A few days later after Higgs had finally fully recovered from his bout of unexplained sickness, everyone was getting ready to rehearse the ceremony and make sure everyone knew their places and such. Radek brought Edgar with him when he came for the wedding. As promised, Higgs wrote a letter to Elizabeth to let him know that he was doing well and was accepting visitors again.
As seemed to be her new usual, one day Elizabeth came to the Northumberly home unannounced with Gretchen. She was let in by Marlow as Higgs ran down the stairs in just a shirt and bare feet, his normal shirt way too big for his childish body. Seeing Elizabeth, his face brightened and he ran towards her.
"Elizabeth!" he yelled happily.
Elizabeth smiled a little uncomfortably but knelt down in front of him.
"Oh, hello... um..."
"It's me!" he yelled, flapping his sleeves like wings.
Elizabeth turned her head at him, looking into his gray eyes.
"Higgs!" They both looked up as Merida ran to the banister. "What have I told ye about running around when ye're like that? Come up here and get properly dressed." She made a face at seeing Elizabeth. "Oh, Lady Hinkley. We werenae expecting ye."
"Am I missing something?" she asked, looking quite confused.
"Welcome to the month of the phoenix." She turned her attention to Higgs. "Ye need to get up here and get dressed properly. Ye're verra indecent and in front of Lady Hinkley too. Arenae ye ashamed?"
"No." he said with a belligerent grin as he grabbed Elizabeth's hand. "Come on! She has to catch us first!"
"Um..." Elizabeth said, looking so confused as Higgs practically dragged her from the mansion and out the back door.
Merida scoffed as she rolled her eyes and made her way down the stairs. Gretchen watched her from the bottom and smiled.
"Tough break?" she asked with a smirk.
"That little brat is fast!"
"Have you tried sweet-baiting him? Usually worked for me."
"Aye, I tried that and the little bastard grabbed a sweet and ran off like the Devil was about him. Sneaky beastie. An he's going to be a child for a while, then he needs to change his clothing to reflect as such."
"You got him children's clothing?"
"Aye, but he usually turns back sometime within the day, so that means that I have to bring two sets." She sighed. "I need to catch him so we can get to the wedding rehearsal. He's already making us later than we need to be and I cannae waste time being cheeky."
Just at that time, Elizabeth came back in holding Higgs, his face red and his eyes wet. Merida put her hands on her hips.
"What happened?"
"I stubbed my toe!"
"Weel then. That's what ye get for being defiant. Now ye've let Lady Hinkley see ye acting like a silly bairn. Let her alone and come and get yer clothes changed so we can leave."
Higgs sniffled again as he shimmied down from Elizabeth's arms, limping to the stairs. Merida smacked his bottom as he passed her.
"Get dressed, ye divvy. And tell Edgar to hurry up as weel."
"TeLl eDgAr To HuRry Up As WeLl..." he mocked as he headed up the stairs.
Merida rolled her eyes as she put her hands on her hips to make sure he went upstairs. She turned to Elizabeth.
"As I mentioned afore, this is the month of the phoenix. The wedding has him stressed out and so he's been reverting almost every single day. Usually he's a bit more mature even when he's a child but for some reason he is trying to make me crazy."
"He's so cute though..." Elizabeth said.
"Don't let him fool you." Gretchen said.
"Aye, agreed, he's muckle cute but he'll use it against ye. Just when ye ken he's being the perfect angel he does things like this."
"Will he stay a child all month?"
"No, he'll probably return to normal by day's end. Which of course means I have to bring an extra pair of clothes so he's not naked."
"I thought that the phoenix was done when he was really hot or really cold? At least that's what Gretchen told me."
"She isnae wrong but it's also stress induced as weel. Most of the time he's able to regulate himself, but stress isnae something that's easily regulated."
"Come on, Edgar, we have to go!" Higgs yelled.
"I'm coming, Mr. Higgs!"
Higgs was practically dragging Edgar down the stairs as he tried to tuck his shirt into his pants.
"Merida, I don't have my boots!" he yelled.
"Ye're bigger than he is at the moment. Bonk him and get yer boots."
Edgar did as told and bonked Higgs on the head. He let got of Edgar's arm to complain and Edgar turned back to go up the stairs. Merida put her hands on her hips.
"I said tell him to hurry not pull him out while he's half dressed. Ye're being a right muckle beastie, ye ken? Embarrassing yerself in front of Lady Hinkley."
