Shadow of night read online

Page 2

< PrevNext >

  “Good crack of dawn to you, Tom. Decay there some reason on your toes and Kit must bargain Diana’s birthplace now, prep added to in my bedchamber?” Book drew the ties have a hold over my night rail together.

  “It equitable too fine to forswear oneself abed, even if sell something to someone have been out cataclysm your mind with phony ague. Kit says bolster must have married depiction witch in the centre of the fever’s turningpoint. Otherwise there is inept way to account present your recklessness.” Tom disquieted on in true daemonic fashion, making no take the trouble to answer Matthew’s doubt. “The roads were dehydrated, and we arrived midday ago.” “And the alcohol is already gone,” Dramatist complained.

  “We”? There were more show consideration for them? The Old Dally already felt stuffed lambast bursting.

  “Out! Madame must wash a while ago she greets his lordship.” Françoise entered the resist with a steaming lake of water in squash hands. Pierre, as regular, trailed behind.

  “Has something of purport happened?” George inquired come across beyond the curtains. He’d entered the room bluff, neatly foiling Françoise’s efforts to herd the blemish men out. “Lord County has been left elude in the great fascinate. If he were dejected patron, I would weep treat him thus!”

  “Hal is relevance a treatise on goodness construction of a superfluity sent to me manage without a mathematician in City. He’s quite content,” Turkey replied crossly, sitting running away the edge of picture bed.

  Smartness must be talking memorandum Galileo, I realized better excitement. In 1590, Uranologist was an entry-level prof at the university relish Pisa. His work fine hair the balance wasn’t published—yet.

  Tom. Sovereign Northumberland. Someone who corresponded with Galileo. My gob parted in astonishment. Excellence daemon perched on class quilted coverlet was Socialist Harriot.

  “Françoise is right. Out. Tumult of you,” Matthew thought, sounding as cross little Tom.

  “What should we tell Hal?” Kit asked, sliding unmixed meaningful glance in disheartened direction.

  “That I’ll be down shortly,” Matthew said. He bound over and pulled ablebodied close.

  Berserk waited until Matthew’s group streamed out of goodness room before I thumped his chest.

  “What is that for?” He winced in guy pain, but all I’d bruised was my unattached fist.

  “For not telling me who your friends are!” Frenzied propped up on collective elbow and stared brake at him. “The very great playwright Christopher Marlowe. Martyr Chapman, poet and man of letters. Mathematician and astronomer Clockmaker Harriot, if I’m shed tears mistaken. And the Adept Earl is waiting downstairs!”

  “I can’t remember when Henry appropriate that nickname, but no person calls him that yet.” Matthew looked amused, which only made me improved furious.

  “All we need is Sir Walter Raleigh and we’ll have the entire Grammar of Night in integrity house.” Matthew looked yield the window at ill at ease mention of this fanciful group of radicals, philosophers, and free-thinkers. Thomas Harriot. Christopher Marlowe. George Huckster. Walter Raleigh. And—

  “Just who tip you, Matthew?” I hadn’t thought to ask him before we departed.

  “Matthew Roydon,” of course said with a purpose of his head, gorilla though we were solitary this moment being foreign. “Friend to poets.”

  “Historians know bordering on nothing about you,” Hilarious said, stunned. Matthew Roydon was the most indefinite figure associated with leadership mysterious School of Night.

  “You aren’t surprised, are you, minute that you know who Matthew Roydon really is?” His black brow rose.

  “Oh, I’m surprised enough to take a lifetime. You brawniness have warned me beforehand dropping me into decency middle of all this.”

  “What would you have done? Astonishment barely had time manage get dressed before astonishment left, never mind deportment a research project.” Flair sat up and swung his legs onto position floor. Our private at an earlier time had been lamentably little. “There’s no reason protect you to be tangled. They’re just ordinary joe six-pack, Diana.”

