Day's Patience

by A. W. Exley

  “Lettie, could I have a private word?” Jasper said.

  “I have rounds to do this afternoon. If you will excuse me, I shall go fetch my bag.” Grayson kissed Lettie’s cheek and left her with the two gargoyles.

  “The study, I think,” Samuel said and led the way down the hallway to his much smaller, and private, sanctuary.

  The study walls were lined with shelves full of books. When space ran out on the shelf, more books had been slotted in sideways in any available gap. Wicker baskets at the bottom contained curled-up scrolls that Samuel had collected on his travels. A simple light hung from the middle of the ceiling and kept wall mounted candles away from his books.

  The desk was littered with books and papers as though the old Warder had been searching for something. Samuel stood by a tall, narrow window that looked out over the side garden. Jasper leaned one hip on the desk, crossed his arms over his broad chest, and stared at his sister.

  “You and Grayson?” He had a way of making a question sound like a statement of disapproval.

  Lettie was long used to her brothers raising objections to her lovers, but this was the first time a brotherly opinion mattered. “You like him and he is your friend.”

  A frown dug furrows in Jasper’s brow. “And he used to crawl around the lawn naked in summer as a baby, and then not so long ago he was up to schoolboy hijinks with Elijah. Yes, I have affection for him, but I am also aware he is human and will only be part of our lives for a short time.”

  “Like a dog—faithful and loved, but easily replaced when their short life expires?” Lettie threw her arms up in the air. Tears threatened in her eyes. It was too cruel of Jasper to throw back in her face that Grayson would depart this Earth long before her.

  “Lettie,” he said her name gently and unfolded his arms to grab hold of the edge of the desk. “I am merely asking if you are sure this is what you want?”

  “I may not have a mate chosen by the Cor-vitis, but my body and soul crave Grayson.” She held out her right arm and her fingers curled around an empty palm.

  Jasper glanced to Samuel, who had remained silent at the small window. “While rare, humans and Elementals can fall in love. I have even heard of exceptional instances where the Cor-vitis has paired them as mates.”

  Hope flared and died within Lettie in an instant. “And the Elemental will always have to watch their lover wither and die while they remain unchanged.” Even thinking about losing Grayson stabbed through her heart like a hot knife. How did Dawn’s mother continue after her mate died, or had the child growing inside her made it bearable?

  Then she glanced at Samuel’s rugged face. How did the old Warder keep going in her family’s service after he lost his mate? “Is there not some way, a Meidh who could create a bridge between us perhaps?”

  Samuel’s focus travelled over the tightly packed books. “There must be a way, since it has occurred in the past. But I am afraid it is not common knowledge. I imagine it might be something only within the power of a Lord Warder or Lord Soarer.”

  Jasper shook his head. “I don’t know, Lettie. If Julian knew from our father’s lips, he took such a secret to his grave. As Samuel says, it is an exceedingly rare occurrence. If Gaia pairs a human with an Elemental, we can only hope that she also provides a way to create a balance between them.”

  “I need him, Jasper. Do not condemn me to a cold and lonely life without Grayson, please.” Her voice was small, like that of the child she was two hundred and fifty years before.

  Lettie’s fingers curled into her palms. It was hopeless. In two strides, Jasper reached her and took her in his arms. Lettie buried her face in the scratchy wool of his waistcoat and inhaled the earthy scent overlaid with fresh soap and a touch of lemon. How many times had her brother hugged her when she needed it most? Probably as many times as he tormented her.

  That was the balance between siblings. The constant push and pull always evened out in the end.

  “I promise, Lettie, if there is a way to give you centuries together, we will find it. Give Samuel and me a little time to consult with the other elders and the Warder council. Or we may find a Meidh with a power that can help.” Words rumbled through Jasper’s chest and vibrated along her cheekbone.

  Yes. If there was a way, her brother would find it for her. That was what brothers did for their little sisters. It didn’t matter how much they needled and tormented one another. Sibling love was a bond that could never be shaken, and they would do the impossible for each other.

