“I will be certain to remind you if it looks like you might have,” Lilybet said.
The man who came to the door was no servant and Primrose was shocked to realize that it was the duke himself. He was so handsome, he was almost pretty. He also looked far too young to be the head of such a huge powerful family. Then Bened grabbed her by the hand and pulled her forward. She looked into the duke’s beautiful sea-green eyes and thought he seemed almost ethereal.
“This is the Honorable Primrose Wootten, Your Grace,” he said. “Primrose, this is His Grace, the Duke of Elderwood, Modred of the half dozen names.”
The young Duke frowned at Bened and said, “Are you certain it is only a half dozen? It often feels like more.” He then took off his glove and reached out to take Primrose’s hand, a gesture so unusual she was shocked speechless. “I am very pleased to meet you, Miss Wootten.”
“Primrose will do, Your Grace.”
“And I shall tell you to call me Modred but I have a feeling it may take you a while to do so.”
“We also have another surprise.” Morris tugged Lilybet closer. “This is Lilybet Wherlocke. She has come looking for her family and we thought she might as well start from the top. One of the ones we have lost touch with, Modred.”
“That is wonderful news.” He shook her hand as well and smiled. “And even better now.” He turned and yelled down the hall. “Aunt Dob! You must come meet the new guests.”
“Must you bellow some like some fishmonger?” came a woman’s voice, moving closer with each word. “Who are the ladies? I recognize everyone else.”
Modred took both Lilybet and Primrose by the hands and tugged them forward. He introduced them with utmost courtesy to his aunt Dob despite the fact that he was holding hands with two women who had only just been introduced to him. The way the woman’s eyes widened as she saw that made Primrose expect a lecture but the woman just smiled so brightly it had to be hurting her cheeks.
“High walls?” she asked Modred.
“High, wide, and very strong,” he replied.
Bened looked so pleased that Primrose began to think she had been right to think she had been brought to face some kind of test. Obviously she had passed and so had Lilybet. Then, when Bened took her hand from the duke’s she recalled the man’s gift again. The necessity for such a test came to her so quickly, the reason so clear, she almost gasped. She glanced at Lilybet who was frowning at Morris. They had wanted to see if the duke could read their thoughts. Primrose would have been angrier if she had failed.
“You did not tell them,” said Dob, and slapped both Bened and Morris upside the head. “I would get my spoon and do that except that I am in too good a mood right now. A newfound Wherlocke who can come and go here as freely as she pleases and a new friend who can do the same. You brought us two treasures so you are forgiven. By me. Might take a little longer to be forgiven by the ones you tricked.”
“You did not smack Bevan,” said Bened as he rubbed at his abused ear.
“He is just too adorable and I am sure was just following your directions. Now, into the parlor all of you and I will bring some food and drink.”
The moment the woman left and Primrose found herself seated next to Bened in a lavish front parlor, she scowled at him. “You could have warned us.”
“Nay, because then you may then have worked to build walls and that is never a true judgment,” answered Bened.
“You mean you can actually make it so he cannot see inside?”
“Yes, although it is hard work. You and Lilybet are what is best, ones he can actually befriend, even come round for a visit without a long warning. You just do it, without thought or effort. It is a natural part of you.”
“And obviously with you, Morris, and Bevan.”
“With most of the family, of the blood. It does appear as if the high strong walls to the mind come hand in hand with the other things. It requires a strong emotion to put a crack in them and then he is assaulted by a little of what is there.”
“You are right. That is more a curse than a gift,” she said softly, watching the duke prompting Lilybet to tell him everything she knew about her mother and her mother’s family.
“It is and I am sorry I did not warn you but I could not. It had to be as normal a meeting as possible to know for sure.”
“Apology accepted and now I am going to go find his aunt Dob and see if she needs any help in the kitchens.”
Bened gave her the directions and Primrose walked away, allowing herself to inspect everything she passed. When she stepped into the kitchens, Dob turned to face her, holding a bloody butcher knife. On the board covering the counter behind her were a lump of brown fur and the innards of the butchered rabbit corpse she could see on the stovetop. But that scene rapidly blended into another as horror, grief, and fear surged up into Primrose so fast she could not stop it. She heard herself scream as Dob became Augusta and the mangled fur and blood became Constantine.