Seventeen Stones (23 page)

The
next day dawned cold and clear and the girls woke late.  The first semester of
college was over.  They had three solid weeks to relax before resuming their
studies.  Mia and her cohorts enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and spent the
morning packing.  The coaches arrived at the dorm right after lunch.  Lady
Anne, Sarah, and Vivian rode in the Lady’s unmistakable coach.  It was ivory,
gilded gold with the Greatlord’s crest emblazoned on the door.  Mia’s coach looked
drab in comparison and she wondered why her mother, who had been a Greatlady
after all, hadn’t had a similar coach.  But sitting in the soft leather seat
and noting how well sprung the coach was Mia began to suspect that Greatlady
Alexandria Rusticov preferred to mix into the traffic rather than stand out. 
Mia wondered why. 

Lizzy
and Beth were napping and Ella was staring out of the window.  Mia knew that
Ella was more out of her depth than even she was.  “A copper for your thoughts.” 
The girl’s red head turned and she smiled.  “That’s a poor bargain, I wouldn’t
give
these thoughts away to someone I didn’t like.  I’m just wondering how all this
is really going to work.  I don’t know why Sarah seems to think research will
help.  I mean, what could
we
find out about the council?  Or if we did,
who would believe us over them?  I don’t see how gathering a bunch of
information is going to…make any difference.”  She said the last in a whispered
rush, as if the words tasted bad coming out.  Mia nodded and tried to stay
calm.  She’d wondered about that herself.  “You know Sarah.  She sees something
that’s wrong and she wants to do something, so she starts gathering
information.  It’s not a bad place to start. I think it will help if they find
out about me.”  Mia hadn’t mentioned that the headmistress intended to be very
careful of Ella too.  “It will at least give me a place to look.” 

Ella’s
brow darkened.  “What if the headmistress is wrong and it’s nothing but an odd
series of accidents?”  Mia nodded.  “Better safe than sorry is what I’d say to
that.”  Ella looked down at her pale hands clutched in her lap. “I just can’t
believe that anyone would hurt someone I know.  Everyone knows we have
dangerous creatures about, but no one thinks that another human might want to
hurt them.”  Mia didn’t answer.  There was no reason to disillusion Ella just
because she’d seen another version of the world.   

In
some ways, Ella had been more sheltered than the rest of them.  She’d lived
away from even a small village with her mostly affable family and the rare trip
to Lonely Hold.  Lonely Hold was hardly large enough to be called a village. 
It was a place for the stage to stop, change horses and turn around.  From what
Ella had said there was a dry goods store that doubled as a post office and a
blacksmith.  Mia had grown up in a healer’s hut outside of a major village:
she’d seen Emma mop up the results of brawls.  No one had died, but there was
little doubt in her mind that Ronny Kipper and John Appleton would have killed
each other if their friends hadn’t interfered.  As it was, Ronny would limp
from now on from the dislocated knee John had given him.  John’s father had
been a guardsman.  He’d known what he was doing.  Now he had to pay Ronny three
copper a week to compensate.  Since the limp was life-long, so was the recompense. 
       

Mia
hugged the other girl quickly.  She wouldn’t tell her any of this.  “Ella.  If
you don’t feel up to this, I understand, really.  You don’t have to help…”  Mia
didn’t finish her sentence.  A strange change came over Ella’s face and she
straitened her shoulders and raised her chin.  “I may not want to believe that
anyone would really do something like that Mia, but believe me, I’ll stand
against it.  Anyone would.”  Mia found herself revising her opinion of her
quiet friend and admiring Ella’s parents without ever meeting them.  Ella was
scared, disheartened, and unsure, but Mia wouldn’t want to cross her with that
look on her face. 

They
exited the coach almost exactly two hours after they’d left the dorm.  Even
with a well sprung vehicle Mia stretched with relief.  Emma had indicated that
she would send a letter tomorrow, to give her final answer on the party.  Mia
devoutly hoped that she would be sending the carriage off to get her guardian.

