23. Eliza

“What happened?” Daisy asked as if waking up from a coma.

I went to the door to indicate that it was locked. With a groan, Daisy rose. “That woman is crazy,” she tsked. “Come on, honey, let’s try the balcony. We ought to catch someone’s attention, they’ll let us out.”

Encouraged by her calm presence and plan, I followed her to the balcony, that overlooked the entire park.

“Alright, let’s see if anybody will see us without causing a scene, shall we?” She winked at me.

I nodded braver than I felt. My eyes automatically moved to the pond, where my brothers swam, pretending to be good swans, while people milled around it, oohing and aahing over them.

I raised my hand to wave, but then realized that even if I caught their attention, I wouldn’t be able to explain and even if I did, they wouldn’t be able to get the key.

But they could get Edward, my mind suggested. Liking the idea, I waved at them. Caspian noticed me and moved his wings up and down in greeting, eliciting more excited oohs and aahs from the onlookers.

At last he seemed to understand that I was waving him up, just as Daisy caught her husband’s attention.

“What are you doing up there?” he yelled, raising a glass in a toast. “Isn’t it bad luck to have the bride seen?”

“Only by the groom,” Daisy yelled back. “Never mind, though. The crazy nanny locked us in, can you come get us out?”

Just then Caspian flew up, right over Pinkerton’s head, dripping some water on him.

“Well, hey to you too.” Pinkerton chuckled looking up at my brother, who landed on the balcony’s balustrade.

I waved him over to the door, and demonstrated that it was locked. I pointed at my ring on my hand and he understood. With a short trumpet he spread his wings and flew out of the room and back down into the yard, looking for Edward.

Just then the lock disengaged. When it opened though, I didn’t look into Edward’s beloved face, but that of his father’s, and he looked enraged. With a gleeful expression, Lucy followed right behind.

“Eliza,” Gerald said and the surprise of hearing my name from his lips made me forget all caution and my head whipped up.

“So Lucy is right, your name is indeed Eliza?”

Baffled, I stared from him to Lucy. How had she figured it out?

“Lucy accuses you of being a witch. She says you put a spell on my son, is that true?” Edward’s voice was tense.

Slowly, I shook my head. No. I wasn’t a witch.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that. Lucy also says that in order to keep your evil powers, you took a vow of silence. So let me make this easy for you. Tell me that you love my son and all will be good.”

I placed my finger to my lips and shook my head. I couldn’t speak. Not when we were so close. It wasn’t even another hour before it was time for the spell to break.

“See, I told you, she won’t speak,” Lucy cried gleefully, eyeing me with an expression of triumph.

“Either that or she is truly mute,” Gerald cautioned.

“She is as mute as you and I, I promise you that.” Lucy’s voice was harsh and filled with ugliness. “She is a witch! An evil witch and she will kill your son!”

“Now that is utter nonsense,” Daisy interfered. “This woman has lost her mind.”

“Well, there’s another way to find out,” Lucy suggested slyly. Her eyes conveyed that nothing but hatefulness would follow, and sweat broke out over my brow while a cold shiver moved down my spine.

“Throw her into the pond.” Lucy’s voice lowered a few levels, her tone was more tantalizing now and I could have sworn I saw a little bit of a black fog coming from her hands. “If she is a witch, she will float.”

“And if she isn’t?” Gerald asked, looking slightly dazed.

“She will sink,” Lucy purred. “Oh, don’t look at me like this. In the old days we would have let the wench drown, we can still pull her out if she sinks.”

“I can’t believe you’re listening to this,” Daisy yelled. “This is utter craziness.”

“Let’s go,” Gerald said determinedly, grabbing me by my arm.

Richard and Philip flew in and began pecking at Gerald, distracting him enough to let go of me. With a cry I made a beeline for the mantles, leaving the one Lucy had touched behind.

“What is going on here?” Three of Edward’s friends entered, staring at the mayhem of my brothers attacking Gerald as he desperately tried to shoo them off.

“Grab her, don’t let her get away. She’s a witch and she played your friend for a fool,” Lucy screeched, grabbing Henry by the lapel of his tuxedo. “Hurry.”

“Don’t listen to her, she’s crazed,” Daisy wrung her hands.

“Take her,” Gerald yelled, swatting at Richard.

“A witch?” Henry asked, staring at me with my nettle mantles in my arm, already giving me welts.

“That’s a new one.” Henry smirked.

“Didn’t you hear about Fable Forest?” Sean interjected. “That place is full of fairy tales and witches.”

“Not to mention Screaming Woods,” Roger added.

“Seriously?” Henry looked at his friends.

While they were discussing the validity of witches, I tried to sneak past them unnoticed. I would go find Edward who would put an end to this nonsense and if I couldn’t, I would hide until the six-year vow of silence was over, another thirty minutes or so. That’s all I need, I thought desperately, just thirty minutes.

But Gerald noticed me, despite his fight with my brothers. “Stop her, she’s running away.”

“Uhm, I’m sorry,” Roger said, grabbing my arm, but not very hard, light enough for me to rip it free and make a run for it.

“Stop her, stop her,” Lucy fumed.

I picked up my wide skirts, cursing the crinoline I had been so excited about, and ran down the winding staircase. On one of the last steps I lost a shoe and chucked the other off, all without stopping.

I raced by some startled guests who gaped at me.

I ran out the backdoor, out into the park where I figured I would find the best hiding spots.

Heavy footsteps were close behind me though, alarmed trumpeting announced that my brothers too were taking notice of something being amiss.

“Stop her, stop the bride,” someone yelled.

Like a hunted rabbit, I looked around for a place to hide, turning sharply to the left and barely evading an outstretched arm. Whoever had tried to grab me fell instant victim to two of my brothers attacking him.

“The swans have gone crazy,” someone else yelled.

“She’s a witch!” Lucy screamed above the mayhem. “The swans are her demon helpers. Stop her.”

The pond was straight ahead of me and people to the left and right stood as if to stop me. I was cornered. Helplessly, I stopped and looked around at the mayhem.

Gerald and Edward’s friends were coming at me from all sides, followed by a screeching Lucy, while Daisy stood on the balcony, wringing her hands, yelling for her husband.

Aghast, I stared at the mayhem taking place on what was supposed to have been my wedding ground. Swans descended on Gerald and the other men and I feared that sooner or later one of my brothers would be hurt.

I didn’t know what to do and did the only thing I could think of, I screamed at the top of my lungs, or so I thought, but no sound came through my choked throat.