Dragons Beyond the Pale Excerpt 2

January 10, 1815, London

A quarter of an hour later, the housekeeper brought the tea service into the morning room, a lovely snug room with dark furniture, a round table that could seat six, and bright white walls hung with drawings done by Lady Anne Darcy.

Five minutes later, before the tea was even poured, the butler announced the Matlocks’ arrival. The earl and his wife swept into the room, wearing their rank like court robes.

He was tall and looked like nothing so much as an older version of Richard, though his nose was a mite sharper, more aquiline, and his hazel eyes narrower. She was short and plump and proud; her double chin lifted a mite too high so that her beady dark eyes seemed to be staring down at everyone. 

Elizabeth and Darcy rose. April hovered between them.

“Uncle, Aunt, a pleasure to see you this morning.” The way Darcy emphasized the final word reminded all that it was too early for a polite morning call.

“Lord Matlock, Lady Matlock.” Elizabeth curtsied.

“Darcy, Lady Elizabeth. Oh yes, and April, too.” Matlock looked straight at Darcy. It did not seem an insult so much as preoccupation. That probably was not a good sign.

Lady Matlock grimaced just a little. She did not approve of Elizabeth having a title in her own right, or so the fairy dragon gossip suggested. Not to mention, a title so newly created would never have the weight of one properly inherited.

“Pray you will forgive our call on the heels of your arrival, but there are matters which just cannot wait. I would see you in your study, Darcy.” Lord Matlock turned for the doorway.

April squawked softly as Elizabeth bit her tongue. No point in reminding either of them that it might be wise to include her. Whatever the issue, if it concerned her, she would find out, likely straight from the dragon’s mouth as it were. Why was it so difficult to convince the men of the Council that things often went better when she was brought into a concern earlier rather than later?

Vexing, hidebound dominance seekers.

A large, cold void filled the morning room, growing larger by the moment.

“Would you care for some tea, Lady Matlock?” Elizabeth gestured Lady Matlock to a place at the table.

“What kind is it?” April hopped across the table and landed on the edge of a dainty china saucer covered with tiny yellow roses, one intentionally set for her, that looked lovely against her bright turquoise feather-scales.

“Earl Grey.” Elizabeth suppressed her smile. April had just recently developed a decided preference for the bergamot infused beverage. She had refused to try it until she learned it was flavored with a fruit, then suddenly she was quite enamored with it.

“I would like some, with honey.” April hopped from one foot to the other. It was entirely possible that the tea was simply an excuse to drink honey.

“And you Lady Matlock?”

Lady Matlock stared at April. Not pleasantly, but in the way one glared at a disobedient child or a clumsy servant. Of course. Dragons at the breakfast table were not covered in etiquette manuals, not even ones published by the Blue Order.

One more monograph she would have to write.

“Ah, well, yes, please.” Her face said she was only taking the tea to humor Elizabeth, but at least she was attempting to be polite.

Elizabeth poured the tea, sweetened April’s with a shocking amount of honey, and sat down.

Lady Matlock looked at her expectantly. What was she waiting for?

“How is Cownt Matlock after his journey? It was very kind of him to walk Pemberley back to London for us.” If she wanted small talk, then it would be about dragons.

“In little humor for conversation. He had no idea how much young creatures talked nor how many questions they asked.” Lady Matlock’s features softened just a little.

“I had wondered if that would be the case. I did try to warn him, but little Pemberley gets so ill in a cart or carriage, he insisted it would be an indignity for her to be forced into such a conveyance. We are very grateful for his help.” At least she could say that with genuine enthusiasm.

“He did say that you and Darcy have done well by her. She is showing signs of being an excellent young dragon, which must be considered a good thing all told. Will you be presenting her at the Dragon  Keepers’ Cotillion next month?” Lady Matlock sipped her tea, staring over the edge of the cup with an odd look of expectation.

“I think she is still full young for that. She has learned many of the proper greetings and displays when introduced to other dragons. But I do not think she is quite ready for so many people and so many dragons in company at once. It is one thing to have been forced together with them in court. It is quite another to try to manage all the trappings of a formal engagement as extensive as the Cotillion. I see no harm in waiting a year, or even two.”

“Well, that is some relief.”

“I am not sure I take your meaning.”

“Perhaps you should see the list of presentations this year.” Lady Matlock opened her reticule and pulled out a neatly penned card. “In particular, you may want to note the ladies you are sponsoring for presentation at the ball.”

“I am sponsoring? You must be mistaken.”

“I think not. This is the official Record and has been sent to all Keepers and other invitees.” She tapped a spot at the top of the list. “See here: Dragon Sage, Lady Elizabeth Darcy.”

“Mrs. Mary Collins, Keeper to Longbourn and her husband? Mr. Collins will be presented to the Order? When was this decided?” And why now—but perhaps this was not the company for that question.

“You will have to ask our Historian.” Lady Matlock’s lip curled just a bit.

“Why is Father not sponsoring them? He is an officer of the Order, even if he has retired as a Keeper.”

“He is without title, Lady Elizabeth.” Lady Matlock stared directly into her eyes.

“So, he is using that as an excuse to get out of his duties now?” Elizabeth dragged her hand down her face and peered at the list again. “Miss Lydia Bennet? No one has consulted me. Have Auntie and her school mistress approved?”

“Another point to discuss with your father.”

“Miss Georgiana Darcy? Should not you and Lord Matlock—”

“One would think so.” Lady Matlock lifted her eyebrow.

“But why? It makes no sense.”

“Pray, may I be frank with you?” Frank? A Lady of the ton wanted to be frank? What was one to make of that?

“Pray do.”

“While I do understand you had nothing to do with the dragons’ decision to create you as Sage or as Lady Elizabeth; and that there were no machinations on your part when you became betrothed to Darcy in front of the Conclave; and that your relationship with dragons, your knowledge of them is all hard won and comes at a cost. There are many who do not see things that way. Many who are jealous of your rather, ah, as it is called ‘fairy tale’ story.”

“That is absurd. What does that have to do with the Cotillion and sponsoring all my sisters at once?”

“Not just your sisters, but Lady Wentworth as well. She is to be presented as Keeper to Kellynch.”

“This is ridiculous! Impossible! How am I to possibly manage four presentations? Arrange for the dresses, teach them the protocols? There is so much other work to be done. The monographs alone that I need to write will require several months of effort.” She clutched the edge of the table.

Lady Matlock leaned forward on her elbows, her eyes sharp and severe. “Work which can wait until after the cotillion. You have been so busy managing dragons, I think you have forgotten there are people in the Order as well.”

“They do not require a Sage in order to be understood.”

“But they do require a sage to help them to understand how to take their place in Blue Order dragon society. And I do not mean only the debutants. Perhaps you have not noticed, but not many of the Order have your ease with dragons, and it causes problems.  So, if I may be so bold, Lady Sage, pause your salons and your manuscripts and attend to the rest of the Order’s members, the human ones, with as much fervor as you have the dragons. I expect your future influence depends on it.”

Preorder it HERE

What do you think of Lady Matlock’s advice? Tell me in the comments.