Wrede, Patricia C - Mairelon 02 (21 page)

           
"It
didn't do you much good, did it?" Kim retorted. "And anyway, you
didn't get past them. You set off all the warning spells."

           
"I
was afraid it was three circles, and not two," Lord Starnes muttered,
suddenly deflated. "But if I'd gotten the spell right--"

           
Kim
snorted. "It still wouldn't have done you
no
good. Amateurs! Magic won't help if you can't even put your feet down
careful."

           
Mairelon's
mouth twitched in amusement. "Yes, well, no doubt he didn't anticipate
running across an expert on the crack lay," he said to Kim.

           
"Part
of the job is looking ahead," Kim said crossly. "He should
of
known I was here."

           
"Should
have known," Mairelon corrected. He leaned forward, and Kim saw an almost
undetectable tension in his shoulders. "I don't suppose you know where
Mannering is at the moment?" he asked Lord Starnes in a casual tone.

           
Lord
Starnes shook his head. "He's gotten very . . . strange these last few
weeks," he said in a confidential tone.
"Flies out
at people for no reason, that sort of thing.
And then a week and a half
ago, he closed his office. I was afraid he'd got hold of the other books
without me and gone off to
France
,
but it turned out it was no such thing."

           
"And
how do you know that, if you haven't seen Mannering in a week and a half?"
Mairelon said.

           
"Oh,
I've
seen
him.
Twice.
I just don't know where
he is."

           
Mairelon
and Kim looked at him in wordless expectation.

           
"He
sent me a note," Lord Starnes explained. "And then I went down to
meet him at some warehouse off the docks. It was a dreadful place, worse than
Hampstead.
Took my valet half a day to get the smell of fish
out of my coat."

           
"You
said you'd seen him twice," Mairelon said, emptying the last of the brandy
into Lord Starnes's glass. "Was it the same warehouse both times?"

           
"No.
The second one was even worse." Starnes shuddered in remembrance.
"Mannering didn't look well, either. I think his brain is turning. He
talked of sending a couple of footpads after that Russian fellow. What's the
point in that, when we've already got his copy of the book?"

           
"Footpads?"
Mairelon said thoughtfully. "What
a good thing for the prince that he's out of town."

           
"I've
thought a couple of times that I'd be better off out of it," Lord Starnes
said. "But there's Letitia . . ."

           
"Yes,
well, I doubt that Miss Tarnower will look favorably on your suit if you end up
in gaol."

           
Lord
Starnes's eyes widened. "I hadn't thought of that. But
you
know, you're right
." He emptied his glass and gazed mournfully into
the bottom.

           
Kim
rolled her eyes. Mairelon gave her a stern look and said to Starnes, "You
go home and think it over. If you have any more messages from this Mannering
fellow, let me know and I'll deal with him. But if you do any more breaking
into houses or stealing books--or even merely
trying
to steal them--I'll
be down in
Bow Street
the
next morning. Is that clear?"

           
Lord
Starnes was initially disposed to argue, but between them, Kim and Mairelon got
him out of the house at last, with the clear understanding that he was not to
attempt any more amateur burglaries.

           
"Do
you think he'll remember in the morning?" Kim said as they watched Lord
Starnes wobble off down the street.

           
"He'll
have the devil of a head after mixing gin and brandy, but he's not so well to
live that he'll forget what happened." Mairelon rubbed his forehead.
"Neither am I, though I almost wish I were. The more we find out, the less
sense any of it makes. If this keeps up, I'll be ready for Bedlam by the end of
the week."

           
Kim
swallowed hard as the memory of Ma Yanger rose unbidden in her mind.
"Don't joke about it."

           
"What?
No." Mairelon sighed. "I'm too tired to think straight now; it'll
have to wait until morning. Don't run off with one of your swains tomorrow
until we've had a chance to talk."

           
"I
won't," Kim told his back as it retreated up the stairs.

           
Kim did
not get to sleep for a long time; she had too much to think about. She was no
more satisfied with Lord Starnes's explanation than Mairelon had been--it left
too many things unexplained. How could Mannering have so suddenly become a
wizard? Who was the foreign wizard who had left those spells in English on
Mannering's desk?
And if Mannering was working with a
foreigner, which of them had ensorcelled Ma Yanger and Mairelon?
And why
had they bothered? There seemed to be no connection between the spells and the
supposed fortune that Lord Starnes was so eager to obtain, though it was
certainly plausible that Mannering would be more than a little interested in
the money.

           
On top of
Lord Starnes and Mannering, Kim was concerned about Mairelon. He was taking the
loss of his magic even harder than she'd realized
,
if
he'd started drinking nights in the library. But the most disturbing thing of
all, to which she kept returning like a tongue probing a sore tooth, was the
realization that she had fallen in love with her guardian.