  Samuel spoke from his spot by the window. “Love is a precious thing, Lettie. No matter how long Gaia gives you, you will never be truly alone once you have shared love with another. The memory of it is enough warmth to stop your heart from freezing in the long winter without your other half.”

  Sadness tinged his words, and his gaze lingered on a small painting on the wall opposite the desk. A woman with dark hair and eyes a deep blue smiled as she glanced at the painter. Her full lips were slightly parted as though he captured her mid-sigh.

  Lettie’s heart broke a little for the lonely Warder. Marjory would have been an excellent match for him, except Hector would be watching every day for her return. “I’m sorry, Samuel. I did not mean to remind you of what you lost.”

  He tore his attention from the woman’s picture, and sorrow lingered in his eyes. “Hearing that Dawn’s mother lost her mate reminds me of Rachel. She was a saltwater undine, that was why we made our home here.”

  She was an exotic-looking woman. Lettie could imagine her luring sailors into the ocean with the promise simmering in her gaze. “I’m sorry I never had the chance to meet her.”

  He rubbed large hands over his face and his mood lightened somewhat. “One day we will all meet again in Gaia’s embrace. Until then, your brother needs us here and now.”

  “Trust me, Lettie. But first we need to determine why the Whiterock Soarers lied to their Whetstone investors.” Jasper shook his sister gently by the shoulder.

  “We need to include Grayson in that discussion. He has earned the trust of the shipyard workers.” Lettie walked to the door and pulled it open.

  Grayson was pacing in the hallway, the black leather bag standing by the door. He waited for the two gargoyles with serious expressions on their faces to return to the parlour.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked, reaching for her hand. Humour lit his gaze as he pulled her closer to him. “Do I need to ask Lord Seton’s permission to woo his sister?”

  She smiled and stole a quick kiss. Jasper would find a way. There was no need to burden the doctor with thoughts of premature death; he saw enough of that in his practice. “Jasper is merely taking his role as both earl and older brother rather seriously. It has been some time since he last interfered in my life.”

  The stair treads creaked as Marjory descended. “Dawn is asleep. Poor poppet was exhausted.”

  “There is little she can do right now, and we have plans to make,” Lettie said as she returned to the parlour.

  She was going to need a stiff drink once this was all over. That thought reminded her of the cheerful tavern where the village had gathered to celebrate saving little Elspeth from the well. She could have a good life here, even if it would be a modest one. It was the people around you that made life memorable, not the walls that contained you or the value of the silverware.

  “We are inching closer to an answer,” Jasper stated once they took their respective places on sofas or at the fireplace. “We know the Esmeralda was never lost at sea, and that she never even existed except as a collection of parts. We need to find out who commissioned the engines and turbines.”

  “Records are held in the office at the shipyard.” Lettie had been upstairs, but she had only seen the boardroom, not where papers were shuffled, filed, or whatever clerks did.

  “George!” Lettie spun from her place on the sofa to wave at Grayson.

  “Of course.” The doctor pushed off from the wall, where he had stayed silent beh
ind Lettie. He crossed to the middle of the room. “There was a big storm a week ago. Ocram’s clerk rushed out to clear the men from the scaffolding, but he was trapped when a support strut fell on him. I could not save his arm and Ocram fired him. Apparently a one-handed clerk is useless to him. I think he might be quite willing to point us in the right direction.”

  “Good. Find out if he knows where we might find the records relating to the Esmeralda. Then Samuel and I will pay a nocturnal visit to the shipyard.” Jasper rubbed the back of his neck as he formulated a plan.

  “There is another matter that needs to be addressed.” Lettie stared at her hands. This was the bit she feared telling Jasper more than admitting her feelings for her former physician. “A few days ago Byron Ocram issued me an ultimatum. To either kneel before him or declare myself his enemy. A letter arrived from him this morning, and he expects my answer tonight.”

  “How close did you get to him, Lettie?” Jasper’s question was softly asked but landed heavily in the room.

