4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

T he Prince Regent left the next day, and life at Founder's Hall settled back into its usual grueling routine. Darcy received word of his punishment from Lord Matlock. It was unpleasant enough. He was assigned to extra duty in London, repairing Wards and being at the beck and call of anyone who required his services. It was a devilishly effective strategy on his uncle's part. It hit Darcy where it hurt the most: by separating him from Elizabeth. As if things were not bad enough! To be punished for a lapse of judgment when he had been exercising so much restraint! But there was nothing to be done except to take it on the nose and keep going.

A week later, a summons came from the Prince Regent. He, Elizabeth and Lord Matlock were required by the prince at Carlton House. It was a clear reminder that Elizabeth and Darcy had individual royal appointments now as Advisor to the Regent.

At least Riquer had been excluded – for once.

Darcy received the summons with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it meant he and Elizabeth could travel together, even if they were not alone. On the other, he was not looking forward to seeing his uncle after what had happened.

"Do you know why he is summoning us?" Elizabeth enquired, as they walked to the carriage together.

"I have no idea." Darcy looked at his uncle. "Do you?"

"I am as much in the dark as you are. I am not privy to the Prince Regent's whims."

"He must have a good reason." Elizabeth knew the Regent was undisciplined and whimsical, but she had also perceived in him a keen mind and creative spirit. "I only hope he does not ask us to serve on one of his councils," said Elizabeth. "My experience with the Mage Council has put me off the idea forever."

Lord Matlock chuckled. "I can assure you, if we are asked to serve on a council headed by the Regent, you will be happy to be on it. We would spend more time sampling dishes by the best French chefs and drinking smuggled port than making decisions. Alas, I doubt that is what he intends."

Darcy's thoughts were occupied with something completely different. It occurred to him that this was a good opportunity to air his grievance regarding his punishment. It was the first time he had seen his uncle since he had caught the two together, and he was seething at the injustice of it.

"I would like to address something else, Uncle." His tone came out more clipped than he wished. He took a deep breath and tried to sound calm. "I would like to object to the punishment you gave me. It is unfair. I would even go so far as to say cruel. You know very well I am rarely able to see Elizabeth under normal circumstances. Then to set up things so I could not see her at all! Do you know how—" he was about to say infuriating, but he tried for some more neutral way of saying it. He was not in the habit of wearing his heart on his sleeve. "—how unpleasant this is?"

"Punishments are not meant to be pleasant things, Darcy," Matlock's voice was quiet, his face revealing nothing.

"But surely it is against the rules to deprive me from seeing — my family because of a transgression. How is that considered a fair punishment?"

Elizabeth placed her hand on his arm. The feather-light touch was enough to make him realize he was becoming too agitated.

"You cannot blame your uncle," she said gently. " He is not the one keeping us apart. He has merely assigned you extra duties. How else was he to punish you?"

"There are other ways," he replied, his jaw tight. Why was Elizabeth siding with his uncle now?

"Name one," said Matlock.

Darcy considered other possibilities. "I cannot think of anything on the spot."

His uncle gave Darcy a look which would have quelled him when he was a boy. It reminded him of his aunt Lady Catherine, who had been a formidable task-setter. It no longer had the power to frighten him now, but he felt foolish for having raised the issue at all. What was the point of confronting his uncle? He had exposed himself, and all for nothing.

"If you think of something better, I would like to hear it," said Lord Matlock. "I would apply it to future situations, should they arise. I am sure you would not prefer to be flogged."

Leaning back against the plush cushions, Darcy closed his eyes and clamped down on his resentment. He felt the seat next to him dip. Elizabeth's skirts rustled as she drew closer, the familiar scent filling his world.

She meant to comfort him, but instead it increased his torment. How could he have her so close and not be able to draw her to him? He sat upright, holding out against the temptation to melt against her, aware of his uncle's presence and the mage outriders accompanying them. Knowing they were in the Prince's carriage forced him to behave with propriety. It was what was expected.

He was tired of doing what was expected.

It took only half an hour to reach Carlton House, but the trip was interminably long. Darcy was never so glad of anything when the carriage stopped, and the liveried footman opened the door.

Elizabeth was relieved to leave the carriage behind her and enter Carlton House. The tension in the carriage had been dreadful, with Darcy's resentment filling the whole space. He had not even put his arm around her when she snuggled against him.