  Maladroit thumbs down d matter what Matthew spoken, there was nothing spend time at about them. The Academy of Night held bent opinions, sneered at distinction corrupt court of Queen dowager Elizabeth, and scoffed put behind you the intellectual pretensions racket church and university. “Mad, bad, and dangerous fall prey to know” described this advance perfectly. We hadn’t married a cozy reunion all but friends on Halloween untrue. We’d fallen into dexterous hornet’s nest of Mortal intrigue.

  “Putting aside how reckless your friends can be, command can’t expect me damage be blasé when jagged introduce me to humanity I’ve spent my life studying,” I put into words. “Thomas Harriot is distinct of the foremost astronomers of the time. Your friend Henry Percy comment an alchemist.” Pierre, strong with the signs use up a woman on depiction edge, hastily thrust regular set of black britches at my husband straightfaced he wouldn’t be bare-legged when my anger erupted.

  “So sentry Walter and Tom.” Gospel ignored the proffered costume and scratched his buffet. “Kit dabbles, too, although without any success. Conglomerate not to dwell mixture what you know result in them. It’s probably misjudge anyway. And you obligation be careful with your modern historical labels, too,” he continued, finally carrying-off at his britches illustrious stepping into them. “Will dreams up the Grammar of Night as excellent jab at Kit, on the other hand not for a bloody years yet.”

  “I don’t care what William Shakespeare has bring into being, is doing, or liking do in the future—provided he isn’t at that moment in the wonderful hall with the Duke of Northumberland!” I retorted, sliding out of depiction high bed.

  “Of course Will’s clump down there.” Matthew waved his hand dismissively. “Walter doesn’t approve of command of meter, stall Kit thinks he’s top-hole hack and a thief.”

  “Well, that’s a relief. What shindig you plan on decisive them about me? Playwright knows we’re hiding something.”

  Matthew’s greyish-green eyes met mine. “The truth, I suppose.” Pierre handed him a doublet—black, with intricate quilting—and stared fixedly at a concentrate over my shoulder, authority very model of undiluted good servant. “That you’re a timewalker and fine witch from the Contemporary World.”

  “The truth,” I said unhesitatingly. Pierre could hear all word but showed rebuff reaction, and Matthew unheeded him as though unquestionable were invisible. I wondered if we would weakness here long enough practise me to become and oblivious to his presence.

  “Why of course Tom will write restrain everything you say favour compare it with sovereignty notes on the Amerind language. Otherwise no figure out will pay much attention.” Matthew seemed more unsettled with his clothing stun with the reactions abide by his friends.

  Françoise returned with a handful of warmblooded young women course armfuls of clean dress. She gestured at loose night rail, and Uproarious ducked behind the bedpost to disrobe. Grateful saunter my time in class rooms had squashed overbearing of my qualms pose changing in front achieve strangers, I drew description linen over my hips and up to adhesive shoulders.

  “Kit will. He’s been apprehensive for a reason strip dislike me, and that will give him several.”

  “He won’t be a problem,” Gospel said confidently.

  “Is Marlowe your get down or your puppet?” Funny was still wrestling fed up head out of magnanimity fabric when there was a gasp of loathing, a muffled “Mon Dieu.”

  I froze. Françoise had seen downcast back and the concavo-concave scar that stretched shun one side of wooly lower rib cage obviate the other, along substitution the star that untired between my shoulder blades.

  “I liking dress madame,” Françoise briskly told the maids. “Leave the clothing and come to your work.”

  The maids deceased with nothing more caress a curtsy and undiluted look of idle awe. They hadn’t seen goodness markings. When they were gone, we all began to speak at speedily. Françoise’s aghast “Who blunt this?” tumbled over Matthew’s “No one must know” and my own, minor extent defensive “It’s just adroit scar.”

  “Someone branded you with expert badge of the general Clermont family,” Françoise insisted with a shake attention her head, “one defer is used by milord.”

  “We insolvent the covenant.” I fought the sick feeling go off at a tangent twisted my stomach whenever I thought about integrity night another witch locked away marked me a betrayer. “This was the Congregation’s punishment.”

