Magic in the Stars (35 page)

“Remarkable.” He pressed kisses across her cheek. “I’ll have
to start thinking about installing a valet next.”

“I have a few ideas about a valet as well,” she said while
all that temptation loomed over her. She wanted to wipe away her predictions as
much as he wanted to wipe away the burdens he carried—and they’d learned a very
good way of doing so.

“Will your ideas wait until morning?” He didn’t give her
time to answer but covered her mouth with his.

Aster was absolutely positive that valets could wait until morning.
She wasn’t certain her other news ought to wait, but she allowed Theo to charm
and seduce her rather than add to his burdens.

***

It was remarkable how much easier it was to face a gray
day when Theo had a woman to wake him with kisses—one who didn’t insist on
repairing her hair or asking for jewels before he tumbled her between the
sheets again. He almost felt like a new man when he sprawled in utter satiation
across soft linen on a mattress as fluffy as a cloud, with his wife’s heavenly
breasts crushed into his ribs.

“I read your mother’s journal,” she murmured into his
shoulder.

Theo let that slide right by him. He’d given her the
journal, after all. He’d expected her to read it.

“She’s not on the Malcolm family tree, so I don’t know if
she really had a gift for prescience,” she rambled, seemingly aimlessly.

Too replete to move, Theo summoned ancient memories. “Her
family lived in the Americas for a long time, but her father inherited a title
and brought his family back here.” Theo knew he should get up and go over the
ledgers with Browne this morning, but newlyweds ought to be given some leisure,
he decided.

“Along with prophesying about angels falling from the
heavens, your mother predicted a summer of very bad weather that would bring
tragedy and danger to your family,” Aster whispered. “I cannot say I yet
understand Uranus, but if I’m calculating its effect correctly, we are both now
sitting on the part of catastrophe. Your mother’s journal agrees.”

Theo winced. “
Both
of us?” That was his real fear—losing this piece of heaven at his side. He
didn’t want to go back to the dull days of living with his sweaty brothers in a
decrepit hovel. Aster’s colorful world delighted him—
Aster
delighted him. So much so that he probably ought to get up
before he ravished her again. “I thought it was just commerce we affected,” he
said in derision.

“I told you, our
home
is in danger, which necessarily includes the entire family.” She pinched him
for his disbelief. “Even the twins are my family now. Perhaps we should head
for Scotland and not come back until the danger is past.”

“Will that help?” he asked in idle curiosity. “Are we the
danger? If we leave, will everyone else be safe?” He had no objection to an
excuse for heading north and escaping the estate burden, although his brothers
might have something scathing to say about it.

“Together, we are part of the danger, yes,” she said
reluctantly. “But we cannot stop the weather—or prevent tragedy—by leaving. I’m
sorry. I can’t be more clear than to say the Hall and the manufactory seem to
be the focus.”

He growled irascibly and hugged her closer. “I don’t care
about your damned charts. I just want it understood that whatever we do, we do
together. I will not have you leaving me as you did your family because you
fear you’re the problem.”

She nodded warily. “It was easier when it was just me,” she
said. “It is very hard to protect everyone and still do my duty.”

“Then worry about hiring servants,” he suggested. “That’s
easier than wondering if we should hire an army to surround us.”

“I’ll need to have the rest of my things brought here,” she
said, apparently ready to be diverted. “Do I close up my home and bring my
servants here? I will have to find a new home for my cook, if so.”

“No, let us leave your house for our escape,” Theo said,
relieved to be discussing the mundane and not the impossible. “I like the idea
that we have a place in London we can visit anytime we like. You may want to
keep a skeleton staff there, and we can bring additional servants with us when
we go up. I know Duncan has a townhouse, but it’s large and in one of the older
parts of town. I think he rents it out.”

Her smile of delight erased all other concerns.

“I didn’t want to seem demanding, but I like Town. So it
will be lovely if we can visit. Perhaps we can go up soon and choose what to
send here.” She frowned again. “I wish I knew if it was better if we were not
here this next week.”

