Page 147 of Triumph at Pemberley

Roderick laughed. “The boy could have a worse teacher.”

“He is six years old!” Frederica exclaimed.

He ran his fingertip down her cheek. “Old enough for a wooden sword.”

She would make certain he did not take it to Pemberley. Elizabeth and Darcy would never forgive her for introducing weapons to young Jack.

Warmth filled Darcy when Elizabeth came to his study. He had not expected her back from the Nest yet, but he no longer feared something had gone terribly wrong when she sought him out unexpectedly. Now he could simply bask in her beloved presence.

He came around his desk and took her hand, raising it to his lips for a gentle caress. He missed the days when he could take her in his arms with only the worry of being observed by an indulgent servant. With so many young children in the house, they had agreed to restrain themselves when they were not behind firmly closed doors. But he could communicate a great deal by gazing intently into Elizabeth’s lovely eyes.

Her impish smile told him she had not missed his message. “Much as I would like to do something more enjoyable,” she murmured, “there is something I must tell you about first.” She did not seem distressed, though, as she turned and closed the door.

According to the new rules, he could now put his arms around her, so he did. With great pleasure. “What is it?”

She snuggled in, resting her head in the familiar place on his shoulder. “I wanted you to hear this from me rather than Coquelicot. I went to the Nest today to open the new Gate to Peru, but when Rana Akshaya saw me, she snorted in disgust and said it would have to wait until I was not doing that thing anymore.”

Amused, he asked, “Pray tell, what abominable thing are you doing?”

She stepped back and took both of his hands. “When pressed, she informed me that she did not want another mortal who could interfere with Gates, so she was forbidding me from opening any more until I was done with ‘that egg.’”

That egg. Translating from dragon terms to human ones, that meant… “Does she think you are increasing?”

She squeezed his hands. “Apparently she is certain of it, though it was a surprise to me. I have not noticed any changes, but she is rarely wrong. And she truly wants this Peruvian Gate.”

“How do you feel about it?” He did not want to assume, to celebrate if she was concerned. Her last confinement had not been easy. For either of them.

“Oh, I am happy, both for another baby and for a break from opening Gates. It is rather tiring.”

He nodded. Neither of them had expected how frequently her services would be in demand. Sometimes for Gate-less Nests across Britain and Europe, but more often for far-flung locations. The letters Rana Akshaya had sent around the world had borne fruit. Dragons and their companions trickled in from Russia, the Americas, Abyssinia, and more, bringing Elizabeth images for new Gates. The streets of Kympton felt more like London these days, full of people from across the Empire and beyond.

It made it hard for her to travel, too. They had gone to Gwynedd for Granny’s ninety-fifth birthday, and again for her funeral six months later, where they had joined in the remembrances for the remarkable woman who had changed Elizabeth’s life – and England’s future – by arranging her bond to Cerridwen.

Fortunately, the rest of Elizabeth’s family was willing to journey to see her. Jane Bingley brought young Tommy every year for Christmas, often accompanied by Mr. Bennet. Bingley himself never returned to Pemberley. He had returned to Longbourn with Jane, but preferred to spend much of the year in Italy where no one knew his past.

Elizabeth continued, “I agree that I should not take the chance, after what happened the first time.” She had been opening Gates at a remarkable pace while carrying young Jack, and his Talent had somehow become entangled with them. They would not know more until he was older, but even as a toddler he had been drawn to the Gate in the new Nest and could interfere with its settings, something no mortal besides Elizabeth could do. Given young Jack’s daredevil streak, they worried that one day their son would accidentally find himself halfway across the world.

“What does Cerridwen say?”

“She is glad of the change. It will give her more time to work on the Artifact for her friend.” Two years ago, a bedraggled companion and his dragon came through one of the new Himalayan gates, having traveled all the way from China. All the other Chinese Nests had declined to connect with outside dragons, but one small Nest decided to accept Rana Akshaya’s offer.

Because they had a Seer.

A young dragon who had recently come into her abilities was having visions of a disastrous war in China. Her companion had weak mage skills, but could perceive the foundations.

Once Cerridwen had learned Chinese, both she and Elizabeth established a warm correspondence with their new counterparts. Cerridwen was determined to replicate Iorweth’s Artifact and send it to China. More than that, it was a comfort for them to share the trials of Seers.

Cerridwen was now known far and wide for her visions, though they came rarely since the threat of Napoleon was gone. Still, once Elizabeth provoked a vision by mentioning that Princess Charlotte and Jasper were going on a state visit to France and Spain. Express riders thundered from Pemberley to London that day. The trip was cancelled instantly on the word of Cerridwen the Seer. Afterwards, Elizabeth started telling Cerridwen more about mortal news, just in case.

“Do you ever miss the days when there were only a few dragons here and we did not live in the center of draconic events?” he asked. And all too many human happenings, too. Darcy had taken on a secretary to deal with the many requests for information from the new British Minister for Dragon Affairs and the letters from ailing acquaintances begging him to persuade Coquelicot to heal them. Far more people wanted a healer dragon’s services than she could manage, so she had mostly limited herself to children and young mothers. And where once Pemberley’s wards had stood against invaders, now they kept out crowds of curiosity-seekers and travelers anxious to see the magical place where Napoleon was defeated by English mages and dragons.

“Sometimes, yes,” she said. “But it is so exciting to meet people from all over the world! I have learned so much from them. And I am glad to see Cerridwen and Coquelicot getting the recognition they deserve. I never thought we would be this busy, though, if we survived Napoleon.” She touched her wrist where Ysmeina’s Cuff had once rested. It had been returned to the Dark Peak Nest, to be kept among their treasures.

And now there would be another child. Darcy hoped it would be the second daughter they longed for, one who would be named Amelia in honor of her late great-great-grandmother. Unlike Jenny, Amelia could live without the weight of prophecy upon her. He adored Jenny, who shared Elizabeth’s sense of humor and her sparkling eyes, but his little girl had to grow up too fast. Fortunately, she was a good-natured child.

He embraced Elizabeth and nuzzled her neck, paying particular attention to the sensitive spot that always made her gasp. “What would you say to spending tomorrow at the cottage, just the two of us?” It had become their private haven, their little refuge at the heart of Pemberley, where they had so often come together in love.

She arched her head to give him better access, and said in a husky voice, “I can think of nothing I would like better.”