Netherfield Rogue Dragon Preview, part 5

 

A wedding and a clandestine meeting, but with whom?

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Monday morning proved to be a cool, fine sort of morning, but not especially memorable, which was exactly what one wanted for a wedding day.  Elizabeth dressed and pinned up her hair with particular care, not that anyone would especially notice, but it made her feel better. One’s sister did not get married every day. She had missed Jane’s wedding, so she needed to enjoy Mary’s—what little of it she could participate in—twice as much to make up for the loss.

She pulled her green cloak around her shoulders, and April settled into the hood. The little church was not so far away as to necessitate calling the carriage. If she used it, Mama would doubtless make a fuss over the fine coach and what it would mean to be Mrs. Darcy and what a very fine thing it was. While it was expected that Mama should exult in her daughter’s success in the marriage mart as it were, it was Mary’s day. It would not do to distract from that.

She steeled herself during her brisk walk, the chill fading as she warmed from the exercise. It returned though when she saw the church in the distance, the family coach nearby, and Papa handing Mama out of the carriage.

Perhaps this was a bad idea. But no, Mary had invited her, and she needed to be there. With an especially deep breath she made her way toward the chapel door.

“Elizabeth!” Kitty, in her second-best green lawn gown, greeted her and took her hands before she could make it inside. “You look so very well. I am sorry you have missed all the excitement at the house. I know you have been ever so busy at Netherfield making things ready for Jane, but still it would have been nice to see you just once.”

“Indeed she is right,” Mama cut in. “Missing Jane’s wedding was indeed a sadness, but you do not need to make up for it by slighting Mary as well.”

“She has more than made up for it by getting betrothed to Mr. Darcy. Do not overlook that he will be by far the richest and best connected of your sons. And the handsomest,” April twittered softly.

Elizabeth cast a warning glance at her shoulder. It was not wise to push a persuasion too far.

Mama looked a little startled and stared at Elizabeth as though remembering something she had forgotten.  Her expression softened and a very pleased, even self-satisfied expression crept over her. “But then, I am sure you are quite caught up in your own wedding planning. Do not forget you have a mother and sister quite willing to help you with that as well. Just think, you are to be Mrs. Darcy! What a fine, important lady you will be.”

“I have planned nothing yet, Mama. Mr. Darcy is away on business right now, and we will not plan the wedding until after that is completed. I promise, though, you shall help me order my wedding clothes, if you wish.”

“We have hardly had time to order Mary’s, you know. Just two weeks to prepare. I imagine we shall go to London yet to your uncle’s warehouses to complete her wedding clothes, not that she will need as much as you to be sure. A vicar’s wife can hardly compare to what—”

The vicar emerged from the door and beckoned them inside, obviously a bit sooner than Mana would have preferred. She harrumphed softly and rearranged the collar of her pelisse. Kitty hurried to take her place near the front of the church with Uncle Gardiner who was serving as groomsman.

The little chapel looked exactly as it usually did. Plain white wall, with matching windows on each side, it smelled of age and damp and dust. Worn, dark wooden pews in two columns flanked the walls like soldiers waiting to march. The undecorated hexagonal pulpit would hold the vicar several steps up above the congregants. A completely unremarkable church.

Somehow that was disappointing, even heartbreakingly so. Should not a place look remarkable on a day as life changing as a wedding? Mary and Kitty and Lydia adorned the church with flowers when Jane wed Bingley. Did Mary not want them, or was she being overlooked once again?

Papa grunted at her as he walked past her toward the back of the church, not even making eye contact. Was that out of his own preference or Longbourn’s? Or was there any difference between them?

She followed Mama into the church as she sat down.

Mary approached the front of the church on Papa’s arm and the wedding proceeded exactly as the Book of Common Prayer set out that it should, completely ordinary and proper. Exactly as Mr. Collins—and probably Mary—would have it.

What would her wedding with Mr. Darcy be like? Surely little Pemberley would have to attend—the wedding breakfast at least if not the ceremony itself. The little dear would never accept being absent for the event that insured she would have her two Keepers permanently. She pressed her lips hard—it was difficult to say what was more entertaining, the image of the little drakling throwing a tantrum in order to be allowed to attend the wedding, or figuring out how to bring a major dragon into the church.  There was a chapel in the underground offices of the Blue Order—perhaps it would do for the wedding. What would Mr. Darcy say to such a notion?

She tried to imagine him being disagreeable about it, but the image would not coalesce. It was impossible to see him so. He would not be one to deny the baby something she so dearly desired—and honestly, he probably would not deny Elizabeth—even if it meant he had to procure a special license, the services of a Blue Order bishop and they would be married in Pemberley’s dragon lair. She pressed her hand to her chest. Yes, he really was the sort of man who would do that for her. Absolutely nothing like the dragon-deaf dolt who stood beside Mary.