           
When had
it happened? She wasn't quite sure. At their first meeting, she had feared his
magic, but that had not lasted more than fifteen or twenty minutes. The
often-exasperated fondness that had replaced the fear wasn't love. Nor was the
gratitude she
felt
because he had taken her out of the
precarious street life that was all she had known until then, nor the
also-often-exasperated respect that she had learned for him as a teacher, nor
the equally exasperated friendship that surfaced when they were poking around
some problem together. Exasperation, in fact, seemed to be a keynote of her
feelings toward Mairelon. Was that how you fell in love with someone, then--by
getting exasperated with him?

           
It had
certainly worked with Mairelon, though to the best of her recollection he had
never shown any feeling for her except a mild and absentminded affection. Maybe
she should try to make him exasperated with her. Kim sighed. Attractive as the
idea was, she doubted that it would help any, even if she could manage to do
it. Mairelon was harder to annoy than anyone she'd ever known; it was one of
the things that made him so exasperating. She smiled fondly,
then
caught herself. Rolling over, she punched her pillow hard in frustration.

           
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Even if she could, by some
miracle, get Mairelon to reciprocate her sentiments, what good would it be? For
all his turns as a marketplace performer, Mairelon was a gentleman born, and she
didn't know how to be a toff's wife. She didn't know how to be
anyone's
wife. She barely knew how to be a girl.

           
I used
to be good at ignoring what I wanted, when I knew it was impossible. What
happened?
But she knew what had happened: she'd spent a year in Mairelon's
company, learning wizardry and having dreams come true that she hadn't even
known she'd had. And anyway, you couldn't ignore anyone as exasperating as
Mairelon.

           
She
buried her head in the pillow.
I am going to sleep. There is no point in
thinking about this. I am going to sleep.
Now.

           
Eventually,
she did. But she did not sleep well, and when she went down to breakfast the
following morning, Mrs. Lowe commented that she appeared to have been overdoing
her social life.

           
"Yes,
you do look a bit hagged," Lady Wendall said. "Perhaps we should not
go to Lady Sefton's tonight, after all."

           
Before
Kim could answer, the door opened and Mairelon entered. He looked tired and
drawn, and he winced a little at the light from the windows, but his expression
was nonetheless more cheerful than she had seen it in several days. "Ah,
good, you're up, Kim," he said. "Are you free of engagements this
morning? I'd like you to join me on an errand or two."

           
"Richard,"
Mrs. Lowe said reprovingly, "we were just commenting that Kim has been
doing too much. It would be much better for her to stay home and rest."

           
"I
don't mind," Kim said quickly. If she had to miss something, she'd rather
it was a fashionable do at Lady Sefton's than a few hours of Mairelon's
company.

           
"You're
sure?" An uncertain, anxious look crossed Mairelon's face.

           
It was
gone in a moment, so quickly that even Lady Wendall did not notice, but Kim
frowned.
This has to have something to do with his magic.
"Of
course I'm sure," she said.

           
"That's
all right, then," Mairelon said in a tone of mild relief that was
altogether at odds with that brief expression of uncertainty. He picked up a
plate and then hesitated, eyeing the eggs and sausage with evident doubt.

           
Mrs. Lowe
frowned. "But, Richard--"

           
"I
think it is a very good idea indeed," Lady Wendall interrupted. She had
been looking sharply from Mairelon to Kim, but now she gave Mrs. Lowe her full
attention. "We have been remiss in allowing Kim to fall behind in her
magic lessons; and magic is, after all, a significant part of the good
impression she has made. Of course she must go with Richard." She glanced
at Mairelon and added sweetly, "And I am sure you will tell me
all
about it when you return."

           
"Oh,
I doubt that there'll be much to tell," Mairelon said. "Errands are
generally uneventful, you know."

           
"Not
yours, dear," Lady Wendall replied.

           
Feeling
considerably more cheerful herself, Kim applied herself to her breakfast.
Mairelon did not eat much, so they finished at about the same time. "Don't
forget your sunshade this time, Kim," Mrs. Lowe advised as they rose to
leave.

           
Kim made
a face, but made sure she had it with her as they left the house. Not listening
to another one of Mrs. Lowe's thundering scolds was worth the minor
inconvenience of carrying a parasol, especially since she could always leave it
in the carriage.

           
"Where
are we going?" she asked Mairelon as he handed her into the coach.

           
"The
George," Mairelon said as he settled into the seat opposite. "If
Prince Alexei Durmontov is back, they'll be the first to know where he's
putting up; he'll have to let them know where to send his mail. And if the
prince hasn't returned, someone may have an idea where he's gone. I don't like
the sound of those footpads Starnes was talking about last night."

           
Kim
frowned. Then, reluctantly but unable to resist asking, she said, "Why do
you want me along for that?"

           
The coach
began to move. Mairelon hesitated, then, with an evident reluctance more than
equal to Kim's, said, "I promised Shoreham I wouldn't go anywhere without
someone along who can handle protective spells."

           
"What?"
Kim stared. "You mean
,
that's why you haven't
gone anywhere unless Shoreham or Kerring was around?"

           
"Shoreham's
worried about another attack," Mairelon said. "I think he's wrong;
the only time the house-wards have even been tested was last night, and that
turned out to be the congenial Lord Starnes. But that's Shoreham for you."

