Cold Magics (38 page)

“I don’t understand why that means we have to stay,” said Eileen.

“You are here to be seen,” said Lady Prellham. “And Lord Henry is counting on you to do exactly that. To do otherwise is to weaken his standing, and the duke’s.”

“But—”

“Lord Henry is your protector here,” said Lady Prellham. “Leaving weakens him, and therefore weakens his protection.” She glared at Thomas. “Is that clear enough?”

It was, and Thomas wasn’t happy about it at all. “So what do we do, then?”

“You dance,” said Lady Prellham. “You smile when spoken to, and you stay visible.”

“For how long?” asked Eileen, sounding exhausted and scared.

“For as long as necessary. Thomas, pour us some wine to drink while the song finishes, then take Miss Eileen out on the next dance. Trade partners with Sir George when that dance is over. Otherwise others may ask for her attention, and Eileen needs to be free to return to this table once Father Roberts has left.” She watched Thomas and his friends exchange unhappy looks. “Wine, Thomas. Now.”

Thomas, rubbing his head with one hand, picked a bottle off the table and filled glasses for them all, including one for Rose, who was still standing behind Eileen’s place, waiting. Lady Prellham glared but said nothing. Thomas sipped slowly at his drink until the dance ended. Then, as instructed, took Eileen’s hand and found a place on the floor.

The first tune was boisterous and loud, forcing Thomas to pay attention to navigating the floor without tripping, rather than watching what was going on around the edges. Eileen looked exhausted, but kept pace with the music. When the song ended, Thomas switched partners with George as instructed and found himself leading Cecily around the floor. After a few more dances, Thomas reclaimed Eileen, and the two moved in a stately, measured pace.

“How are you holding up?” asked Thomas, keeping his voice low.

“Badly,” said Eileen. “I want to go.”

“We’ll leave the dance as soon as we can,” promised Thomas.

“No,” said Eileen. “I want to go home.”

Thomas sighed. “I know. I’m sorry.”

Eileen didn’t say anything more, and Thomas didn’t know how to comfort her, so he held her hands tightly and led her through the steps as the dancers swirled gracefully around them. Thomas looked for Father Roberts and found him and the inquisitor deep in conversation with another group of merchants. Thomas felt his teeth clenching and forced himself to relax his jaw.
It doesn’t matter what he’s saying. I’m here at Henry’s request and under the duke’s protection.

Eileen suddenly tensed, her fingers squeezing hard against his. Thomas pulled his attention back and saw that he and Eileen were surrounded by the young lords. Lord William, his eyes black and his nose now slightly angled, was closest, dancing with one of the merchant girls Thomas remembered from Goshawk’s party. Five other lords and their dance partners surrounded them, moving in concert with Thomas and Eileen. Thomas kept his face straight and forced away the panic that started to fill him. He kept circling, watching for knives or some other sign of violence. The lords made no sudden moves, but the circle of dancers drew tighter around Thomas and Eileen. Thomas was just about to speak to Lord William when someone jostled into the man.

“Oof!” Lord William nearly lost his grip on his partner. He opened his mouth to complain and shut it at once at the sight of Sir Lawrence, leading Lady Prellham easily through the steps of the dance.

“My apologies,” said Lawrence, and he and Lady Prellham danced away to be replaced first by Patrick and his wife, then George and Cecily, then Baron Goshawk with another girl who had been at his party. Thomas found himself slightly in awe of the co-ordination it must have taken to get them all dancing together, especially when the last couple in the chain turned out to be Henry and Amelia. Thomas gently twirled Eileen after them and the entire group moved in a stately line away from the lords and to the edge of the dance floor, just in time for the music to end.

“Well done,” said Thomas to Henry as the last of them stepped off the floor.

Henry smiled. “The compliments must go to Lady Prellham.” He bowed to the lady, who had resumed her seat. “As good a bit of strategy as ever I have seen.”

Lady Prellham accepted the compliment with a slight nod. “It should be an utterly unnecessary piece of strategy, Lord Henry. Those boys need to be reined in.”

“On that point we are in complete agreement,” said Henry. The musicians began another, livelier piece, and the floor filled with dancers.

“I want to sit down,” said Eileen. “My feet are starting to hurt.”

