‘Yes,’ the fellow agreed, ‘breathtaking is just the word to describe the scenery, despite the chill I detected in the air this morning. Still, I trust that with the spring the atmosphere will be far more accommodating.’
I understood his implication well enough.
‘The hunting is very fine too,’ Simon said, thankfully sparing me from having to respond. ‘Miss Granville is quite a fine shot herself, although she refuses to aim at anything living.’
The gentlemen had a laugh at my expense.
‘It is a woman’s nature to create and not destroy, is it not?’ I piped up in my own defence.
‘Then why learn to shoot at all?’ Lord Devere inquired, curious as to my motive.
‘One never knows when one might be faced with an animal that can shoot back,’ I replied winningly. ‘Better to have some skill with a gun or a bow and arrow than to leave oneself defenceless and in need of saving.’
‘What an extraordinary viewpoint you have, Miss Granville,’ Lord Devere commented.
‘Well,’ Lord Derby intervened on my behalf, ‘I dare say that our Miss Granville is a rather extraordinary lady.’
‘I believe that she is,’ Mr Devere commented, his pleasant smile showing some cheek, as I could see this morning’s encounter playing on his mind.
‘What woman could pride herself on being ordinary?’ I asked.
‘Far too many, unfortunately,’ Mr Devere said with glee, as the steward entered to inform us that breakfast was served. ‘Miss Granville?’ The fair young lord offered me his arm to escort me to the dining room.
As Simon was escorting his bride-to-be, Lord Derby was escorting Lady Cavandish, and Lord Devere had offered Susan his arm, I had little choice but to smile and graciously accept.
After breakfast the men decided upon a little game shooting and although I was invited to join them I declined, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to escape into the gardens and try out my summons. Miss Devere was exhausted from her journey and had gone to her quarters to rest for a while.
‘So…tell me all.’ Susan trailed me through the garden. ‘What did you see? Is Lord Devere not very fine indeed?’
‘Yes. The entire family is very fine,’ I asserted. ‘They are all in fine health and good spirits, and have no ill will to speak of.’
Susan clapped her hands at this. ‘And do you think I made a good first impression on Lord Devere?’
My pace slowed at the question for I did find it rather amusing. ‘I did note that his heart centre had a rather rosy pink glow to it, but…’ I spoke up over her pending excited outburst, ‘as I did not see him before you made his acquaintance, I cannot say for sure if you inspired this excess of goodwill.’
‘Oooooh,’ she pouted, my answer not quite what she wanted. ‘Do you think that another might have already stolen his heart? Did you pick up on some thought to that effect?’
‘Susan, you know that I have been trained to protect myself from the thoughts of others by Lady Charlotte, lest I go mad in society.’
‘But you can still do it if you want to,’ she suggested gamely. ‘Will you?’
My perturbed look was not the response that Susan had been fishing for.
‘As a very special favour to me.’ She clasped both hands together and used her big blue eyes to try and enlist me to her cause.
‘And what shall you do for me in return?’ I teased, knowing full well I would never hear the end of it until I agreed.
‘What can I do?’ she appealed, keen to strike a deal.
As we had reached the large patch of lawn amid the gardens which I felt to be perfect for my purpose, I halted and turned Susan back to face the house. ‘You can keep watch for me and make sure that I am not interrupted.’
‘Why?’ Susan was immediately intrigued and a little worried. ‘What are you going to do?’
‘Ah, no questions,’ I bargained. ‘Do we have a deal or not?’
‘I suppose.’ Susan was reluctant. ‘Will this take long?’
‘Not long.’ I searched for a stick and moving onto the patch of lawn I carefully drew a large unbroken circle around me.
‘Is this some kind of witchcraft?’ Susan queried, keeping her voice as low as she could; the idea obviously distressed her.
‘You’re supposed to be watching that way.’ I pointed to the house, whereupon Susan gave a heavy sigh and complied with my instructions.
I knelt in the centre of my protected space and pulled out my treasure stone. Focusing my intent upon it, I began to recite in a low tone the incantation that I had memorised.
