Page 43 of Fitzwilliam Darcy Undone
“I suppose are wondering what that was all about?”
Lizzy turned to face Mama and saw the flecks of silver remained in her mother’s eyes. “It would be nice to know exactly who, or what you are, dear Mama.”
“For that, we need tea and lemon tarts.” Mama looped her arm through hers and guided her to the terrace doors leading to the drawing room. Once inside she gave a small flick of her wrist and all the doors locked and a lovely setting for tea appeared on the table between two chairs. “Have a seat, Lizzy. We have much to discuss before your Father realizes magic is flowing in the house and it’s not Miatharan.”
“You know about Papa?”
“Yes, and I know about you, although it took your father much longer to realize your abilities and because of his indolence, you’ve not been trained properly.”
“To be fair, Mama, I didn’t come into my powers until the age of sixteen and hid them.”
Mama burst out laughing.
“Lizzy, you are such a treasure. You’ve always had magic. You are not held by the constraints of age. Miatharan daughters come into their magic at sixteen but my people have magic from birth. I masked your abilities for years because I didn’t want Mr. Bennet to know we had magical children.”
She gaped at her mother. Gone was the simpering woman who called for her salts on an hourly basis. In her place was a composed woman who practically glowed with good health.
“I am all astonishment. And Mama... did you say children, as in all of us?”
“Pour the tea, Lizzy and I’ll start at the beginning.”
“My people are Ellorian and we exist in a different time and dimension called Miathara. At one time both Miatharan and Ellorian lived together, but Miatharans became restless and for reasons long forgotten left the realm of Miathara and settled amongst humans, specifically Normandy, France. This happened so long ago I’m not even sure if the Old Ones have records of our heritage. They’ve lived among humans for thousands of years and slowly the males have depleted and the bloodlines have thinned. Your Mr. Darcy is the purest Miatharan I’ve come across in a long time, the exception being your father, of course. His dear father, Viscount Benoit took a human to wife, but prior to that, the Benoit’s always married magical women. I guess love has you do strange things, although, Viscountess Benoit did have a soul mark on her wrist, so she was fated to be his wife.”
“Humans can receive soul marks?”
“Aye, although ‘tis rare. The love must be very strong, indeed.”
“You remember Papa’s family?”
“Yes, dear child. Your papa’s spells have no effect on me, but I allowed him to believe in their power.”
“Mama, who are you? Lady Catherine called you Ellucia.”
“Ellucia is my Ellorian name as is yours. I called you Elizabeth as it’s the closest human name to your Ellorian one.” She picked up a lemon tart and took a delicate bite. “This may come as a bit of a shock, but I’m quite a bit older than you realize.”
“How so, Mama?”
“Suffice to say, the parting of the Red Sea was a spectacular moment in history and the Good Book does not do it justice.” Mama smiled at her. “Close your mouth, Lizzy. A lady does not sit with her mouth agape.”
She closed her mouth so fast, her teeth banged together. “The Red Sea? As in Moses and the Red Sea?”
“Yes, the very one.”
“That is physically impossible.”
“True, but you are thinking the way humans do. Miathara, like I said is a different time and dimension. A few seconds in Miathara translates into weeks and months on Earth. Our time moves slower. We still age and die, but compared to humans we seem immortal. Once I stepped into the mortal world, I aged as you do. If I were to step through the veil and return to Miathara, I would age at Miatharan time.”
“I have so many questions I don’t know where to start.”
“Ask me anything, but make it quick. I give your father about another half hour and then he’ll begin to sense my ward at the door.”
“First, Lady Catherine and her daughter.”
Mama’s shoulders drooped. “Such a tragedy. She and Sir Lewis were in Scotland on their wedding tour. They were so happy and she’d only just discovered she was with child. I and my brother were having some fun near the standing stones when they stumbled upon us. We’d been reckless with our magic and although Lady Catherine was familiar because of her Miatharan background, Sir Lewis was quite afraid and angry. Looking back, he probably feared more for his wife and unborn babe than himself. My brother, who held no soft spot for humans, told Sir Lewis that if he didn’t like what he saw, then maybe he should go to where he hadn’t seen them, inadvertently sending them back in time to their wedding day. The babe Lady Catherine had been carrying was lost. I begged my parents to let me help them conceive another child, as he’d not only caused her to lose her babe, but withered her womb. It was truly a terrible thing he did. Father stripped him of his powers and banished him to a continent called Australia.”
“As I’ve seen Anne de Bourgh, you obviously were successful in your mission.”
“Yes, and Lady Catherine, at the time was so grateful. She has changed much from the carefree woman I once knew.”