Mrs.
Wallace met them at the door as the footmen started unloading the luggage.  It
was less than it could have been, for Lady Anne and Sarah had packed in the
same fantastic cases that Sarah had used when she arrived at school.  Vivian
had been convinced that bringing her entire wardrobe was out of the question.  Most
importantly of all, Madam Reece was going to deliver most of the girls’
wardrobes the day after tomorrow.  Mia hoped that there were some spare trunks
around the manor, or she would be forced to leave most of what she was buying
here at the estate after the party.   She laughed silently to herself at her
thought.  She could leave part of her wardrobe here.  This was her home, or it
would be in a year and two months.  It was still difficult to think of a place
like the manor as home.  Home was in Forestreach, at Emma’s cottage.    

Mrs.
Wallace was herding them in like a goose girl with a gaggle of geese.  “You leave
the footmen to fetch the luggage girls.  I want all of you to come have a bit
of tea and cake and we’ll get you all settled in your rooms before dinner.”  She
didn’t quite attempt to shoo Lady Anne, but Mrs. Wallace did manage to get all
of them inside, divested from their cloaks and scarves, and into a sitting room
with a roaring fire.  Once they were seated with a cup of tea Mrs. Wallace
nodded.  “If you’ll just rest here ladies, we’ll be ready to go to your rooms
in a moment.  I’ll just step out and make sure everything is in order.” 

Seeing
Lady Anne in her own home brought to mind an argument between the girls about
how much to tell her about Mia’s situation.  She had been inclined to tell Lady
Anne everything the headmistress had warned her about, but Sarah insisted that
they should use a sanitized version.  “We’ll need to tell her the whole truth
if we find some proof, but for now the fewer people who know the better.”  At
Mia’s startled look she smiled.  “Mother would agree.  She always said that a
secret is best kept by one.  We’re already five over the limit without
Professor Fain and the headmistress.”  She held a hand to quiet the uproar. 
“None of us would hurt Mia on purpose.  I’m not saying that.  But as long as
Mia’s hiding her talent she isn’t in danger, or at least that’s the current
theory.  My mother will understand.  Let’s just gather what information we can,
as quietly as we can get it.  We don’t know enough right now.”

Lady
Anne smiled as she sipped a steaming cup of tea.  “Mia, you have the most
efficient staff.  I shudder to think what all would be going on if my people
were left to their own devices for years.”   Mia shrugged.  “They seem glad
that I’m here.  Most of them were here from my mother’s time, and the old steward,
Mr. Dempsey’s father, was a friend of my grandfather’s.”  Lady Anne nodded.  “A
good core group of family retainers is always a plus.”  She didn’t say anymore
because Mrs. Wallace had returned.

After
the others were settled into their rooms, Mrs. Wallace led Mia to the master
suit.  The double doors led into a set of rooms that were larger than the dorm
rooms she shared with five other girls.  It was larger than Emma’s cottage.  She
entered and saw the two blue leather chairs in front of the fire.  They sat on
a blue and gold rug, with a heavily carved table between.  There was a large
bed on the other wall with sumptuous blue and gold hangings.  Through one door
was a comfortable maid’s room with its own modest brass bed and hangings.   The
second door revealed a bathroom: but such a bathroom!  The dressing area was at
one end.  There was thick carpet meant for bare feet and another fireplace to
keep the toes toasty warm.  The bathing pool was deep enough for Mia to stand
in and be neck deep in warm water.  Bars of scented soaps, crystal bottles of
oil, and piles of fluffy blue towels completed the picture.  The pool was tiled
with tiny blue stones, none larger than Mia’s thumbnail, and each a slightly
different shade of blue.  White hothouse lilies were growing in a small garden
box in one corner, and a thick white robe was waiting, folded on a shelf.

Mia
never failed to regard the room with wide-eyed wonder.  Mrs. Wallace smiled. 
“Your mother did all of this you know.  She changed most of the furniture when
she became Greatlady, the wall paper, paint, everything was her own design. 
This was her favorite room.  She turned it into the master suite by knocking
out a wall and taking the room on the other side for a bathroom and wardrobe.” 
Mrs. Wallace opened the massive closet and chuckled.  “I was her lady’s maid in
those days.  I’ll tell you this young Miss.  Your mother put every lady of her
age to shame.” 