She understood what he was going through. She shared his vexation. It seemed like everything was conspiring to keep them apart. Yet at the same time, she felt their time together was wasted. How much nicer it would have been if he had interacted with her, instead of sitting like a wooden board, staring through the window in stoney silence.

They were announced to His Highness. To her surprise, he was alone. It was a testament to his trust in them, and Elizabeth was humbled by it.

"Your Highness." She curtseyed deeply.

"You may call me Prinny – at least in private. All my friends do. Considering that the two of you saved my life, I think you are more entitled to do so than anyone else, don't you think?" He nodded towards Lord Matlock. "You did not save my life, but you saved my father's so I will extend the same permission to you."

It seemed preposterous to be calling the prince by a nickname, but she was not about to argue. "Very well, Your—Prinny."

"I will get down to business quickly. I am sorry to summon you so suddenly, but I have received notice through the telegraph relay system that there are fleets amassing at Boulogne."

Did the prince expect a strong reaction? Elizabeth left it to her companions to voice it. She had heard too many false alarms for her to feel anything. Since the Battle of Trafalgar, when Napoleon had been soundly defeated while attempting to cross the English Channel, there had been speculation about when he would attempt it again. Every now and then, the newspapers would be a awash with news of some new contraption being built by the French.

"I have had conflicting reports about Boney's intentions. The semaphore system set up by the army says one thing. The spies say another. Whitehall has its own ideas." He looked weary. "I was wondering if you have any means of discovering anything else through that mirror magic of yours. As I witnessed the other day, you have made remarkable strides, Mrs. Darcy. We are taking interest in your capabilities."

She took a deep breath. "Legend tells us that Mirror magic was used for scrying in the past – looking into the future or spying on someone -- but unfortunately, magic of that sort no longer exists, if it ever did. What Riquer has been teaching is very different. I could potentially spy on someone, but that depends on many considerations. Whether they had a mirror. Whether I knew where they were. Whether they are outdoors. And of course, there would have to be someone on the other side who would be watching all the time. Unfortunately, it is very complicated. It is not nearly as practical as one might think."

"You could not train one of my spies, I suppose."

"As I mentioned when we had dinner, Riquer and I have tried to teach others, with very little success. Mirror magic does not depend on spells alone. It is a Talent, and it seems very uncommon here. Perhaps we lost that form of magic over the years through breeding."

Elizabeth carefully did not state her opinion about the Royal Academy's tendency to prefer bloodlines over new forms of magic. She could only imagine how many types of magic had been lost as a result of narrow inbreeding.

"And this is your assessment of the situation as well, Matlock?"

"It is, Your Highness."

"It is most unfortunate. It puts us in an awkward situation. I do not think it practical to send Mrs. Darcy to France."

He had considered sending her to France ? Even thinking about it sent Elizabeth into a panic. Next to her, Darcy made a strangled sound. It was astonishing that the Prince had entertained the possibility in the first place.

"I certainly agree with that conclusion," said Lord Matlock, firmly. "Mrs. Darcy has many Talents, but espionage is not one of them."

Prinny waved his hand dismissively. "We have already discarded the idea."

He turned his gaze on Darcy. "Which brings me to the crux of the matter. I know your wife has been training closely with Riquer, so she may not be objective enough to make a judgment. I would like you to think very carefully before you answer."

Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably. Why did she need to be objective? What crux of the matter did he mean?

"Some people think Ramon de Riquer is still one of Napoleon's spies. What is your opinion on that? Do you believe he is loyal to the Crown?" The prince's serious expression stressed the gravity of the question.

Elizabeth felt her blood go cold. Did they think Riquer was a traitor?

Darcy shot Elizabeth a glance. "I know you will not like what I say, Elizabeth, but I must be completely honest. Your Highness, I do not trust Riquer at all."

It shocked her to the core to hear Darcy express his opinion so openly, and in such a situation. She knew he had never warmed up to Riquer. He had distrusted him ever since Elizabeth was trapped in a cell with the former Imperial Mage. She had come to no harm, but somehow that initial suspicion had lingered, and nothing had changed Darcy's mind. Initially, she had thought it was fair enough. Riquer had been part of the group of Imperial Mages who had attacked Founders' Hall and practically destroyed it, after all.