  Lettie might be a fluid undine, but she had a steel spine when it was needed. She met her brother’s stern look. “Close enough to find out things we would never know otherwise. I have played his game and learned more about him in doing so.”

  Jasper stared at her, his form and face immobile. The gargoyle had turned to granite before her eyes. Then he sighed. “I don’t envy you, Grayson. Do you know what you are taking on? She is quite a handful.”

  “I’m sure Lettie and I will work things out.” His moustache twitched as though contemplating how it would torment her later.

  Lettie welcomed the momentary distraction of considering facial hair. She wondered if he could be persuaded to grow a small goatee. They always reminded her of roguish pirates and swashbuckling musketeers, intent on ravishment.

  Jasper dropped his fist onto the mantel. “There is a much larger issue. It is past time we addressed the imbalance here. I’m taking back this region for the Warders and our family.”

  “The Ocrams came here forty years ago, just after Julian’s death. That cannot be a coincidence,” Lettie said. Events kept circling back to Julian’s death. Was it possible the two Soarer clans had colluded in some way?

  “I might have an idea of how to remove the Ocrams from the landscape,” Samuel spoke up from his armchair.

  “Do you have a secret army stashed away somewhere?” Lettie wanted to see the Soarers fall, but she had been inside their mansion. She knew their numbers, and her family couldn’t win against them.

  “Not quite, but I haven’t exactly been sitting here twiddling my thumbs for the last forty years.” Samuel leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees.

  Jasper arched a dark eyebrow. “What have you been up to?”

  Samuel tapped the side of his nose. “Something I think we should discuss between us first. I need another gargoyle to check my work.”

  Lettie wouldn’t sit idly by while the men made plans. She knew what she had to do. “I’m going to Byron.”

  “No.” Grayson spun on his heel to fix her with a stare.

  “Yes. If Jasper and Samuel are going to break into the offices, it will help if I keep Byron away and occupied.”

  Grayson looked to Jasper, as though hoping the earl would intervene and stop Lettie from putting herself in danger.

  “Are you sure?” was all Jasper asked of his sister.

  “My face was pushed into the dirt as Soarers murdered Julian. I will stand tall and face this Soarer as I destroy his family. Our time has come, and the pendulum will swing back in our favour.” She wouldn’t hide in the dark. No. She would stand in the middle of the Ocram mansion under a thousand blazing lights and bring destruction down upon them.

  25

  Lettie met Grayson’s worried gaze and silently pleaded with him to understand. “I cannot move forward until I confront my past. I have been a victim, now I will stand up and fight for my family. I will go to Byron.”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed her words. Then he nodded. “Very well, if you are determined to do this, but I will not be far away. The only skill I can offer in this venture is my medical knowledge, which I pray you will not need.”

  “Go see Ocram’s former clerk first and find out what he knows about the Esmeralda and where things are kept in the office. Then we’ll discuss the course of action and what roles everyone will play tonight.” Jasper frowned at his sister. He might appear to acquiesce, but he had the look of a man compiling a long list of provisos and safety measures to wrap around his younger sibling.

  Lettie rolled her eyes. “And you, Lord Seton, need to stay here. We can’t have the Soarers spotting you and becoming curious about the influx of Warders. Not to mention their seekers are scurrying around in every bush and tuft of grass.”

  “Very well. I’m going to check on Dawn, and then I have much to discuss with Samuel.” Jasper nodded to the older gargoyle and left. His heavy tread sounded as he took the stairs two at a time, and Lettie wondered that he didn’t wake up the exhausted Meidh in his haste.

  Grayson held out a hand to Lettie. “I have rounds if you will be my beautiful nurse for the afternoon. I’m sure you will charm the information we need out of George if he has any qualms about turning on Ocram.”

  “I’ll have the horse harnessed to the gig for you,” Samuel said and strode off.

  Lettie stared down at her simple dress with the fish embroidered hem. “I should probably change into something more practical.”