Eileen went to the chair beside Lady Prellham. She looked very frail, Thomas thought, and was about to offer to get her some wine when Baron Goshawk handed her a glass. “You look very tired.”

“I am.”

“Then perhaps we should all sit a while,” said the baron, taking the chair beside Eileen. “The dance floor will survive without us on it.”

Thomas scanned the room once, then again. “Where’s the envoy?”

“Left,” said Goshawk. “Just as we were coming onto the dance floor.”

“Well, that’s good anyway,” said Thomas.

“It is,” said Henry, taking another chair. “It is very good, in fact. The musicians will be taking a break, after this tune.”

“All right,” said Thomas. “So?”

“So watch where everyone goes,” said Henry.

The musicians played through the final tune of the set, and were roundly applauded. Bodies milled about, slowly clearing the dance floor in favour of places to sit and talk. Thomas watched, as Henry had instructed. At first, he could see no pattern to it at all. Soon, though, he saw that while people were moving about, for the most part they were gathered around Richard or John, or near the stage.

As we’re gathered around Henry
, Thomas realized. “Four groups,” he said. “Us, Richard, John, and those by the stage.”

“The duke’s group,” said Lady Prellham.

“With John’s closest to it,” said Henry, “Richard’s furthest, and us in between.”

Those by the stage were mostly older nobility, with some high-ranking merchants among them. The young lords were all near John, and most of those near Richard were merchants of middle rank.
Probably those who depend most on trade in the winter
. “We’re the smallest group.”

“I am the youngest,” said Henry. “I’d normally be sitting with Richard, but he wants to have some distance between himself and the possibility of witchcraft.”

“So I’m dividing the court?”

“Father Roberts is dividing the court,” said Goshawk. “Richard is just being circumspect about it.”

“As he explained to me a half hour ago,” said Henry. “He can’t afford to be seen as against the church right now. In fact, none of them can.”

Thomas turned to Goshawk. “How can you afford it?”

“I am not in a position of power,” said Goshawk. “My barony is a fair distance away, and I don’t even know if it is still standing.”

“So why aren’t you with Richard?”

“Henry went out at great risk to bring help. That deserves some recognition.” He smiled at Eileen. “Besides, my dance partner wanted to come here.”

“I’m just here because Henry asked me to dance last,” said Amelia. “And judging from my father’s face, he’s not happy about it.”

“Very gracious, baron,” said Eileen, ignoring Amelia.

“Very,” agreed Thomas with a smile that he hoped didn’t look as false as it felt. “Henry, what would have happened if your father or Father Roberts had stayed?”

“Then we would know for certain which way my father would be deciding to go.”

“Do we have to stay longer?” Eileen asked. “I really want to go.”

“The return of the musicians is an acceptable time to make an exit,” said Henry. “I need to stay, but Sir George and Thomas can escort you out.”

“Thank the Four.”

They drank wine and nibbled at some sweetmeats that Sir Patrick and Sir Lawrence brought to the table. At last, the musicians resumed their positions and struck up a dance tune. Couples headed for the floor, including Amelia and Henry. Baron Goshawk stayed where he was. Thomas turned to George and Eileen. “Are we ready to go?”

“Aye,” said George. “Just let me give my regards to Cecily’s parents.”

“Her parents?” Thomas repeated as George led Cecily away. “That sounds almost serious.”

“Almost,” said Eileen. George bowed—politely if not graciously—to Cecily’s parents, spoke to them briefly, and then took Cecily’s hand and raised it to his lips. She curtsied and George bowed to her before heading back to the table.

“He looks like a cat with cream on its whiskers,” said Eileen.

“Cecily is a very sweet girl,” said Baron Goshawk. “Though not as sweet as you.”

Thomas barely managed to keep from glaring at the baron. Eileen, rather than blushing bright red or hitting the man—the responses Thomas would have bet on—only stared at him.

“How can you think so?” Eileen asked. “You saw what I did this morning.”

“I did see,” the baron answered, rising. “I also know that, despite being under great strain and having to do something no young lady should have to do, you have managed to be charming and polite throughout this entire evening, which is no mean feat at all.” He held out his hand. “May I be permitted?”

Eileen extended her hand and the baron bent over it, brushing his lips against her knuckles. “You are a very brave young woman,” he said as he straightened. “And it has been my pleasure to dance with you tonight.”

