“So kind,” she murmured, “but there is no need, really.” She pushed herself up into a sitting position, took the hand that Georgie silently offered, and was safely on her feet a moment later, brushing down her borrowed skirts.
Her hair, alas, could only be considered a lost cause; her efficient repairs after the earlier accident hadn’t included enough spare pins to protect it from any further falls. Now, as was its exasperating predilection, it had escaped all control and was shamelessly rioting all around her in incorrigible blonde curls. She shook the obstreperous mass behind her shoulders in a practised move and stepped, smiling, away from the sofa ... leaving plenty of space for observers to witness that no beasts, mythical or otherwise, could be hiding there.
She refused to turn her gaze to Sir Gareth ... but she savoured the hiss of breath that escaped him at that discovery.
“You poor girl.” Aunt Parry was frowning as she cupped Rose’s cheek with one warm hand. However, her eyes had gone heavy-lidded with what Rose recognised by now as sudden authorial inspiration. “Such a picture you make, dear ... you know, if only the gown you wore was medieval ... and perhaps ...” With a jolt, she shook herself back into the moment. “But we must look after you. Were you injured?”
Sir Gareth cleared his throat unpleasantly.
Rose raised one limp hand to her forehead in perfect mimicry of Serena’s favourite pose. “I’m afraid Georgie was correct. I’m not feeling quite myself. Perhaps ...”
“Oh, yes, you must lie down, dear. Perhaps Beth could bring you a cold compress? And we’ll ask Mrs Davies to make you something lovely and restorative for supper, but in the meantime, I must go before I lose this scene or—oh, Sir Gareth, you’re still here. Well, of course you are.” Aunt Parry didn’t quite manage to mask her grimace at the discovery, nor her longing look towards the doorway and her writing desk beyond.
“As you say, ma’am.” Sir Gareth made a curt bow. “I can see that the family requires privacy at this unfortunate moment. Now that we’ve finally made our acquaintance, though, I do hope you’ll allow me to call upon you again very soon, and bring along my niece. She’s new to the countryside and probably longing for society of her own age.”
“Of course, of course, a pleasure.” Aunt Parry was already hurrying with visible relief towards the door. “Humphrey, if you wouldn’t mind escorting our guest ...”
“Sir Gareth.” Uncle Parry, a full foot shorter than that guest, scowled up at him. “Shall I show you out?”
“No need.” Nodding tightly at the room, Sir Gareth strode out without any further courtesies ... and Serena collapsed dramatically onto the settee behind her, flinging her arms out to the sides and letting out a gusty sigh.
“What a thrill! I’m quite certain, now, that he must have murdered someone. Did you all see how—?”
“Oh, forget all of that Gothic nonsense!” Beth exclaimed. “Rose, what in the world was he saying about your betrothal?”
“A betrothal? To Sir Gareth? I tell you now, miss, I will not have it!” It was impossible for Uncle Parry ever to look truly forbidding, but he looked as stern as Rose had ever seen him as he shook his head at her. “If you knew what I do about that gentleman—! I cannot condone any young lady under my protection ever betrothing herself to such a man.”
“But Papa,” Serena cried. “You’re being terribly unjust. He’s delicious!”
“Delicious?” Georgie groaned. “Have you gone blind from all that time spent staring up at the sun? In case you hadn’t noticed—”
“He beats puppies!” Beth’s usual ready tears were already beginning to flow as she shouted the words at their sister. “Even you couldn’t possibly find that monster romantic!”
“Well, if you were mature enough to understand powerful gentlemen—”
“Of course she finds him romantic,” Georgie snapped. “She’s simply dying to fling herself into his crypt! She’ll probably sing an aria of joy as she does it.”
“Why, you—!”
The three sisters’ voices rose into a thunderous storm of outrage, but Rose ignored them all with the ease of long practise. “I promise,” she told her uncle, “there is no fear of my betrothing myself to Sir Gareth.”
Mr Aubrey had been silent throughout, watching from the sidelines with a faintly puzzled expression, but she caught his eye now and did her best to beam reassurance as she continued, “His talk of fiancés was all a mere misunderstanding. I’m sure it can be resolved the next time we see him.”
... But only once she found the time to think up a clever solution. At the moment, she had far more urgent concerns. As the sisterly quarrel mounted to new heights behind her, she started swiftly for the door, already running through a mental list of where to look for the disappearing dragon.
Mr Aubrey caught up just outside the parlour, his long strides making mincemeat of the distance between them. “Where shall we begin our search?”
“I beg your pardon?” Rose came to a stop as his words sank through her daze. “Oh, no. Was I so obvious?”
Mr Aubrey shrugged, his voice calm. “I saw no signs of your dragon, myself, but it was a fairly simple process to deduce both her presence and her departure from your actions. She had only just vanished from my care, as I’d come to inform you, and in all of my observations so far, you’ve shown no tendency to swoon. Thus, I assumed you must have another motive for taking up that unusual position on the floor.”
“Ah ... thank you.” It was a bit unsettling to find herself the focus of such coolheaded scientific scrutiny. On the other hand, the conclusion that Mr Aubrey had reached might have formed a rather pleasing compliment ... if only Rose could be certain that Sir Gareth hadn’t shared it. “Before anything else, let’s just make certain that our guest really has left the premises ... I mean, our other guest.” She shook her head at the slip as she started forwards.
It was surprisingly easy to forget that Mr Aubrey was a mere guest and not simply a natural new addition to this comfortably ramshackle household.
He fell into step beside her. “Ah, yes. I take it that you weren’t the one who left those vicious markings on the dragon’s back legs?”
Rose set her teeth together. “I would never do such a thing to any animal. But did you see—?”