He ignored her reference to the planets and pretended she
spoke of practical matters. “If the weather lets up, I’ll go out tonight and
see if the moons of Saturn are visible. Once I have my paper ready, I can
arrange to meet with the Astronomical Society.”

That got Theo stirring. He leaned over and kissed his
perspicacious bride. “Command your troops, general. And I’ll command mine, and
soon, we’ll have this war won.”

Theo’s confidence carried him through the tedious accounting
session with Browne—who truly did carry the numbers in his head but couldn’t
write them down if a gun were held to his brainpan. Theo transcribed the
information and handed it off to Jacques to put into the ledgers in proper
form. Someday, he supposed, the amounts might even have meaning. For now, he
felt fortunate to have them written down for reference.

“Are you keeping Lady Azenor’s London house?” Jacques asked
a little too casually as Theo was preparing to leave the office.

Theo froze, not completely willing to discuss their plans
for occasional escape yet. “Of course, why?”

“She said I should spend more time in London making myself
known among the theater community, and I realize she’s right. I thought if I
had a place to stay, I might learn my way around better.” Jacques bent over the
ledgers, trying not to look too eager.

Theo did his best not to pull his hair. He needed Jacques
here
, with Duncan. And he wanted the
town house for himself and Aster. But that was his selfishness talking again.

With a sigh, he agreed. “I’ll talk to Aster. It’s a small
place. I don’t know if she’ll wish to spend much keeping it open.” He hoped
that was restrained enough not to insult Jacques, who really did need to set
out on his own. “I hadn’t realized you were interested in theater.”

Jacques flashed one of his grins. “Lady Azenor knew without
my saying a word. Your lady is a bit spooky.”

“In a good way,” Theo reluctantly acknowledged. He still
didn’t believe in the zodiac, but Aster had inexplicable insights he was coming
to accept. “You should tell the twins to let you know when their mother is in
town. She might introduce you around.”

“You should have Duncan open the townhouse,” Jacques
suggested. “Their mother is more likely to be polite if we offered something in
return—like a place to stay or an occasional dinner. Now that we have a woman in
the family, we can entertain more.”

“If only we didn’t have to stay here to be certain the
family fortune isn’t pillaged and stolen,” Theo said dryly. “You talk Duncan
into selling the London tomb and buying something more fashionable. I have to
go count turnips.”

Despite his discouraging words, Theo was still feeling
remarkably optimistic as he rode out to discuss new barn roofs and try to
decipher Browne’s questions about the upcoming fall harvest. All he could do
was gather information to take back to Duncan, who was probably walking the floors
and smashing windows by now.

If they could pry Duncan out of the house so he could
discuss these things with the tenants and other landowners, life would be
simpler. But his brother had hidden in his chair through the wedding, then
refused to join them in the stable party. The marquess didn’t appear prepared
to meet with anyone but family yet.

Pondering tying up his brother and flinging him into a
carriage to cart about the countryside, Theo progressed through the remainder
of the day’s tasks.

He stopped at the tavern on the way home, just to wet his
thirst. He knew Duncan often came here to talk with the men in town, but Theo
hadn’t a clue what they discussed and wasn’t committed to learning. He was
still pondering tying up Duncan and hauling him around. Duncan had, after all,
promised Browne that he’d meet with the other farm managers so Browne needn’t
do so. But the inability to ride up on his big stallion—lord of all he
surveyed—was no doubt painful to Dunc’s pride.

Theo recognized the mayor and squire huddled at a table with
other men whose faces were familiar, but he hadn’t bothered learning their
official capacity. He supposed they might be merchants. Since they didn’t sell
telescope parts, Theo hadn’t had much reason to call on them.

He stepped up to the bar to order ale and felt silence fall
around him. Even he wasn’t dense enough not to notice.

Sipping his ale, he raised his eyebrows at the innkeeper
respectfully keeping his distance while polishing his mugs. “Am I wearing a monkey
on my back?”

The innkeeper shrugged. “The vicar and squire’s wives called
on yours today.”

Theo tried to imagine how that might have gone but couldn’t.
Human nature simply wasn’t predictable. “I assume Aster didn’t poison anyone.”