           
"And
you're counting
me
as a wizard?" Kim said, completely
thunderstruck. She wasn't nearly good enough for something like this; she could
barely handle a standard warding spell!

           
"You've
been doing the house-wards for a week and a half," Mairelon said in a low
voice. "And Shoreham taught you Gerard's Refuge himself. Besides, I'm not
anticipating any trouble."

           
"That's
the problem," Kim grumbled. "You never do."

           
A
reluctant smile tugged at the corners of Mairelon's mouth.
"Never?
Surely I haven't been
that
consistent."

           
Kim
laughed in spite of herself. "I bet Hunch would agree with me."

           
"That's
taking unfair advantage," Mairelon said.

           
"What's
unfair about it?" Kim demanded.

           
The coach
drew up outside the George, relieving Mairelon of the need to answer. Inside,
the concierge informed them that Prince Durmontov had returned to town late the
previous evening. It was a very great pity that they had not arrived a few
minutes earlier; he had just that morning been to the George to pick up his
letters. No, he had not left very long ago. Where?
Probably
on some errand.
The prince did not discuss his schedule with the staff.
Yes, he had had several messages waiting; Mr. Merrill's was undoubtedly among
them. Well, he really wasn't supposed to talk about the guests' affairs, but
since Mr. Merrill was so generous, and the prince was no longer really a guest
. . . There had been a note from a lady--no direction, naturally, but quite
clearly feminine in origin--and a number of invitations and cards, as well as
two or three other personal notes, and a singularly odd missive delivered by a
scruffy fellow with a sour disposition, not at all the sort that the George was
accustomed to receiving.
That one?
Yes, now that Mr.
Merrill mentioned it, it was after reading that note that the prince had left,
and in a bit of a hurry. And he had asked for directions to Gray's
Inn
,
though that was clearly not his destination; no gentleman would--

           
"Mannering
owns a bowsing ken by Gray's
Inn
," Kim interrupted.
"And around there, anyone who saw a couple of wild rogues taking a gentry
cove would be careful not to take notice."

           
"We'll
try that, then," Mairelon said. "Come on; if we hurry, we may catch
up with him before they do." He tossed the concierge another guinea as
they departed. As the carriage rattled over the cobblestones, Mairelon said,
"Have you practiced Gerard's Refuge since Shoreham taught you?"

           
"A
couple of times," Kim said warily. "Do you think we'll need it?"

           
"It's
possible," Mairelon said. There was a new tension in his shoulders, and he
leaned forward slightly in his seat as if urging the coach onward.
"Mannering would be a fool to decoy a wizard without being prepared to
deal with magic. And so far as we know, he's not a fool."

           
And we
know how he deals with wizards.
Kim shivered. No wonder Mairelon was in a
hurry; the thought of another wizard falling prey to the same antimagic spell
affecting him would make him wild.

           
"I
don't suppose you'd be willing to stay in the carriage?" Mairelon went on,
giving her a sideways look.

           
"No,"
Kim said firmly. "If anybody stays, it should be you. I'm just an
apprentice; you're a wizard, and if they think you can do magic, they'll go for
you first. And after the way we did the illusion at that ball, they have to
think you can still do magic."

           
"That's
true," Mairelon said, sounding more cheerful. "I'd forgotten."

           
Kim
blinked. "Then you'll stay here?"

           
"What?
No, of course not.
With any luck--"

           
The
carriage stopped abruptly, and they heard Hunch swearing from the coachman's
perch. Mairelon opened the door and sprang out without waiting for the steps to
be let down. "Cast the Refuge," he said over his shoulder, and ran
forward.

           
Cursing
her skirts, Kim struggled out of the carriage and looked around. Hunch was
still occupied with the reins, though a groom had jumped down from the back of
the coach and was running to take the horses' heads. Mairelon was halfway down
a narrow, refuse-choked alley leading directly away from the carriage door. At
the far end, two solidly built men with their faces wrapped in mufflers were
dragging a third man toward a waiting cart. True to Kim's prediction, the few
people in the vicinity were paying no attention whatever to the attack in
progress; they seemed far more interested in the presence of a gentleman's
coach-and-four in such an unlikely location.

           
Kim
started forward, clutching her sunshade like a club. Then she heard the
sharp-edged words of a spell coming from the far end of the alley, and hastily
cast the refuge spell that Shoreham had taught her. An instant later, an
enormous gout of flame exploded around the combatants, roaring from wall to
wall as high as the second row of bricked-up windows, and she felt a magical
pressure against her shield. Over the roaring of the flames came a loud,
high-pitched whine that hurt the ears even as far back as Kim was standing.

           
The cart
horse shied and bolted, taking the cart with it and leaving the attackers
nowhere to take their victim. The attackers themselves lost interest in their
erstwhile prey and ran hell-for-leather down the alley toward Kim. One of them
slammed full tilt into Mairelon, and both men went down. The other villain
continued toward Kim, oblivious to his companion's misfortune.