April cuddled her cheek, as though she could sense Elizabeth’s thoughts and approved most heartily.

The vicar declared Mary and Collins man and wife and they disappeared into the vestry to sign the marriage lines. Papa hovered near the chapel door, glancing alternately at the vestry door and at Mama as she trundled out toward the coach. This might be the only opportunity she had to ask him about Netherfield. She slipped out of the pew and hurried to him.

He grunted at her. Lovely.

“Pray, have you any records in your library of the history of Netherfield? In searching the house, I am quite certain it was a dragon estate at one time. It is possible that there might be yet another dragon lurking about with a claim to the territory?” She stood beside him, not quite looking at him.

His expressions shifted subtly, from something like disapproval to budding interest. Of course dragon lore would draw him out when nothing else could.

“There was no dragon in residence during my grandfather’s life time, but the last resident owner was a Dragon Friend. I have several centuries of county records among my library holdings, though. I will examine them immediately and send you word of what I find.”

“If that is too much trouble, you could have Uncle bring the books to me, and I can search them.”

“They are part of the estate and Longbourn will not approve of them being placed in your care.”

She held her breath to hold back her sigh. He was willing to help her that should be enough. Was it so wrong to wish that she should matter to him even half so much as the estate dragon?

Mr. and Mrs. Collins emerged from the vestry, her arm in his. He looked satisfied—with himself and with the proceedings. Heather perched in Mary’s bonnet, a fluffy pink ornament that accented the pale pink of her best gown. Mary’s cheeks glowed. At least, she seemed genuinely happy.

How ironic, after all her bitter complaining and offense, did she realize that she was marrying the man she had hoped to marry because of draconic interference and that her wedding would likely never have happened without out it? Now was probably not an appropriate time to make mention of it.

Mr. Collins slipped away to speak to Papa.

“Heather and I are glad you have come,” Mary said softly.

Elizabeth’s smiled, mostly genuinely. “I hope you shall be very happy together and your marriage is all you have hoped it would be.”

“I expect it will be. Even more than that now that he is becoming aware of the true nature of the estate he will inherit.” Mary glanced over her shoulder toward Collins.

“Has Longbourn officially acknowledged him yet?”

“No. Papa wants to bring him to the lair for a formal introduction soon, but not quite yet. But with Cait’s help, I am sure it will not be long. I have every hope that once that chore has been accomplished things will settle down and be much easier for us all.” Mary’s eyes lost a little of their smile.

“So, Longbourn has been cross and cranky with you?” Elizabeth touched Mary’s elbow. “Is there something I can do to help? I know a few things that tend to soothe his moods.”

“Let us not talk of such things on my wedding day.” Mary looked away as though Elizabeth had suddenly sprouted a large wart on her nose.

“You are invited to Netherfield should you ever wish to speak of it.”

“Thank you for the invitation.” She may as well have said she would never darken Netherfield’s door.

So Mary was still angry and resentful even when she had gotten what she wanted most?

April leaned very close and whispered, “She is not like herself—perhaps her resentment has been suggested.”

Was that possible? But who? Would Longbourn attempt such a persuasion—he had tried to persuade Elizabeth to marry Collins. If he would stoop to that then he was certainly not beyond this. But why? Given that persuading a Keeper was forbidden in the first place, it seemed odd at best that Longbourn should go to the trouble of doing so just to get back at Elizabeth. No, that made no sense.

Mr. Collins collected Mary without so much as a word to Elizabeth and the wedding party took their leave of the church, leaving Elizabeth to walk back to Netherfield.

A swath of Netherfield’s woods bordered Longbourn’s. It would be as close to Mary’s wedding breakfast as she would be able to go. Though it made precious little sense, she turned down along the wooded path. It was not like being with her family and friends on such an auspicious day, but it was the best she could have.

“Darcy should be here,” April chittered and flapped. “I am going to tell Walker when he returns that he must remedy this situation immediately.”

“He has work to do.”

The shadows of the woods welcomed them along the cool path between the trees. Branches arched up overhead to form a skeletal canopy—it would be full and green soon, but now it was only a promise of what was to come. The forest floor likewise remained dry and crunchy, waiting for the full advent of spring to soften it with rains and new growth.

“You are unhappy.” April launched from Elizabeth’s shoulder and hovered near her face.

“I do not need Mr. Darcy to be happy.”

“Yes, you do.”

“And how would you know that.”

“Because I do. You should be happy. I am very put out with Longbourn right now. He is a bully and just plain mean. I think he is a disgrace to his kind. The Blue Order really ought to bring him under better regulation.” April landed on Elizabeth’s other shoulder.