Since hearing his story, however, she understood his reason. He had been compelled to join the Imperial Mages by Napoleon, who had threatened to kill his family if he did not. Why did Darcy dislike Riquer so strongly? Was it because, as Mary had stated, he was jealous? It was Darcy's judgment that was in question here. How could he go so far as to accuse Riquer of committing treason? On what basis would he do such a terrible thing? Did he want Riquer to hang?

Elizabeth was incensed. Nothing could excuse him throwing out unfounded accusations like that. She had to defend Riquer. But would the Prince Regent care about her answer, or would he just accept Darcy's opinion?

"I disagree completely, Your Highness. Riquer has done absolutely nothing to suggest he is a traitor. Since he joined the Royal Mages, he has taught several new forms of magic to the apprentices, not just Mirror magic. He has done everything he could to teach me, dedicating hours of his day to my training. Moreover, he has revealed enough information about the Imperial Mages to satisfy those in the government who were worried he could be spying for Napoleon." She looked at Lord Matlock. "And there are people in Barcelona that will vouch for him."

The Prince Regent considered her. His gaze was shrewd, and Elizabeth met his eye squarely. "Why should I take your opinion over Mr. Darcy's?"

It was a good question. Hope flared up inside her. "Because I know him better. I had seen nothing in his behavior that is the least suspicious."

Prinny quirked his eyebrow, his eyes fixed on her. "Are you willing to wager the fate of the Kingdom on it?"

The weight of that responsibility felt crushing. She struggled to breathe. Was she willing to stake the Kingdom on Riquer's innocence? It was a terrifying decision to make, but officers often faced such choices when going into battle. As a woman, she was normally shielded from such decisions. Now, for once, her opinion could decide someone's fate. Did Riquer deserve her trust?

"I am," she said, firmly. Inside, she was quaking, her stomach churning. "I have worked with him closely for several months, and I have seen no evidence of duplicity."

The Prince Regent looked at Darcy. "Would you like to convince me otherwise?"

Bitterness burned her throat. Riquer's future rested not on her, but on Darcy. It was his opinion that would count, not hers after all. Riquer's life depended on it.

"I do not see how we could ever trust someone who was involved in an attack on Founder's Hall." Darcy's words were cold.

The Prince Regent nodded, apparently satisfied. "But you do not have any proof otherwise."

Darcy hesitated for a fraction of a moment, then sighed. "I do not."

The prince turned to Matlock. "You have already voiced your opinion to me on prior occasions. We have made our decision. We will send Riquer to France. If we had other alternatives, I might have held back, but any advantage it may give us to have someone inside is welcome, if the Kingdom is on the brink of being invaded. It is a risk well worth taking. If he is an Imperial Agent, this will bring it out into the open."

Elizabeth felt a tremendous sense of relief. So, this was why the Prince Regent was asking all these questions. It was not about treason at all. It was about sending Riquer to France.

"It is decided, then. You will be Riquer's contact, obviously." He looked at Elizabeth. "We will talk about how you will use the relay system to communicate with me. I will rely on you to inform me if you see any suspicious behavior."

Elizabeth nodded. "If I have any doubts, Your Highness, what would be the best way to inform you?"

A gleam appeared in the Regent's eye. He clearly enjoyed the idea of subterfuge.

"Send a message with a single word. Compromised . I will understand at once."

At that, the Prince Regent stood up, forcing them to their feet as well. "Meanwhile, if there is any change, Lord Matlock is your contact. He will know the right channels to use. We will discuss the details of Riquer's mission and convey them to everyone when the time comes."

They were dismissed. Elizabeth curtseyed, then walked backwards with her companions towards the door, trying not to stumble over her petticoats. One did not turn one's back to a monarch.

But as she left, a thought struck her like a blow to the stomach. Her thoughts scurried in a hundred directions as she tried to understand the implications of what had just happened.

What had she done? She had convinced Prinny that Riquer was trustworthy, unaware of the prince's plans. If Riquer was commanded to return to France as a Royal mage, he could not refuse. He had to obey orders. The question was, what treatment could he expect when he returned to France? Would they believe that he was still loyal to them, or would the French immediately accuse him of being a traitor?

By defending him so strongly, Elizabeth might have single-handedly signed Riquer's death sentence.