  Grayson held on to her hand. “Don’t. It suits you.”

  She leaned over and kissed him, a slow leisurely taste that she could savour when alone. “Very well, but I will grab a shawl. The wind coming off the ocean can be chill. I also need to reply to Byron.”

  Lettie wrote a simple reply to the sylph, saying it would be her pleasure to deliver her response that evening, if he would be available to see her. Let him interpret that however he wanted.

  Outside by the stables, Grayson took the reins and the horse trotted along the road. They headed toward the village and its tidy houses. Large houses clustered around the open square, and as they radiated out, they became lower and smaller until they turned into single roomed stone cottages.

  George lived in a pretty cottage that stood at the end of a row. The front garden was a riot of colourful summer flowers. Three fat chickens scratched under shrubs and pecked at leaves looking for insects.

  The doctor grabbed his bag and held out a hand for Lettie. The front door was pulled open before they were halfway up the path. Sarah, George’s wife, wore an apron to protect her dress and her hair was tucked up under a scarf. Flour was dusted over her apron.

  “Hello Doctor Day, Miss Day.” The woman had a cheerful smile and what appeared to be a young child hiding behind her skirts. “Do come in.”

  “Hello, Sarah, how is the patient today?” Grayson asked as they stepped straight into the main room. The open space served as kitchen, dining room, and parlour.

  “Grumpy,” she said in a low tone, a sad smile on her face.

  “I am not grumpy, just frustrated.” The patient in question was sitting at a worn table. The long table served as desk at one end and was used as a kitchen bench at the other. A sheet of paper sat in front of George and he held a pencil awkwardly in his left hand. He tossed the pencil to the table and pushed his chair around to face the doctor.

  “How are you finding things?” Grayson dropped his bag on the table and pulled out a chair to sit in front of George.

  The clerk stared at the missing lower limb. “It pains me at times, but I am determined to not be useless. I am teaching myself to use my left hand and am hopeful I will find employment again.”

  Grayson unwound the bandage covering the stump and examined the rounded pink end. “It is healing well.”

  Lettie suspected his garlic-infused water had once again helped stave off a fatal infection. One small piece of good luck for George that he had such an attentive doctor. Of course i
f he had possessed an equally attentive employer, he would never have been in this situation.

  His wife stood at the other end of the table. A lump of dough sat on a floured surface, waiting to be pounded into shape and left to rise before the fire.

  The child, who looked about five, tugged on her mother’s apron.

  “What is it, dear?” Sarah knelt down.

  The girl leaned in and pointed at Lettie. “Is that the mermaid that saved Elspeth?”

  The mother looked mildly embarrassed, but Lettie smiled. Most adults lost the ability to believe in magic and mythical creatures. She could tell the truth and the other woman would assume she spun a tale to amuse the girl.

  “That is Miss Day, the doctor’s sister. She’s not really a mermaid.” Sarah ruffled her daughter’s hair and went back to kneading the dough.

  The girl had dark hair and darker eyes. She stared at Lettie intently. “But she has fishes on her skirt.”

  Lettie knelt down and crooked her finger at the child. Nervous looks were cast back at her mother, but the chance of getting closer to a mermaid was obviously too tempting. The child edged near.

  “Where do you keep your tail?” The girl tried to peer under the hem of Lettie’s skirt, and her face fell in disappointment when she spotted worn leather boots.

  Lettie tapped the side of her nose and winked. “I can’t walk with a tail. I keep it for when I am swimming. But you mustn’t tell everyone about me being a mermaid. It’s a secret just for the children. Do you understand?”

  Her eyes widened and her mouth made a silent oh. Then a solemn expression fell over her face and she nodded. “I promise. Will you teach us to swim?”

  How could Lettie refuse such a request? Teaching the children to float and not panic in water would benefit them all, and ensure summer fun with the ocean so close. “I would be delighted.”

  “Would you mind if we had a word in private?” Grayson asked once he had inspected the wound and examined George. Then he rummaged in the bag for a clean bandage.