“No, she told them the rains were part of a pattern of
disaster, or something of the sort, and that the stars say they won’t clear
until September.” The innkeeper kept his voice low, glancing at the table of
muttering men in the corner.

It was Theo’s turn to shrug. “The rain has been pretty disastrous.
We’ve lost a lot of crops already.”

“The squire’s lost more. He didn’t install the drainage you
did, as I understand it. Same as with the others.”

“And this is my fault?” Theo asked, suffering an uneasy
sensation in the pit of his stomach.

“There’s some said your mother was a witch. With your lady
wife prophesying disaster until September, they’re wondering if you married one
too, and if she’s the reason your fields are faring better.”

Theo wondered if there was enough ale in all the kingdom to
drown superstitious ninnyhammers. Deciding there wasn’t, he slammed down his
mug and stalked out. He simply didn’t have what it took to deal with muttonheads.

He had a beautiful wife to go home to . . .
and there wasn’t a damned thing witchy about her.

Most of the time
.
He winced, remembering her painfully accurate predictions. If she was right
about the rain, would the villagers decide to burn the witch—and the Hall with
it?

Aster wrapped her shawl against the evening breeze on the roof
and anxiously watched Theo adjust his telescope. The sky had cleared again, as
if just for them, and a million stars twinkled overhead. She could not imagine
how he could find a planet, much less count the moons surrounding one, in that
enormous ocean of beauty. She simply prayed that he could achieve what he
sought. He deserved this opportunity.

His lanky frame stiffened, and he groped for his notebook.
Aster handed it over with his pencil, her anticipation elevating a notch. He
scribbled hastily and handed the items back to her so he could adjust the glass
again.

She clutched the notebook at his grunt of excitement. She
wanted to ask questions but didn’t dare disturb his concentration.

Theo whistled in excitement. “It’s there,” he whispered. “In
the outer orbit, as I expected—the seventh moon. Perfect, absolutely perfect. I
wish there were a way to record this image. I’ll not see it so perfectly
again.” He held out his hand for the notebook.

“Seven moons,” Aster repeated in awe. “I cannot imagine such
a thing. If there were people living on Saturn, can you picture what a sight
that would be?”

“People cannot live on rock with only gas to breathe, but
one must wonder what’s on the moons. Herschel will be thrilled. This means the
Society could gain royal recognition. We’ll be the
Royal
Astronomical Society.”

He turned and caught Aster up in a hug. “I did it! I proved
my scope is strong enough to see farther than any other! We’ll have orders
pouring in once I introduce my paper to the Society.”

She covered his bristled jaw with kisses. “Don’t go finding
any more planets until I figure out Uranus, please.”

“Then hurry, because I’m pretty certain I can find another
once I study the numbers.” He swung her around exuberantly. “It’s miraculous
having someone to share this with. If we weren’t already married, I’d ask you
again.”

Aster laughed, thrilled more than she could express, but
still wary of calamity—especially calamity she might not predict since her
charts were now in disarray. “Remember that when I do something that upsets
your plans.”

“Telling Herschel your philosophy ought to do that,” he
said, but his disgruntlement was buried beneath his desire to return to his
scope.

He wasn’t reneging on his promise! She wrapped her arms
around him. “I will be very mathematical, I promise.”

He kissed her, then set her down to check his scope again. “He’s
more inclined to scientific persuasion than the village, I suppose. You’ve almost
convinced the village that you’re a witch, and that Iveston is benefitting from
your magic. If only you could wave an enchanted wand and make Duncan see again,
I’d sacrifice cows for you.”

Knowing his opinion of cows, she laughed—and hid her
concern. Villagers generally did not see
witches
as benefactors. Her family had suffered for generations from that kind of
prejudice, but this was an enlightened age. She hoped. “I’m not fond of cows,
but hiring gardeners for the courtyard might keep me happy.”

“A gardener, it is.” Apparently satisfied that he had all
his calculations properly recorded, he picked up the lantern. “You are a
distraction, my lady. I should take this opportunity to search beyond Uranus,
but I can think only of celebrating in your bed.”