Dora smiled calmly at her cousin. “I am very glad that I came to London,” she said. “And I will not regret that either, whatever else happens. But are you happy to be engaged, Vanessa? Is Edward the husband that you would have wanted?”
Vanessa hesitated. “He is very handsome,” she said. “And he seems very kind. And that night that we danced with all those stars surrounding us, it was quite romantic.” She looked down at her lap. “I now realise that I do not know him very well. But I suppose that I was never to know my husband very well. I hope that he is truly everything he seems.”
“Albert believes that his brother is a good man,” Dora said. “And I trust that he is truthful on the matter.”
Vanessa chewed at her lip. “Has the marquess ceased to be a problem, Dora?” she asked. “Do you think that you would marry Albert now? The two of you do seem to get along, and we would see so much more of one another that way.”
Dora shot her cousin a bemused look. “The marquess is no more,” she said. “And I may marry whom I like, as long as they do not mind marrying only half of me. I admit that I would consider marrying anyone if it gave me the chance to stay near you. But I am already in love, and I suppose that I have already promised to marry someone else.”
Vanessa’s eyes widened. “You suppose?” she said. “And you are in love! Dora, why did you not say anything?”
“I did not know myself until most recently,” Dora said. “But perhaps it has all worked out for the best.” She paused uncertainly. “That is assuming that the man in question ever returns—”
A knock at the door interrupted that train of thought. Lady Carroway headed in looking very flustered, holding a vase of fresh white roses in her arms. There was something distinctly different about these flowers, however—and after a moment of looking at them, Dora realised that they sometimes looked more like mist than like roses. Those are from Hollowvale’s gardens, she thought.
“These are for you, Miss Ettings,” Lady Carroway told Dora. “I think they are meant to entice you downstairs.” She settled the flowers onto the dresser and shook her head with a smile. “The Lord Sorcier would like a private audience with you. We all know he is not here to ask about French translations. Should I have him wait downstairs while you dress, or turn him away in order to save his pride?”
Vanessa caught the implication in a moment, having just finished her own private audience with Edward only a few days prior. She let out a delighted little gasp and clapped her hands over her mouth.
For once, Dora felt a real smile spread across her face. “I will be down to see him as soon as I can,” she said.
Lady Carroway sighed at that, but there was a fondness in her expression. “We shall all depend on you to keep him in hand, Miss Ettings,” she said.
Vanessa hurried to help Dora get dressed. “We must have a maid do your hair and makeup—” she started, but Dora shook her head.
“I do not need either,” Dora said. “I know I do not seem happy, but I am. I would like to see him as soon as possible.” If she were truly honest with herself, there was still a hint of irrational dread in her heart, in spite of it all. What if Elias had changed his mind now that Dora would never be cured? Surely, he had thought quite a lot about matters on his way back from faerie, and if there were any doubts in his mind at all, they must have come to the forefront.
It was not her imagination, Dora thought, that Lady Carroway’s servants were all watching her keenly as she headed down the stairs. One of the maids led her to a side room; Dora opened the door, and the last of her lingering worries instantly dissipated.
Elias glanced towards Dora as she headed inside. He had been pacing, but the moment that she came into view, he stopped himself abruptly. The shadows under his eyes had nearly gone now, though a faint memory of darkness still hovered there. He was dressed more finely than usual, and his neck cloth was neatly-tied—and while this made him look quite handsome, he was also clearly unused to it.
Dora closed the door gently behind her, and Elias straightened with an awkward cough. He seemed uncertain just what to do with his arms, and so he settled for clasping them behind his back.
“I was beginning to think you had been waylaid by brownies,” Dora told him with a smile.
Elias blinked. “By brownies?” he said in a flustered tone.
“Well, that would explain your attire,” Dora pointed out. “You are looking nearly like a gentleman today, and we both know that is not your preference.”
Elias’ mouth dropped. “I am not—“ he started. “I have never been—” But he was still so muddled that he couldn’t seem to settle on a single retort.
Dora threw her arms around him.
Elias stiffened for only a moment. In short order, however, his rigid posture relaxed and he tightened his grip on Dora with an audible sigh of relief. She pressed her cheek against his chest and closed her eyes, taking in the now-familiar scent of myrrh that he always carried with him.
“It’s good to see you well,” he murmured. “I could not help but worry that perhaps you hadn’t woken up.”
“I am very well,” Dora told him softly. “I have not been allowed to exert myself at all, you know. If plenty of rest makes for good health, then I must be the healthiest woman in the country.”
Elias brought his hand up to run his fingers through her hair, and Dora found herself very glad that she had not paused to pin it up. “I did bring