The
older woman closed the double doors.  Mia’s single case looked lonely.  The
closet in this suite was larger than her little room at Emma’s cottage.  She
fought down a stab of homesickness.  Mrs. Wallace hadn’t noticed her
distraction, she continued chatting.  “She wanted all her gowns to be given
away when she died, so we don’t have so much as a petticoat of hers left in the
house.  Otherwise you could see some of the dresses she wore: pinks and
purples, and blue.  Always in blue and gold.  She used to say those were her
colors.  No one else could wear them the way she did, and that’s the truth.” 
Mrs. Wallace shook her head.  “You rest up dear.  It’s a lot of work to hostess
a party like this one, but we’ll see you through it, never fear! It’s so good
to have you home!”  Mia was enveloped in a hug, and Mrs. Wallace was walking
out of the room.  Mia sat, stunned for a moment.  The she pulled herself
together and started unpacking. 

Mr.
and Mrs. Smith were waiting in the drawing room when everyone was dressed and
ready for dinner.  Mrs. Smith was a handsome woman, with features that had aged
better than her husband’s.  There were a few crinkles around her eyes, and some
laugh lines around her mouth.  She was tall enough to carry off the lacy garnet
gown she wore, and the glittering rubies at her neck and wrist.  Her golden
hair was so lightly frosted with silver that it seemed to be an accent to her coloring
rather than the advancement of her age. 

The
Smiths were staying with Mr. Dempsey in the newly refurbished dower house, now
the Steward’s residence.  The eight bedroom home with its own servant’s
quarters couldn’t really be called a cottage.  Mr. Dempsey was playing the role
of host with careless ease.  The Stubbs were joining them for dinner.  Cook had
chuckled when Mia asked if having the large crowds of guests would be too much
for the current staff.  “Never worry about that Miss.   ‘Tis a joy to be able
to prove to the rest of the neighborhood that
this
is still the
Great-house and we still have the finest hospitality in the City bounds!”  Her
emphatic nod persuaded Mia that she meant it.

They
sat fourteen to dinner that night, using the grand dining room for the first
time.  Mia was impressed.  The entire room seemed to expand as they walked into
it, the long table setting itself up with china and silver for each guest.  Mia
wondered idly how many it could accommodate, but it didn’t seem the time to
ask.  Someone, or several someones, on the staff had a deft touch for
levitation, because the glasses were filled, the courses served, and the plates
removed without a whisper of a servant in the dining hall.  From the general
lack of comment from her guests, Mia quickly realized that this was normal in
great houses.    

Mia
was seated across from Adeline Stubbs.  They weren’t close enough to have a
real conversation, but in a single evening Mia observed enough good sense and
good humor to feel satisfied about the girl her steward was marrying.  She was
pretty enough, with large blue eyes and black ringlets.  She was very short,
and tended even as young as she was to plumpness, with a round figure and rosy
cheeks.  Her mother, Mrs. Stubbs, was shorter still and twice as round.  She had
a merry way about her, and her charm was mirrored by her daughter.  The elder Mr.
Stubbs watched them both indulgently, while Mr. James Stubbs (the youngest
Stubbs whom Mia knew slightly from Creation) applied himself to emptying his
plate.  Mrs. Stubbs gushed a little about James taking the top place in
Creation, and Mia contented herself with merely grinding her teeth so loudly
that Sarah kicked her under the table.  As she hadn’t dumped soup on James’
head, she thought she’d behaved very well.  She didn’t know how she was going
to bear Martin’s smug face when she got back to school.

Mr.
Dempsey was seated next to Adeline, and his manners to everyone else at the
table were deplorable: he was too busy watching her to pay attention to
anything anyone else was saying.  Thankfully the table was filled with ladies
who thought his preoccupation was endearing.  Vivian giggled every time Mr.
Dempsey tried to pass her the salt when she inquired about the weather.  She
just took the salt and caught Mia’s eye.  Lady Anne hid her smile behind her
fan and asked Mrs. Stubbs about when the wedding would take place.  Mia made a
mental note to seat Mr. Dempsey with Miss Stubbs at every gathering, and to
make sure their table partners were sympathetic.