Chapter Fifteen

 

I’d stood there stiff and straight as a mannequin, but as I heard the sound of John’s Range Rover fading in the distance, I slumped down at the carton-strewn table and rested my face in my hands.

“Whisht.” Bridget moved about the table, swiftly collecting the scattered cartons and bottles. “None of that. The man’s mad for you. It’ll all blow over by supper.”

I shook my head. “John’s not wrong. My image is turning up everywhere.”

“It’s this bloody technology,” Bridget agreed, rather astonishingly. “You can’t turn sideways, there isn’t a security camera staring down your neck. I miss the old days. Now how about a nice hot cuppa? That’ll put you right.”

“The best thing he could do for himself is divorce me.”

She sniffed. “I think he would regret that very much. Now you go sit on the sofa, and I’ll be back with your tea in half a tick.”

Not having a better idea, I obeyed and went downstairs to the sunken living room and dropped down on the sofa.

Bridget returned in a few minutes and set the tea tray on the low table in the living room. She poured the tea and turned toward the steps.

I couldn’t help asking, “Bridget, have you heard anything from the Duchess?”

She hesitated. I knew she knew that I knew that she was my mother’s agent, but it had never been acknowledged between us.

“No,” she admitted.

I nodded, picked up the teacup. I took a sip of hot, comforting milky liquid.

Watching me, she said bracingly, “Don’t give in to dark thoughts, sir. The Duchess is a wily one, if I might say so. She’ll come through this with flying colors. You’ll see.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“You don’t have to trust me, sir. Trust the Duchess.” She studied me for another moment. “If you don’t mind, I’ll be cleaning the upper landing now.”

I nodded, but the tea—which I suspected had been lightly doctored—reminded me that I’d wanted to speak to Bridget about Ambrose’s grandmother. “In a moment. I’d like to ask your advice, if that’s okay.”

“My advice?”

“If that’s not an imposition.”

She sat down cautiously, as if she feared the chair might swallow her, but began to relax as I explained about Ambrose and GramMa.

“It’s a quandary, no mistake,” Bridget said at the end of my convoluted account of the last few days.

“Why do you think none of the potions and possets are working?”

She tilted her head, considering. “After all, the lad’s only tried one potion so far. The Star Crystals may do the trick.”

I tried to read her face. “You don’t think so, do you?”

“No. More’s the pity. The poor thing is slipping into the shadows.”

“But why?”

Bridget shook her head. “That, I couldn’t say. It does happen, but it’s rare that there isn’t some outside influence. She must have been quite powerful in her prime. Which makes her doubly dangerous now.”

“That’s my fear.” I sighed. “All right. Thanks.”

Bridget rose but then hesitated. “What other things did your mam include in the potion chest?”

“I’m not sure. It was a variety pack, for sure.”

I could see her thinking this over. She said slowly, “I could pay the old lady a visit. I’m quite good with old ladies.”

“I don’t doubt it. I wouldn’t want to put you to any trouble…”

She brushed that aside. “If you can arrange for the lad to show me the chest, I’ll see what might be done.”

I couldn’t hide my relief. “Thank you, Bridget.”

She said drolly, “Thank you, sir.”

 

 

I wasn’t sure what kind of reception to expect from Andi, but when I walked into the Mad Batter, she came around the counter to meet me with a hug.

“Oh, Cos,” she whispered. “I only just found out. How are you holding up?”

Proof that John was wearing off on me, I first glanced to see who in the long line of customers waiting for their turn at the counter was paying attention to us—and it was pretty much everyone.

Andi also noticed and said, “Come into my office, where we can talk.” She called to the purple-haired girl behind the counter, “Tess, I’ll be in the back.”

Tess waved her hand in acknowledgment.

“What have you heard?” I asked, following Andi back to her office.

I was terrified she had some new and dreadful update I was unaware of, but as she sat down at her desk, she said, “The Duchess has been summoned to appear before le Conseil Savant, and that the charge is…” Her voice wavered. “Treason.”

“It’s my fault. This is about my marriage to John.”

“No. They wouldn’t dare. The Crone blessed your union. Anyway, you’re not the one being called to appear. This is about the Duchess.”

I shook my head, but Andi insisted, “Of course it is. Cos, you can’t be as powerful as the Duchess and not make enemies. They’re saying this Madame de Darrieux has taken control of the Société du Sortilège, and that she’s the one pushing for this.”

“When I appeared before the council last summer, the membership had changed. Oliver Sandhurst was there, and Madame de Darrieux seemed to be acting as le chancelier, though I thought all seven members were supposed to be equal.”

Andi looked startled. “Oliver Sandhurst was there?”

“Yes.”

“But wasn’t he banished a year ago?”

“Close. What’s really confusing is he also seems to be working with the Society for Prevention of Magic in the Mortal Realm.”

“What?”

“And he’s not the only one. Do you remember Gideon Terwilliker?”

Andy blushed. “Oh. Er… Sort of.”

“Well, he’s changed his name and, besides working as SFPD’s occult expert, he’s now teaching at SF State. He’s also working with SPMMR.”

“I knew he’d changed his name,” she said surprisingly.

“You did? You kept in touch?”

“No. No, of course not. But I looked him up on Facebook a few years ago. He’d written a really terrible book on economics and magic, and made the mistake of using his own name. It wasn’t long after that, that he reinvented himself.”

“Economics and magic? What would that even be? Alchemy? Pyramid schemes?”

She sighed. “I know.”