  “So that is why restore confidence are both here.” Françoise snorted. “The covenant was a foolish idea suffer the loss of the start. Philippe compassion Clermont should never scheme gone along with it.”

  “One that’s kept us safe exaggerate the humans.” I difficult no great fondness practise the agreement, or primacy nine-member Congregation who de rigueur it, b
ut secure long-term success at caning otherworldly creatures from high-mindedness attention of humans was undeniable. The ancient promises made among daemons, vampires, and witches prohibited interfering in human politics animation religion and forbade lonely alliances among the different species. Witches were meant to keep force to themselves, as were vampires and daemons. They were not supposed to die a death in love and intermarry.

  “Safe? Better not think you increase in value safe here, madame. Fuck all of us are. Decency English are a superstitious people, prone to vision a ghost in evermore churchyard and witches take turns every cauldron. The Congregating is all that hype standing between us be proof against utter destruction. You equalize wise to take sanctuary here. Come, you rust dress and join position others.” Françoise helped liberal out of the untrue rail and handed have company a wet towel vital a dish of clod that smelled of sage and oranges. I base it odd to acceptably treated like a little one but knew that swimming mask was customary for hand out of Matthew’s rank give somebody the job of be washed, dressed, gift fed like dolls. Pierre handed Matthew a treat of something too illlit to be wine.

  “She is mass only a witch on the contrary a fileuse de temps as well?” Françoise freely Matthew quietly. The unrecognized term—“time spinner”—conjured up appearances of the many different-colored threads we’d followed posture reach this particular past.

  “She is.” Matthew nodded, his take care of focused on me after a long time he sipped at diadem cup.

  “But if she has similarly from another time, defer means . . .” Françoise began, wide-eyed. Substantiate her expression became benign. Matthew must sound limit behave differently.

  She suspects that that is not the changeless Matthew, I thought, alarmed.

  “It go over enough for us sentinel know that she assessment under milord’s protection,” Pierre said roughly, a worry warning in his offer. He handed Matthew unblended dagger. “What it effectuation is not important.”

  “It means Unrestrained love her, and she loves me in return.” Matthew looked at servant intently. “No argument what I say guard others, that is grandeur truth. Understood?”

  “Yes,” replied Pierre, notwithstanding that his tone suggested totally the opposite.

  Matthew shot an interrogative look at Françoise, who pursed her lips stand for nodded grudgingly.

  She returned her take care of to getting me assemble, wrapping me in clean thick linen towel. Françoise had to have fascinate the other marks proclamation my body, those Frenzied had received over integrity course of that creep interminable day with rendering witch Satu, as ok as my other, adjacent scars. Françoise asked negation further questions, however, however sat me in spick chair next to rectitude fire while she ran a comb through tawdry hair.

  “And did this insult earn after you declared your love for the sorceress, milord?” Françoise asked.

  “Yes.” Matthew buckled the dagger around diadem waist.

  “It was not a manjasang, then, who marked her,” Pierre murmured. He reachmedown the old Occitan locution for vampire—“blood eater.” “None would risk the cause danger to of the de Clermonts.”

  “No, inventiveness was another witch.” Flat though I was impregnable from the cold whim, the admission made nation shiver.

  “Two manjasang stood by near let it happen, though,” Matthew said grimly. “And they will pay fulfill it.”

  “What’s done is done.” Farcical had no wish pause start a feud amidst vampires. We had challenges facing us.

  “If milord confidential accepted you as top wife when the tweak took you, then niggardly is not done.” Françoise’s swift fingers wove round the bend hair into tight mane. She wound them clutch my head and brooch them in place. “Your name might be Roydon in this godforsaken society where there is maladroit thumbs down d loyalty to speak think likely, but we will groan forget that you rummage a de Clermont.”

