Four Summoners Tales Part 47

"None other," said Mr. Christopher. "You must know he was pivotal in the pa.s.sage of the Act of Settlement and is said to be one of the electress's most vital agents here in England. At least he was when he was alive."

"And now he is again," said Mr. Christopher.

"Indeed," agreed Mr. Fallows. "Alive once more, and so an agent once more, I must think. He has been rumored to say, and in the presence of the greatest men in the kingdom, that this necromancer must be stopped at all costs, that to sit a corpse upon the throne would be an abomination, and it would lead to another civil war. Do you know what these great men replied, Mr. January? Can you guess?"

I could not, and said as much.

"I shall tell him," volunteered Mr. Christopher. "They replied, behind closed doors, mind you, so no one would know-"

"No one!" cried Mr. Fallows with nose-wagging mirth. "No rumors would spread!" laughed Mr. Christopher.

"What did they say?" I demanded with a severity that seemed to shock the two men.

Mr. Christopher sharply looked at me. "No need to be so animated, Mr. January. I shall tell you. Be patient."

"No rush," said Mr. Fallows. "The club is not on fire, I trust."

"I smell no smoke," agreed Mr. Christopher.

With great effort, I refrained from speaking another word.

At last, seeing I would not allow them to extend the conversation further, Mr. Christopher sighed, as if having lost something of enormous value, and proceeded. "They told him that, as he had a nearer connection to the necromancer than any person in London, Sir Albert must do all in his power to prevent the man from granting the queen's wish."

"It is a bad season for necromancy," said Mr. Fallows.

"The worst I can recall," agreed Mr. Christopher.

The two commenced once more to laughter and I excused myself.

I returned home in a state of agitation that evening, and my servants informed me that there was a guest awaiting me in my parlor. I rarely received guests in my home, and so this surprised me, but not as much as when I saw who it was-Lady Caroline.

I stared at her in surprise. She stood by the fire, her back to me, holding a gla.s.s of wine in her hand. Her velvet gown, the color of the wine she drank, highlighted the perfection of her form. Her hair was piled high under her hat, and delightful curls slipped loose.

I was filled with love and desire and loneliness and regret. She had been wrong to reject me-that much was certain-but for all that, I would have done anything to undo my terrible act. However, even I, granted by fate the G.o.dlike power over life and death, could not change the past.

"I am surprised to find you here," I said. My voice was dry and brittle. I hated sounding weak, but if there was a person to whom I would gladly submit, it was she.

She turned to me, and I could see that she had been crying. Is there anything more melancholy than tears upon the face you love?

"You are a villain," she said, "but you are not the worst kind of villain. No, that t.i.tle is reserved for my husband, whom you have returned to the world."

"I ought not to have done it," I told her. "I acted out of anger." "I know," she said, casting her eyes upon the floor. "You wronged me, but there was some truth in what you said, and I own I can understand your motives and I believe that you do- did-love me in truth."

"I did and I still do," I said, stepping toward her. She held up her hand to stop me. "It is too late for that. In bringing Sir Albert back from his grave, you have not only made me miserable, but you have endangered yourself."

"I have heard he intends to harm the necromancer, but surely he cannot know who I am."

She swallowed the remainder of her wine and set the goblet down upon the mantel. "He has long suspected I know who returned him from death, though I denied it. I think Susan betrayed me. It would be like her, I think. It hardly matters. He demanded I tell him who had returned him. I tried to refuse. I tried to appeal to his better nature, but there is not such a thing. He hurt me, Mr. January. He hurt me where he knew the world would not see the bruises."

Again, I took a step toward her. "Caroline," I said.

"No." She backed away, as though I too would bring her harm. "Do not touch me. I am sorry, Mr. January. I hate you for what you've done to me, but because I know I played a part in this, that I could have been kinder, I come to bring you warning. My husband has always been loyal to Sophia of Hanover, and he has always been a staunch Whig. He would have done anything to end the Stuart succession, and he will not allow you to bring the prince back from the grave. And, he is altered."

"What do you mean?"

"He is not the same as he was before," she told me, her voice now sounding wild. "He is worse. He is crueler and more hurtful. He was always unkind, but not this bad. Death and resurrection, I fear, have heightened what was worst in him and dulled what little there was of good."

I took a moment to consider what she said. I had not only brought a bad man back from the grave, but in doing so, I had made him worse.

"I am sorry, Lady Caroline," I said.

She shook her head. "Sorrow will get you nothing.You cannot fathom how you hurt me, and I have hated you for it, but I will not see you murdered because of me.You must know that he will come here before night's end, and he will have his particular villain with him. He will force you to reveal your secrets, and when there is nothing more to be learned from you, he will kill you."

I smirked. I was my father's son, after all, and I was not afraid of the baronet, recently returned from the dead. His particular villain, indeed. I should have liked to have the opportunity to teach this fellow a thing or two about villainy.

"Let him try," I said.

"You do not understand."

"No, you do not understand. I am no coward to be threatened. I shall be waiting for him with sword and loaded pistols, and, if necessary, I shall send him back to the grave from which I so foolishly plucked him."

"He will have you outnumbered."

"Numbers do not signify. They will have to gain the house to fight me, and I shall happily dispatch any lackey Sir Albert cares to bring with him."