Page 12 of Unexpected Magic

“Me, my father, and the steward,” said Miss Nettleford. “We are the ones who visit the farms and other tenants. Also, I am—or I was—on several parish committees.” She took a deep breath and let it out in an audible sigh. “Oh, dear,” she said.

Oh dear, indeed. Jasper, of all people, could understand the burden of having a gift that gave the holder no benefits and could not be controlled.

Sister Louise had a more optimistic view. “Your gift is very unusual, Delia, but also rather magnificent. I feel privileged to be present at this time. I daresay the king will be sending selected groups to Dronsford Castle for you to meet, and perhaps affect. How interesting this is going to be.”

The good sister’s reaction was that of a scientist. Miss Nettleford, however, displayed more personal concerns.

“How shall I learn to control it?” she asked.

The nun looked at her with compassion, and then asked Jasper, “Do you know of a way, Mr. Thornton? Surely the College of Mages have some information about catalysts in their library.”

“I wasn’t told about the presence of a catalyst until I arrived in Chester,” Jasper told her. “I have checked the mages’ library at the Duke of Pontefract’s palace, and I have asked for London to send me everything they can find.”

Miss Nettleford asked her next question in a slightly defeated tone, as if she expected the answer that he had to give. “Was there nothing helpful?”

“Nothing that seemed helpful to me, but you will have access to everything I can gather, Miss Nettleford. You might see something that I have missed.”

“I shall help you,” Sister Louise told the lady. “My sisters and I can stay at least for a short time.”

“Thank you,” said Miss Nettleford. “Thank you both. Mr. Thornton, I appreciate you being honest with me.”

Jasper bowed. “I shall try to always be honest with you, Miss Nettleford. And I am at your service for as long as I am your escort. I shall do my best to help you in any way that you need.”

“Thank you,” said Miss Nettleford again. She frowned, and opened her mouth, but a deafening and otherworldly shriek from the direction of the bow interrupted anything else she might have intended to say. From somewhere on the boat came the sound of glass shattering.

“Oh dear,” said Sister Louise.

“Mary is awake, and is excited about something,” Miss Nettleford explained. “You must excuse me, Mr. Thornton,” and she hurried away.

What a pity she had been claimed by little Sapphire. She really was a magnificent woman.

Chapter Six

The canal boatJennie Rose made good time. Members of the escort took it in turns to ride ahead, warning other boats on the canal that a fast boat on the king’s business was coming through, so they had time to pull toward the opposite bank and drop their tow rope.

Delia and Polly watched with fascination as their boat passed others. The ropes were made of cotton fibers so they would sink deep into the canal. The other canal horses would pull over onto the grass verge of the tow path, so the Jennie Rose’s horse could step over the part of the tow rope on the ground, while her hull sailed over the top of the sunken rope and passed the other boat.

They joined the Trent and Mersey Canal by around noon, and turned onto the Macclesfield Canal at Kidsgrove in the midafternoon.

By nightfall, they were approaching Macclesfield itself. Since leaving Nettleford Grange this morning, they had completed eight miles of road, and more than 70 miles of canals. They had traversed dozens of locks, glided under more bridges than Polly, who had been counting them, had numbers for, and passed so many canal boats that the careful orchestration of the maneuver had long since lost its interest for the passengers.

The tasks of the day had remained the same, even if the scenery was more interesting. Delia was feeling a little unwell and vaguely sore, though she could not put a finger on what it was that hurt. It was not enough to prevent her from carryingout her duties. Sapphire and Mary needed to be fed, amused, cleaned up after, and soothed to sleep. And it was all to do again no more than an hour later.

At least the egg required nothing more than to be close (but not too close) to the little pot belly stove that heated the cabin, and turned from time to time to keep the warmth even.

Mr. Thornton must have been satisfied with progress, for he sent word that they would stop for the night and continue in the morning. “Mr. Thornton says it will be a shorter day tomorrow,” the nun who brought the message disclosed. “We shall be at our destination by noon, he says.”

Polly, peering out of the window into the dusk, reported that the soldiers of the king’s guard were setting tents in the fields beyond the tow path, and then the two sisters who had been cooking dinner on the little stove announced it was ready. By the time they had eaten, Mary was awake again and it was, besides, too late to see anything by gawking out of the window.

Delia did not see Mr. Thornton again that evening or in the morning, either. They headed out not long after dawn, with those in the front cabin having no contact with the remainder of the party, whether they were at the other end of the boat or on the bank.

They had been traveling for about an hour, and Delia was heating milk for her charges, when both Sapphire and Mary became agitated.

Sapphire leapt to his feet, and skittered around the room, slashing at shadows with his horn. His eyes had turned purple. Mary whimpered and tossed her head from side to side.

“What is it, babies?” Delia asked, hurrying to put a soothing hand on Sapphire, who shook it off and charged the wall. Polly picked Mary up and began rocking her. At that moment, a hard blow shook the canal bow, and a distant voice that Delia recognized as the guard captain’s shouted, “To arms!”

Sister Louise burst in without knocking. “Stay away from the windows,” she ordered. “We are under attack.” She closed the door and stood facing the door in the stance that Delia had seen in village plays—feet slightly apart, sleeves pushed up, arms lifted slightly with the hands open and facing the door.