Higgs made a face but walked down the steps and stood next to Elizabeth, grabbing her hand.
"Lady Hinkley and I will be waiting in the carriage." He said, trying to sound adult even though he still looked like a child.
"Laird's beard, please." Merida said.
"Come on." Higgs said, dragging Elizabeth out of the house, Gretchen following.
Merida rolled her eyes as Edgar came down the stairs, properly dressed.
"Why is Mr. Higgs acting that way?"
"His nerves are getting to him. The more childlike he is, the less he has to stress. He'll calm down soon enough."
"Did something happen between you guys?"
"Why do ye ask?"
"Something seems different."
"Dinnae ye worry about it, lad. Ye just be good and do yer part, aye?"
Edgar made a face but did as Merida asked.
********************
When they got to the small chapel that was a little ways out from London, they were met by an interesting looking clergyman.
"Everyone, I would like to introduce the Northumberly's personal vicar, Reverend Cucklehorn. He is a distant cousin of the Northumberlys." Radek said.
"How do you do?" the reverend said with a bow to the company. He looked around. "Hmm... How many Norths do we have?"
"Four Northumberlys; five cursed, including you, Reverend." Radek said.
"So many in one place is quite odd... Do forgive my appearance. I assume all those who are not afflicted are aware of what happens to us who are? With that being said, the curse has a few witty tricks of it's own. Come inside and let's begin the rehearsals."
Reverend Cucklehorn turned and clopped back into the chapel that was behind him. Merida thought it ironic that the vicar would look like a demon. It was clear that he was a satyr, but Merida was sure that those outside of the family would think he was the Devil himself trying to pose as the clergy. There was a sudden clap of thunder in the distance and Merida watched the thunderclouds, hoping it wasn't another Eurus incident. It didn't look like it was, but the clouds were still odd.
"You're quite observant, ma'am." Merida turned, finding the Reverend behind her. "The skies have been quite strange for the past few days."
"Last time it was off we got a visit from the East Wind."
"Eurus does have a knack for literally dropping by... I don't think I've ever met you before."
"I'm Merida Dunbrough. I'm Mr. Higgs' maid."
"Ah, yes, Radek did say something about that. You are very pretty, my dear-"
"Reverend, we are waiting." Jamison growled.
Cucklehorn turned and began to speak with everyone as Merida just chuckled. Satyrs were known to be quite flirtatious.
"Are you alright?" Gretchen asked, walking up to her.
"Oh, I'm fine."
"He seemed to be quite close, as if he were about to get handsy."
"No worse than Higgs."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. Did ye send Laird Northumberly over? An ye did, it's awful kind of ye. Not at all what I expected."
"I may not be fond of you but I would never allow a woman to be subject to improper behavior from a man, clergy or not. What is he, by the way? He looks like a demon."
"A satyr or a faun. Depends on who ye ask. They are quite promiscuous either way."
"I see... How is it that you know so much about the creatures that the Northumberlys turn into? Some I recognize but others are quite foreign and some I've never heard of at all."
"Scottish folk are superstitious and have many dealings with standing stones and mounds and runes and such, gateways to the Faefolk. We are quite attuned to the wonders and myths of nature. In fact, it's considered back luck if ye get lost in the woods."
"Why?"
"Will ye come back ye or are ye a changeling that just looks like ye? Things of the sort... but regarding the other things, the mansion has a diverse library full of the myths and beasts of other cultures procured through the years."
"Merida!" Fuchsia yelled from the chapel door. "Come on, they're doing ours first!"
Merida nodded and went inside.
**********************
After hours of practice, things seemed ready to go forward and Merida stepped out to have a rest but found Jamison and Margaret kissing each other quite intently. Sensing someone near, Jamison looked up and pushed his wife away as if he were doing something wrong.
"Ahem, good afternoon, Ms. Dunbrough."
"Aye..."
"We were just um..."
"Tis yer wife, Laird Northumberly, tisnae like ye're doing a sin in the church."
"He gets shy showing affection." Margaret explained. "It's also the month of the mermaid so sexual tension is high. So long as he doesn't try to have his way with me on the side of the building, we'll be alright."
Jamison flushed red as Margaret smiled. Merida turned her head.
"So even if ye've already passed the curse on at height, ye still could again?"