A small smile crept across Eileen’s face, and for the first time that evening the expression did not seemed forced. “Thank you, Baron.”

He bowed to her. “Goodnight, then.”

That man is far, far too clever
, Thomas thought, wishing that he had managed half the baron’s wit and charm. He sighed and rose. “May I escort you to your rooms?” he asked Eileen.

“If her brother approves,” said Lady Prellham. “Which I doubt he will.”

“He approves,” said George coming up beside them. “Let’s get out of here.”

Thomas held out his arm, and Eileen put her hand through it. They followed George out the door, Lady Prellham and Rose taking up positions behind them. The main hallways were lit with candles, and a fair number of older courtiers were also making their way out. They moved slowly through the hallways and into the family wing. Thomas walked in silence, unable to think of anything to say that wasn’t inconsequential. At last they reached Eileen’s door. George, Lady Prellham and Rose all stood, waiting for Thomas to say goodnight.

“I’m sorry about today,” said Thomas at last. “All of it, except for the times when I got to dance with you.”

Eileen managed a smile, but it was tired and sad. Thomas squeezed her hands. “Will I see you at practice in the morning?”

Eileen bit her lip. “I don’t… I don’t think I want to…”

“Of course not.” Thomas mentally kicked himself. “At breakfast, then.”

“Yes,” agreed Eileen. “At breakfast.”

He bowed to her, and she let go his hands and went to her brother.

“Goodnight, Thomas,” said George.

Thomas bowed to him, then to Lady Prellham and Rose. “Goodnight.”

19

T
he practice room was cold and silent the next morning. Thomas hadn’t expected anyone to be there, but had hoped for Henry at least. He waited a quarter hour, then began exercising alone, running and climbing the ropes and pulling up on the bars. He had finished three circuits of the room by the time Baron Goshawk and Lord John stepped in.

Thomas, already tired, ran another circuit of the room’s ladders, ropes and bars, then a fifth, just to show he could. Baron Goshawk joined Thomas for the two laps. Lord John picked a practice rapier and began going through cuts and parries in the air.

Thomas called a stop at the end of his fifth lap.

“I see Miss Eileen isn’t in this morning,” said Lord John, lightly emphasizing her new title.

Thomas felt a heat that had nothing to do with the exercise. It came out in his tone. “And this surprises you?”

“Not really.” He gestured to the fencing floor. “A match, Thomas?”

“If you like,” said Thomas, puzzled. They put on protective gear, Thomas covered his rapier tip, and the two met on the floor.

“There was some talk among the lords of challenging you to a duel,” said Lord John. “I suggested it would be wise for someone to take your measure first.”

“You came here to see how well I could fight?” Thomas felt the heat inside him turn into a cold, vicious anger.

“Exactly,” said John. “Begin.”

John was an excellent fencer, nearly as good as Henry. Thomas fought him with a brutal precision, scoring three unanswered wounds on John before landing the killing blow.

“Well done,” called Goshawk from the sidelines.

“Very well done,” said Lord John. “I’ll be sure to tell the lords.”

“Do that,” said Thomas, stripping off his mask.

“Of course, it’s not likely that it will be just you that they attack,” said John. “Or do you think they’ve forgotten really who stabbed Charles?”

“If they go near her—”

“If they go near her,” said John, stepping close to Thomas and lowering his voice, “you will be powerless to stop them. You don’t have the rank, you don’t have enough friends, and you don’t have any influence to help keep them in check.”

Thomas faltered, “Henry—”

“Henry is busy,” said John. “My father has him running from council to council, appeasing the merchants and the councillors and convincing them that waiting until spring is actually the right thing to do. He isn’t here. And that old woman and child who accompany Eileen will do very little to stop the lords, should they want to do something nasty.” John waited for the words to sink in, then added. “And just to make it worse for you, you can’t go challenge them because we need their fathers on our side, come the spring.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” demanded Thomas, rage and helplessness making his voice rise.

“First, lower your voice,” said Lord John. “Second, don’t go outside the castle with Eileen. You’ll be easy targets. Third, find someone other than Henry who can protect her. Preferably a man of rank and influence.” He looked pointedly at Baron Goshawk, and Thomas realized that Lord John had kept his voice quiet enough not to carry to the baron’s ears. John smiled. “And it doesn’t hurt that Eileen likes him, either.”