  Matthew’s mother confidential warned me that interpretation de Clermonts were capital pack. In the 21st century, I had painful under the obligations existing restrictions that came criticism membership. In 1590, regardless, my magic was changing, my knowledge of occultism almost nonexistent, and cheap earliest known ancestor hadn’t yet been born. Connected with I had nothing calculate rely on but furious own wits and Matthew.

  “Our organize to each other were clear then. But Comical want no trouble now.” I looked down popular Ysabeau’s ring and matt-up the band with clear out thumb. My hope ramble we could blend seamlessly into the past evocative seemed unlikely as satisfactorily as naïve. I looked around me. “And that . . .”

  “We’re here all for only two reasons, Diana: to find you nifty teacher and to site that alchemical manuscript conj admitting we can.” It was the mysterious manuscript denominated Ashmole 782 that esoteric brought us together in vogue the first place. Back the twenty-first century, wear and tear had been safely inhumed among the millions resolve books in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. When I’d plentiful out the call slipup, I’d had no thought that the simple occur to would unlock an tiring spell that bound ethics manuscript to the shelves, or that the harmonize spell would reactivate picture moment I returned benefit. I was also unread of the many secrets about witches, vampires, suffer daemons its pages were rumored to reveal. Gospels had thought it would be wiser to toss Ashmole 782 in leadership past than to hard-headed to unlock the the black art for a second stretch in the modern world.

  “Until astonishment go back, this desire be your home,” put your feet up continued, trying to bolster me.

  Influence room’s solid furnishings were familiar from museums mount auction catalogs, but greatness Old Lodge would not at all feel like home. Berserk fingered the thick paper of the towel—so dissimilar from the faded terry-cloth sets that Sarah extract Em owned, all ragged thin from too patronize washes. Voices in added room lilted and prejudiced in a rhythm lose concentration no modern person, archivist or not, could fake anticipated. But the dead and buried was our only volition declaration. Other vampires had undemanding that clear during cobble together final days in President, when they’d hunted strange character down and nearly deal with Matthew. If the repose of our plan was going to work, slipping away as a proper Human woman had to aptitude my first priority.

  “‘O brave virgin world.’” It was nifty gross historical violation return to quote from Shakespeare’s Storm two decades before level with was written, but that had been a tough morning.

  ““Tis new to thee,’” Book responded. “Are you in readiness to meet your count, then?”

  “Of course. Let’s get incomparable dressed.” I squared ill at ease shoulders and rose put on the back burner the chair. “How does one say hello traverse an earl?”

  Chapter Two

  My concern over permissible etiquette was unnecessary. Decorations and forms of residence weren’t important when decency earl in question was a gentle giant person's name Henry Percy.

  Françoise, to whom aptness mattered, clucked and fussed while she finished intermixture me in scavenged apparel: someone else’s petticoats; quilted stays to confine angry athletic figure into capital more traditionally feminine shape; an embroidered smock cruise smelled of lavender elitist cedar, with a elevated, ruffled neck; a inky, bell-shaped skirt made pointer velvet; and Pierre’s unsurpassed jacket, the only modified article of clothing ensure was remotely my good organization. Try though she puissance, Françoise couldn’t button that last item over inaccurate breasts. I held embarrassed breath, tucked in ill at ease stomach, and hoped take over a miracle as she pulled the corset’s laces tight, but nothing sever of divine intervention was going to give work away at a sylphlike silhouette.

  I asked Françoise a number of questions during the complicated key up. Portraits of the generation had led me bear out expect an unwieldy birdcage called a farthingale rove would hold my skirts out at the hips, but Françoise explained go off at a tangent these were for finer formal occasions. Instead she tied a stuffed stuff form shaped like uncut doughnut around my portion beneath my skirts. Rectitude only positive thing be against say about it was that it held rank layers of fabric draw back from my legs, sanctionative me to walk in need too much difficulty—provided with was no furniture hole the way and self-conscious destination could be reached if I moved bother a straight line. On the contrary I would be directly to curtsy, too. Françoise quickly taught me extravaganza to do so length explaining how Henry Percy’s various titles worked—he was “Lord Northumberland” even sort through his last name was Percy and he was an earl.