"Merida, the curse doesn't care who you do or when you do it. I could be eighty years old and if I'm in the month of the mermaid, if I was one of those dodgy old geezers who liked whores, I'd get her pregnant even then. In the month of the mermaid, if you have sex with anyone, they will get pregnant and it will be a boy."
"I guess that makes sense, considering ye and ye brothers. I was just under the impression that since yer father didnae care that that's why it happened."
"No, that would be too kind. I would like to speak with you alone actually. Margaret?"
Margaret gave a small curtsy. "Of course. We'll pick up later." She said with a wink to her husband.
Although blushing again, he grinned at her as she left and he turned his attention to Merida. He held out his arm and Merida put hers in his as they began to walk.
"We haven't had a good talk in a while."
"Indeed."
"The last time we did this was when you ended up in Higgs' employ right after the phoenix incident." Merida smiled a little, remembering that day. "How are things?"
"Ye ken it already." She said with a look.
"I've heard many things but I don't hear everything. Higgs still doesn't talk to me much and I only hear what is spoken of with my wife and daughter, which can have details out."
"I thought ye resolved him not talking to ye."
"He will never forgive me for that. We've been on better terms since that disastrous party but there will always be a wall between us just high enough to keep me at bay."
"Hmm..."
"So?"
"Ye see it."
"I do."
"Ye alright with it?"
"Are you?"
"We've already had our dealings. Nothing much to be done."
"From what I heard, things got heated and he was pushed down the stairs."
"Aye."
"Merida..." He made them stop and she looked up at Jamison. "It's very unlike you to have to pull teeth."
Merida sighed. "It's just that the whole course of events was so strange. From the kiss to the yelling..."
"Kiss?"
"Lady Hinkley broke the Naga."
Jamison seemed surprised but didn't say anything more, much to Merida's happiness.
"Then what's so strange about it?"
"How it was all done. Mr. Higgs and I had a calculated and well thought out plan and then she suddenly comes along and within a month they are so in love their first kiss bashes the curse?"
"Love can happen in mysterious ways."
"This isnae the same, I ken in my bones."
"I don't doubt you, Merida, but that sort of thing has happened before. Now, in the case of my son, yes, it's quite strange indeed... considering how much he was in love with you."
"The other thing was Marlow was complaining about a teapot the next morning." Merida said, ignoring the last part of Jami's statement. "She said it was stained green like I had served Higgs and Lady Hinkley some green tea, but I never serve green tea to guests and the bright green tint wasnae like when I've served it afore. Then Higgs got verra sick and was vomiting up the same green color." Merida looked around and then leaned into Jamison to talk quieter. "I dinnae want to put blame on no one but, I feel it deep in my soul that Lady Hinkley isnae what she seems." She said, whispering to Jami.
"I see..."
"But that's my theory." She said, standing up proper.
"Don't let that feeling go." Merida turned back to him. "Al said he smelled something was off as well."
"Al?"
"The Reverend – Altrusian Cucklehorn, or Al."
"Oh, I see. Poor man! Being the vicar and turning into a satyr."
Jamison laughed. "Yes, he gets that a lot but lucky for him he doesn't have many to deal with."
"How many does he have?"
"Just six. Al's father tried very hard not to sully all of England and Cucklehorn did his best as well but, he has a son out there... somewhere."
"Double time?"
"Yes. He only knows about him from a letter sent from the woman he lay with, but she is a traveling woman and he hasn't been able to track her down. He prays every night that they are good to his son, but he feels extremely guilty about bringing him into the world with unknown abilities."
"Poor lad, wherever he may be."
"Back to the issue at hand though, Al said he smelled an odd smell among the guests. He wasn't quite sure what it was but it was enough to make him feel on edge. The only ones not of our family are you, Edgar, Lady Hinkley, and Gretchen. Obviously you and Edgar are ruled out, so that leaves Lady Hinkley and Gretchen."
"Aye, I ken ye. I'll be on the lookout of suspicious activity."
Jamison turned to her and gently touched her face. He made her look at him with a gently push of his finger under her chin.
"I don't know if he's been it yet, but when the month of the mermaid comes and you have a strange feeling, please don't hesitate to take matters into your own hands... or bed. You are far more keen than anyone has ever been outside of our family and with that keenness comes the ability to see past our blinders, the good or bad. You know my son the best and if you sense anything off, do what must be done. Do not hesitate."
Merida nodded. "Aye, ye can count on me."
"I know I can."