The Spells of Paradise

Chapter 37: The Strange Familiar

Chapter 37: The Strange Familiar

Lucy had to stop herself from jumping out of the carriage when she arrived at Shorewind. Almost tripping over her skirts, she avoided collapsing to the ground as she ran up the stairs and started banging on the doors.

"Ross!" She pounded her fist on the door as hard as she could. "Ross!"

It seemed like a million years when the door finally opened and a bleary-eyed footman answered, as though Lucy's knocks had roused him from sleep.

"Ms. Quincy?" He frowned.

"Please, let me in," she begged. "I have to speak with the captain. It's urgent!"

The footman nodded slowly and stepped to one side so Lucy could rush in. He shut the door and offered to take her shawl, but she refused kindly.

"Please, just wake up the captain."

"Lucy?"

She turned and, in a rush of utter relief, she saw Ross rushing down the stairs. He was less disheveled than the footman, so Lucy guessed that he had not been sleeping upon her arrival.

"Ross," she hurried up to him and reached out with a trembling hand. She had not realized just how terrified she was until she saw him.

Ross took her hand and pulled her to him in a warm embrace. 

"What happened?" He pulled away and leaned down to look her in the eye. "Did someone hurt you, Lucy? Who?"

She shook her head. "No. Not yet."

"What do you mean?"

"What is this?"

Lucy and Ross both turned to see Mrs. Beauchamp watching them from the terrace on the second floor. Her hair hung down in a messy braid and she was dressed in a pale nightgown, and yet she still seemed to ooze regal authority.

"Mrs. Beachamp, I am so sorry," Lucy curtsied quickly. "I did not mean to wake you."

"What is going on?" She asked, looking to her son. "Ross?"

"Mother, go to bed," Ross said. "Everything is fine."

"This is all very untoward," Mrs. Beauchamp protested. "Coming here in the dead of night? I expected more from you, Ms. Quincy."

"Mother, please," Ross insisted. "I have everything under control."

"If people were to find out..."

"Tell them, if you wish, mother, you know I couldn't care less."

Lucy was too much in a daze to try and take stock of her actions, but had she been in the right state of mind, she would have begged Mrs. Beauchamp for forgiveness. Even by her standards Lucy knew she was acting out badly.

But, at the moment, that didn't matter.

Mrs. Beauchamp pursed her lips and pushed away from the terrace.

After her footsteps faded away, Ross turned back to Lucy and stroked her face. "Come with me, my love. You're shivering."

Lucy was indeed trembling from head to foot, so she let Ross lead her to the kitchen. It was empty, for the most part. Ross dismissed a few of the maids with a kind smile before warming up a kettle.

"He's here," Lucy said while Ross set out two cups. "James is in Belmoran."

Ross turned to her with a frown. "Lucy, don't be absurd."

"I'm not, Ross, he's here!" Lucy folded her hands in front of her. "Leila told me."

"Did you see him?" Ross asked. "Did he find you?"