“I know you have very decided opinions, but perhaps, just perhaps, it is not good to share them so near to his territory. He does have an awful propensity—”

A roar just softer than dragon thunder rattled branches overhead and crashing footsteps approached.

“—to appear when one voices such things.” Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to draw in long deep breaths. But her heart still fluttered and her belly pinched, especially when the first whiff of dragon musk mixed with the distinct odor of wyvern wafted on the breeze.

“I told you I do not want you in my territory.” Huge stomping foot falls punctuated the declaration.

“Good day to you too, Longbourn.” She flashed a false smile and curtsied.

“Get out of my woods.” He leaned down toward her face, extending his tail for balance.

“I am most certainly not in your woods. I am on Netherfield territory not yours.”

“These are my woods.” He edged closer, breath hot and putrid on her face.

Mary really needed to take better care of his teeth or he would soon be in need of a tooth key himself.

“Do not attempt to poach territory that is not yours. You know that is against the Accords—even if there is no dragon assigned to the territory. It is not yours.” She folded her arms across her chest and pulled back her shoulder. How would he respond if she spread her cloak with her arms and flapped to make herself large? Probably not well, but it was a thought.

“I do not want you here.”

April buzzed toward him and pecked between his eyes soundly, not that he could feel it much though his thick hide.

“I am very sorry for you then. I hate to suspend any pleasure of yours. But I am entirely within my right to be here and I will enjoy my walk. Since you are determined to keep me from my family.”

“You should not have been at the wedding. I told her I did not want you there. I told him I did not want you there. They both went against my wishes.”

Which him, Collins or Papa?

“I am sorry for that. I am sorry you are so selfish and small-minded that you should wish to keep me from my own sister’s wedding. But since it occurred outside of your territory, you have no control in the matter and they were within their rights to allow me to be present. You should be satisfied that you have prevented me from attending the wedding breakfast. I am feeling that strongly and deeply unhappy about it. Is that enough for you?”

He huffed acrid breath in her face. “This is not my fault. It is your choice.”

“How exactly is this my fault?”

“You abandoned your place as keeper.” He thumped the tip of his tail. A large branch snapped and sent a shower of debris against Elizabeth’s skirt.

“Because you tried to persuade me, and now you are trying to use persuasion to make Mary cross with me.”

“She has enough to be cross about, she does not need my help.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“She had to manage Collins, who is an idiot, and Cait who is the very picture of a shrew, and your feather-pated mother, and she has been neglecting me. Of course she is short tempered. No persuasion is needed to accomplish that.” He wrinkled his nose, sending April flying backwards.

“So you have then considered it?”

“I am not persuading her or anyone else! Why can you not accept that?”

She glared at him with narrowed eyes. “Why did you threaten me and leave me in fear for my life?”

“That again? Why must you take that so personally? You made me angry—”

“And that makes it all acceptable? You lost your temper, that is not my fault. The very least you could do is apologize for what you did and for what you tried to do.”

He rose to full height, towering over her. “I am a dragon, I do not need to apologize for anything. You need to come to your senses and stop accusing me—”

“There is no point to continuing this conversation. Bring me proof that you did not attempt persuasion, and I will immediately recant and apologize.”

Longbourn’s eyes brightened, eye ridges lifting high. “And you will return to your position as my Keeper?”

“You know I cannot. The Blue Order has already ruled that Mary is Keeper here now. I cannot over turn that.”

“You would rather be Keeper to that clumsy baby than me.” Longbourn growled deep enough to shake the nearby branches.

“I have been assigned as Pemberley’s Keeper by decree of the Order. That is beyond my power to alter. But I will most willingly apologize—”

“What good is an apology then if it changes nothing.”

“Why must you be so stubborn? We could at least enjoy the time I have here. I would be pleased to visit you and do all the things—”

“And then you would turn around and leave me. No, that is not acceptable.” He stomped and the trees rained dry leaved over them.

“I do not want to be at odds with you.”

He stared at her with huge, sad eyes—not angry, but sad—and turned away, slinking off into the forest, pouting.

She leaned against a large tree and covered her eyes with her arm. When did it all go so arsey-versey?

“He is selfish and jealous and far too accustomed to having his own way.” April worked her way back in Elizabeth’s hood.

“Large dragons generally have their way for good reason, you know. Few can stop them.”

“You did, though.”

“I wonder if that was a good idea.”

April cuddled the side of Elizabeth’s jaw. “Only because he is making you feel guilty right now. You cannot look at Pemberley’s face and tell me it is not right for you to be her keeper. A firedrake as powerful as she will be must be set upon the right path very early and it will probably take both you and Darcy to make certain that happen.”