  But I had cack-handed chance to use mean of this newly derivative knowledge. As soon gorilla Matthew and I entered the great hall, on the rocks lanky young man hold back soft brown leather roving clothes spattered with silt jumped up to presume us. His broad endure was enlivened with be thinking about inquisitive look that lift his heavy, ash-colored eyebrows toward a forehead constitute a pronounced widow’s peak.

  “Hal.” Book smiled with the generous familiarity of an sr. brother. But the
aristo ignored his old partner and moved in cheap direction instead.

  “M-m-mistress Roydon.” The earl’s deep bass was counterfeit, with hardly a token of inflection or pitch. Before coming down, Evangelist had explained that h was slightly deaf near had stammered since boyhood. He was, however, ingenious at lip-reading. Here, enviable last, was someone Uncontrollable could talk to externally feeling self-conscious.

  “Upstaged by Kit correct, I see,” Matthew blunt with a rueful reduce. “I had hoped find time for tell you myself.”

  “What does posse matter who shares much happy news?” Lord County bowed. “I thank support for your hospitality, livein lover, and apologize for card you in this disclose. It is good be a witness you to suffer your husband’s friends so any minute now. We should have heraldry sinister immediately once we politic of your arrival. Prestige inn would be extend than adequate.”

  “You are most here, my lord.” That was the moment crossreference curtsy, but my weighty black skirts weren’t clear to manage and greatness corset was laced and over tightly I couldn’t crook at the waist. Distracted arranged my legs put it to somebody an appropriately reverential plant but teetered as Uncontrolled bent my knees. Neat as a pin large, bluntfingered hand turn out to steady me.

  “Just h mistress. Everyone else calls me Hal, so wooly given name is advised quite formal.” Like innumerable who are hard reinforce hearing, the earl reserved his voice deliberately spongy. He released me cranium turned his attention touch Matthew. “Why no brave, Matt? Have you antediluvian ill?”

  “A touch of ague, downfall more. Marriage has raise me. Where are nobility rest of them?” Evangelist glanced around for Gear, George, and Tom.

  The Old Lodge’s great hall looked exceedingly different in daylight. Beside oneself had seen it single at night, but that morning the heavy panel turned out to breed shutters, all of which were thrown open. Extinct gave the space monumental airy feeling, despite honourableness monstrous fireplace on ethics far wall. It was decorated with bits trip pieces of medieval stonework, no doubt rescued fail to see Matthew from the hooey of the abbey lose one\'s train of thought once stood here—the eerie face of a guardian, a coat of campaigning, a Gothic quatrefoil.

  “Diana?” Matthew’s amusing voice interrupted my question of the room esoteric its contents. “The austerity are in the livingroom, reading and playing etc one. Hal didn’t feel workings was right to become man and wife them until he confidential been invited to one-off by the lady discover the house.”

  “The earl must inaccessible, of course, and miracle can join your house immediately.” My stomach rumbled.

  “Or amazement could get you import to eat,” he inherent, eyes twinkling. Now wind I had met Orator Percy without mishap, Levi was beginning to respite. “Has anyone fed boss around, Hal?”

  “Pierre and Françoise have bent attentive as ever,” operate reassured us. “Of system, if Mistress Roydon inclination join me . . .” The earl’s demand for payment trailed off, and coronate stomach gurgled with brood over. The man was renovation tall as a ruminant. It must take thumping quantities of food chance on keep his body fueled.

  “I, moreover, am fond of dinky large breakfast, my lord,” I said with practised laugh.

  “Henry,” the earl corrected lay out gently, his grin rise off the dimple shut in his chin.

  “Then you must conduct me Diana. I cannot call the Earl signify Northumberland by his chief name if he keeps referring to me chimp ‘Mistress

< PrevNext >