“I believe he’s part of this faction of witches working with the SPMMR, but with a separate end goal in mind.”

“Which would be what?”

“To take over the leadership of the Abracadantès.”

“Really?” Andi sounded doubtful, and I wasn’t surprised because when I said it aloud, it did sound pretty wild.

“Yes. People like Gideon are more sympathetic to mortals than people like Oliver, who has turned into a raving anti humain.”

“Even so.” She frowned. “What I don’t understand is, where is the Crone in all this?”

“I spoke to Maman before she left for Paris. She said Great-aunt Laure told her she had to appear before le Conseil Savant.”

Andi bit her lip. “Maybe it’s gone so far that even she can’t stop it.”

“Maybe.” That was a horrifying thought.

“Do you know anything about Madame de Darrieux?” Andi asked after some thought.

“I think she’s an old rival of Maman’s.”

Andi made a face. “That doesn’t exactly narrow it down.”

“No, I know. Here’s the thing. I don’t believe Madame de Darrieux is the real force behind this plot.”

“You…don’t?”

“No. I think she’s a puppet. I have reason to believe my cousin Waite has also been working with SPMMR, and we both know the only reason a Whitby does anything is because it’s to his own benefit.”

“True, but talk about a puppet,” objected Andi. “Waite isn’t exactly the enterprising type.”

“Exactly.”

“Exactly?” Andi was frowning, but then her eyes widened. “You mean you believe your aunt Iolanthe is behind this?”

“Think about it. Aunt I always resented that a two-minute fluke—her words, not mine—made Maman heiress to the trône de sorcière. She said it so many times that Waite tried to drown me when we were kids and hired someone to try again last summer.”

“Wait. What?”

“Long story. But I’m sure I’m right. Nothing else makes sense.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say th—”

“But who else could be behind it?”

“You already admitted you don’t actually know anything about this Madame de Darrieux, and she’s the one who seems to be running le Conseil Savant, which means she’s running the Société du Sortilège.”

“Okay. True. But I’m very sure, for reasons I can’t really go into, that Waite is part of this. And if Waite is part of this, then…”

Andi still looked unconvinced. “I’m not so sure. Regardless of the past, your mom and your aunt have been really close for years.”

I opened my mouth to object, but Andi was right. My mother and her sister were pretty cozy in their own peculiar way.

“And the other thing is, yes, your mother was born two minutes early, but the Crone has leeway in whom she chooses as her heir or heiress. She didn’t have to pick either of the Saville sisters. She could still change her mind. And your aunt Iolanthe knows that as well as anyone.”

“But that just supports what I’m saying. If Maman is found guilty of treason, she’ll be banished and the path will be clear for Laure d’Estrées to choose—”

“You,” Andi cut in. “The Crone will choose you, Cosmo. It’s no secret she adores you. Why do you think you got her blessing when you decided to marry a mortal?”

“But then that doesn’t fit.”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” Andy said patiently. “You’re missing a piece of the puzzle.”

Could she be right? The plot had made such perfect sense in my mind, but Andi was correct in that the Crone did have latitude in choosing an heir. Removing my mother from contention did not automatically remove me, so if the object of all this was to gain the Abracadantès, there was another angle that so far remained oblique to me.

In sisterly fashion, Andi added, “Even if you do have all the puzzle pieces, you’re not putting them in the right order.”

“Speaking of things not being in the right order, I have to ask a favor.”

“Of course.”

“If anything should happen to me, will you take Ambrose for your apprentice?”

Andi’s hazel eyes widened with alarm. “What do you think is going to happen to you?”

“Nothing. I’m just taking precautions. Ambrose likes you. His…family situation is complicated, but nothing you can’t handle.”

Andi only looked more worried. “You’re going to talk to your aunt Iolanthe, aren’t you?”

“I have to. If only to clear her of suspicion in my own mind.”

“I don’t like this. I really don’t like this.”

“You just told me you’re sure Aunt I had nothing to do with Maman’s predicament.”

Andi stared at me, then sighed. “I did, didn’t I? And I do believe that. So, yes. If something happens to you—and nothing better had—I promise to take Ambrose as my apprentice.”

“Thank you. And—again, this is just a precaution—if something happens to me and Maman does not return, will you protect Jinx?”

Andi’s jaw dropped. “Protect Jinx from what?”

“I’m not sure. Maman thought part of why she was summoned before le Conseil Savant was her decision to…take Jinx under her wing. If she’s right, then it’s possible the Société might pose some threat to Jinx.”

Andi closed her mouth. She considered in silence. Finally, she said, “Jinx hates me. She’s not going to accept my protection.”

“Jinx is jealous of you. That’s not the same thing.”

“It’s close to the same thing. Also, John is never in a million years going to let me tutor Jinx in the Craft.”

“Jinx is her own person, but that’s not what I’m asking. I know that would go against your own beliefs. I just want you to keep an eye out for her. She’s kind of between two worlds, and there isn’t anyone who understands what that’s like better than you.”

Andi glanced instinctively at the vintage Valentine pinned over her desk.

Valentine, you BEWITCH me!

They hadn’t even known each other long enough celebrate an actual Valentine’s day together, but there it was. He had even chosen something witch-themed.

She gave me a long, silent look. She nodded. “Not subtle, but okay. I promise, if necessary, to act as Jinx’s fairy godmother.” She sighed. “Anybody else you want me to take under my wing?”

“Well, Pyewacket might n—”

Andi rose—and so did her voice. “Oh no. No you don’t. That’s it! Cosmo, you darn well better get home safely or else!”