“She arrives tomorrow. I must warn everyone, she expects Duke Northcott to travel with her.”
Shock crossed Gray’s face and dismay settled onto the faces of Michael and Damien. “Are you joking?” Damien asked after a moment.
“I’m afraid not,” Alexander said as they sat down for their meal.
“This is unexpected. I thought the point was for her to be unencumbered,” Gray replied. “Perhaps we should reconsider.”
“I experienced similar misgivings. Michael, Damien,” Alexander responded, “does the Celine in your world possess the ability to read minds?”
Michael and Damien glanced at each other. Damien shook his head. “No. Not that I’m aware of,” Damien answered.
“Why?” Michael asked, eyeing the dirty water in his water goblet, then opting to drink the wine instead.
“As I mentioned, I experienced similar reservations after Celine revealed the information about Duke Northcott. She was quick to assure me that she could handle him.”
“I’m not concerned about her handling him. I expected to be able to speak freely, wasn’t that the point of this?” Damien asked.
“I imagine we can speak more freely here than in either of our homes in London,” Alexander countered.
“You may not be concerned about her handling Duke Northcott, but I am. The man excels in supernatural powers. If he suspects our motivations are to persuade his wife to our side, he will not hesitate to unleash them on us,” Gray objected.
“Celine asserted she is equally talent and well-versed in his methods. She also mentioned his limitations. Although I confess, I am aware of none. She assured me we were in no danger.”
“No danger?” Gray balked. “Wonderful, as long as he does not convince her to remain loyal to him.”
“No way, not Celine,” Damien countered. “She’ll choose the side of good, not evil.”
“She’s been married to the man for twenty-six years. Time may mean loyalty runs deeper than we expect.”
“But she said…” Damien began.
“It doesn’t matter what she said,” Gray interrupted him. “She was in shock. When the shock passes, she could easily decide her husband is still worthy of her allegiance.”
“What happened to you and your ‘she’s lovely’ bit?” Michael questioned.
“She is,” Gray admitted, his voice turning wistful. He quickly strengthened it, adding, “she’s also powerful and dangerous. And there is no limit to what Marcus Northcott will do to keep control of his power. And hers.”
“Gentlemen, I realize this may not seem like much,” Alexander responded. “But she was adamant about her unchanging loyalty to us. She assured me not only would she allow no harm to come to any of us, but that she would not change her mind regarding where her loyalties lie.”
“It’s not her I’m worried about,” Gray confessed. “It’s him. Will she have the resilience to resist him?”
“She will,” Damien assured them.
“You seem confident,” Gray replied.
“We are,” Michael answered. “Where we come from, she’s done it for centuries.”
“Yet this Celine behaves so oddly you barely recognize her, so what assurance do we have?” Gray questioned.
Michael and Damien were silent for a moment. “None, I guess,” Damien responded. “But we have to try. And we have to trust Celine. She has never let us down before. Let’s hope this time is no different.”
“I agree with Damien,” Alexander chimed in. “Plus, I’m afraid we haven’t much choice. Short of refusing the Duke and Duchess when they arrive, the plan is set in motion.”
They finished their meal, making conversation that avoided discussing the upcoming visit. Nervous energy kept everyone awake well into the night. Celine would arrive tomorrow prior to dinner. Damien practiced what he would say to her. He must convince her. The doubts and trepidations expressed over dinner weighed on his mind. What if the new Celine, however she was created, didn’t respond like the old Celine? What if she didn’t pick good over evil? Would she remain loyal to Marcus Northcott? Were they walking into a trap designed to remove any obstacle from the Northcotts’ path? No, he wouldn’t believe that, he told himself. They would convince her. They must.
The next morning brought a cold, clear day. Michael and Damien spent the latter part of the morning taking in the grounds of the estate. Nervous anticipation for Celine’s arrival did not allow them to remain still.
As they trekked around the property, Michael questioned, “Is time standing still?”
“Sure seems like it,” Damien responded. “It’s been morning forever. Although perhaps that’s a good thing.”
“Yeah. I’m not thrilled with this plan either at the moment. She’s bringing the Duke with her? Why does this seem like a horrible, horrible idea now that it’s happening?”
“Because we assumed Celine was coming alone to learn the truth and then…” he paused. “I guess I don’t know what I assumed would happen after that. I never thought that far ahead. Gray’s right. She’s been married to the guy for almost thirty years. Is she just going to leave him?”
“Did people do that in the 1800s?” Michael queried.
“Maybe? I’m not sure,” Damien answered.
“Really? A historical fact you don’t know?” Michael joked.
Damien shook his head at him. “Very funny. I’m sure they did, actually. Henry the eighth did, multiple times.”
“How did I know you’d have a historical reference in the end?” Michael chuckled.
Damien laughed. “Because I’m me, that’s what I do.”
“Anyway, why is she bringing him with her? How did she consider that a good idea?”
“Perhaps she doesn’t have a choice,” Damien theorized. “It’s unusual for a woman to travel to someone’s house without her husband, particularly if it’s outside of her family.”
“So, then what are the chances she’s going to leave him, and this all corrects itself? If she’s bringing him for appearance’s sake, will she really leave him?”
“Perhaps she’s still deciding. Perhaps she’s as unsure as we are.”
“Celine? Unsure?” Michael questioned.
“Well, turn it around and view it from her perspective. And remember, this
