, and it passed into the stone as if through water. She flinched in surprise, and Oliver jerked her away from it.

  “Did it hurt you?”

  “No, it was just strange.” She looked up at him. “Let’s go.”

  “Lily, please don’t do this.” He looked at her seriously. “I cannot keep you safe in the Fair Lands. I know nothing about them, and I have virtually no magic.”

  She trembled with the strength of longing within her. “We won’t go far. I just want to see it, Oliver.”

  “This is a terrible idea. What will I tell Mother and Father if something happens?” He pleaded caution, but he wanted to go, to see the Fair Lands, to be part of the adventure.

  “Come with me.” She looked up at him. “You know I can always come back and go alone.”

  He met her gaze. “Don’t, Lily. Please don’t. I’ll go with you now, if you promise me you won’t go alone. Ever.”

  Lily bit her lip. “All right.” A pang of guilt assailed her. She had manipulated him, although it had not been planned. The words had slipped out, a sudden ‘what if I…’ rather than an intentional threat. But he had agreed now, and she did not have it in her to stop now.

  She stepped forward into the strange, transparent wall, gripping his hand tightly. Passing into the veil felt like a wash of cool water over her, and she sucked in a surprised breath at the chill.

  Oliver stood close and edged slightly in front of her. “It’s a tunnel.”

  Lily wasn’t sure what she had expected, but a boring, dark, stone tunnel was not it. Something moved in the distance, and Oliver took a cautious step forward.

  “What is that?” he whispered.

  Lily shook her head wordlessly. The light from the courtyard behind them filtered in weakly and the shadows moved as if they were alive. The darkness in front of them shifted.

  A short distance ahead, she saw a wooden door against the left wall of the tunnel. “Why don’t we try that door?” she whispered.

  “It’s so close. Are the Fair Lands really that close to ours?” whispered Oliver in reply.

  “I don’t know.” Lily strode forward with a sense of purpose, pulled Oliver after her. The door had a strange knob in the exact center, and she placed her hand on it with trepidation.

  The knob turned easily without a sound, and she peered out cautiously before she stepped out. They appeared to be in a garden.

  In the distance, there was strange, quick music made by unfamiliar instruments. A clear, high voice sang a wailing song above the musicians, and other voices sang and talked in lower tones. An unfamiliar rhythm tugged at Lily’s feet, and she resolved not to dance.

  Many of the plants in view were flowering, but none of them were familiar. There were tiny white star-shaped flowers in great low mounds lining paths of cobalt pebbles. Green flowers as large as her face drooped from fuchsia-trunked trees to her left. Before her were bushes with leaves that sparkled like gold in the silver light, which came from a moon far too large and close.

  A rabbit-like creature with pointed ears like a fox and fur of a deep violet stared at her from beneath a bush, wiggling its nose. To her right, the cobalt path led beneath an arbor covered in deep blue roses.

  Lily stepped out onto the path cautiously, and Oliver was only a step behind.

  The little creature bared pointed teeth at them.

  “Go away,” Oliver whispered.

  It hissed like a cat, then turned and flipped its long, fluffy tail at them in dismissal.

  A deep voice from very close said, “Someone is here.”

  Oliver pulled Lily back with him into the tunnel and slammed the door shut just as anot
her voice began to reply. The door handle jiggled, and Oliver pushed Lily ahead of him and ran.

  The exit was not where they expected it to be, and they ran with panic in their veins before tumbling, with no warning, out into the same courtyard they had left.

  Oliver steadied Lily. “That was awful and you’re never going back,” he said.

  “It was beautiful!” At his flat look, she added, “And terrifying. You’re right. I don’t know what I could do there. But I wish I could… I don’t know. Do something.”

  “You promised, Lily.”

  Chapter 7

  An Ally in Peril

  Theo shoved the letter into an inner pocket of his jacket and hurried down the hall, though he didn’t break into a run until he was out of earshot of the guests.

  The letter that had so galvanized him read:

  J. was discovered and fled into the tunnel four days ago. He has not returned. If you have not seen him, urgently request your help in the search. C.

  Theo hurriedly belted on a sword, grabbed a canteen of water and an extra roll of bread. Then he saddled one of his horses and galloped away. The nearest easy entry to the tunnel was, at the moment, some three miles away, and it would take too long to open a closer door. He tied his horse to a tree with a quick apology, then stepped into the darkness.

  The tunnels were Theo’s magical gift.

  The veil between the Fair Lands and the human world was always shifting and always dangerous, though marginally less perilous than the Fair Lands themselves. The veil itself was virtually impermeable to both Fair Folk and humans, but there were naturally occurring holes in the veil. To Theo, these holes seemed like tunnels which could be traversed in relative safety; his magic kept them solid around him and repelled most of the mind-bending dangers that resided within the veil itself. His magic was not, in itself, particularly strong, but he had honed it well. His quick intelligence and creative application of what magical talent he possessed had allowed him to travel without major incident for some time.