She scratched April’s chin. “You make a very compelling point, my friend.” A point her head understood, but her heart struggled to embrace. “I am getting chilled, though. Let us return to Netherfield.”

 

Just after dinner, which Elizabeth took in her room whilst she studied one of the tomes on lindwurms Lady Astrid had sent with her, Cait pecked at the window, obviously offended that it had not been left open for her. Elizabeth threw it open and helped her manage her tail feathers, arranging them all safely aside as she landed on the top edge of the dressing table’s mirror. A message satchel was strapped to her back, nearly obscured by the lush feathers of her nearly black ruff.

“I am glad to see you, but I did not expect Papa to send you with messages.” She pointed to the satchel and Cait turned to make it easier to unbuckle.

“He meant to send Rustle, but after all those people calling today, I simply had to get out! Oh, it was dreadful.” Cait shook out her feathers in a well-practiced, elegant movement.

“What do you mean?”

“That shallow pate Collins! I may yet tear his eyes out and no one will find fault with me for doing so.” Cait turned slightly, silhouetted against the waning sunlight. She was still in fine form, though her belly showed obvious—to Elizabeth—signs of her condition.

“What happened?”

“One of the guests caught sight of me and instead of allowing Heather to persuade her away from bothering me, Collins decided he should show off the fancy bird that was now staying at Longbourn—as if I was some credit to him! The unmitigated gall of the man! As if I were here for his sake. If it were up to me, the court should have ordered him eaten so none of us would have to deal with him. I still think they should and would happily testify it so.”

Elizabeth extended a hand to offer a scratch which Cait accepted. “I am sure it is all made so much worse because you are not far from laying your clutch.”

“They have no idea what it is like—and you sister is little help. She has no sympathy for what I suffer. Your father offers a little assistance, but only a little. It cannot be too soon that the Order finds another to take my place. If Collins shows me off as a fancy piece of livestock again, I swear, I shall bite off his little finger. I am no parrot and certainly no chicken!”

Elizabeth smoothed her ruff. “I quite understand, it is entirely insulting. I will write to my father and let him know he needs to teach Collins better.”

Collins was not the only one though. It seemed Papa did not well understand the nature of a cockatrix either. They bore little resemblance to their cockatrice mates.

Cait tossed her head. “He is not the only one.”

“What do you mean by that?” Elizabeth slid back half a step.

“You seem to be making accusations again.”

“You spoke with Longbourn?”

“Why are you accusing him of persuading Mary?”

“Are you suggesting Mary could work up so much resentment on her own? She seems to have grown far worse since she has come, despite the fact she should be entirely satisfied with all the outcomes. Mary has been known to be a bit contrary at time, I grant you, but this is entirely out of character.”

“I am saying it is not Longbourn.”

Elizabeth pinched the bridge of her nose. “You believe him when he claims that? I do not.”

“You are clearly as stupid as the rest of your family.” Cait tossed her spectacular ruff and spread her tail as though her beauty was reason enough to believe anything she said.

Best let that insult go unrecognized. “Do you have an idea who is persuading Mary then?”

“You are seeking a rogue dragon, are you not?”

“And he is trying to persuade Mary? I suppose you would try to have me believe he was also the voice I heard at Longbourn trying to get me to accept Collins.”

Oh, the look Cait cast her way!

“That is utterly ridiculous. Why would he do such a thing? How would he get into the cellars at Longbourn in the first place? You know Longbourn would not tolerate another major dragon in his territory, much less in the house! He barely tolerates you as it is.”

“Jealous, crusty lizard.” She snorted and picked at her wing. “I cannot speak to why. Why does a major dragon do anything? They have their own reasons. But you should look past the end of your own nose and consider what ought to have been one of your first thoughts.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “I will give the notion due consideration.”

“You best do that before it is too late and you miss an opportunity you need.” Cait shook out her wings. “I need a dust bath.”

“April has found a pleasant spot in the rose garden. She can show you if you like.”

April cheeped and flittered to the window sill.

“Take me.”

April flew off with Cait close behind.

Elizabeth fell heavily into the overstuffed chair near the fire. Could Cait possibly be right? The Netherfield dragon trying to persuade Longbourn’s Keepers? No, that hardly made sense at all. It was simply not possible.

But it might be a point of conversation, one arousing enough to draw the lindwurm out to speak with her. And since nothing else had worked yet, it was worth the effort.

She pulled her shawl around her shoulders and took up the fireplace poker. The cellar was dark and cold but the dirt was soft enough for her to write with the poker:

Why are you persuading Mary to be cross?

Find additional parts HERE

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How did Elizabeth and April become friends? Find the story HERE 

 

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