Page 37 of The Dragoneers of Longbourn and Pemberley
“No. I won’t go.”
“You will stay with your mother’s brother, Mr. Haupter, in Kinellan City. They have no dragons, and so it will be a good place for you.”
“I will not leave Lelantos.” Her eyes were stinging. She looked away, hiding the welling.
Papa raised his voice. “Val, you will go. And if you are difficult in this I will sever you from Longbourn entirely. You will either be manageable, or I will protect your sisters from your influence.”
He was willing to disown her over this. She could see the logic in that. She was like a festering limb, needing to be cut off before she poisoned the rest of the body. She had hoped to be the feet that carried Longbourn to success.
Either way, she would be severed from Lelantos. At least if she went along to Kinellan City, she would have the chance of returning to her dragon once Papa’s temper had cooled.
Valeraine hung her head. “I’ll go.”
Papa had nothing to say in response. She knew he had no joy in any of this, even in getting his way.
Perhaps he could still be swayed. She said, “Can’t you see, Papa, the good the derbies are doing for Longbourn?”
“I see the risk it has placed you in,” he snapped.
“The other dragon houses, they didn’t see us as one of them. We are a dying house, dangling on the precipice as Lelantos ages. With the derbies, we claim respect. It is only through that respect we have any chance at dealing for a new egg.”
Papa drew a deep breath. “Valeraine —”
“Papa, tell me honestly. Haven’t your dealings with other dragon houses changed tenor because of the derbies? The derbies that I have been doing so well in?”
Papa sighed. But he was, always and sometimes detrimentally, honest. “Yes, I have seen the change. In fact, I have gotten a few overtures asking after Lelantos, wondering at the possibilities of sales or breeding rights.”
“Exactly! This is the future of Longbourn. We must —”
“We must do nothing. Longbourn house is dying, and we will accept that. None of the overtures I have received have been advantageous. I will not embarrass the house by scrambling after scraps of pity and condescension.”
“Which is why I must continue to ride. As people see the strength of Lelantos, his value as a drake will increase, and —”
“I will not be moved on this issue, Valeraine. You will not ride again. It is of little help to our house if Mr. Pemberley tells the world that my daughter is the rider.”
“Mr. Pemberley? Has he said? Who has he told?” A cold feeling gripped Valeraine’s heart.
“He says he will tell everyone if you race again,” Papa said. He plucked a paper from his desk and held it out to her. “Read his words. Maybe it will show you how perilous your situation is.”
The letter was on fine paper, thick and lovely. It had been folded neatly, but the seal was messy, like a ring had been used in a hurry when Pemberley was accustomed to a tidy stamp.
Mr. Longbourn,
I must inform you of a terrible thing which your daughter, Miss Valeraine Longbourn, has done. I take no pleasure in writing this letter, but it must plainly be produced.
She has transgressed the laws of decency and of safety. I cringe to think you may already be aware of all of this, and supporting it. Longbourn house does not have a tradition of decorum as a proper dragon house does, and so perhaps her behavior is a product of this larger deficiency in your character.
Though this sorry state of your house is known, the depths to which Miss Longbourn has fallen are not yet made public. Pray that they do not become so, for the good of your family.
I will protect my house and my friends from this by any means necessary. Do not test me in this.
Miss Longbourn has been racing in dragon derbies. To my knowledge, she has participated in two. She has gone masked and disguised as a man. As Longbourn only has one dragon, you cannot be confused as to which one she employed. It is a dragon of great age, and does not belong in a derby. There is risk therein; the dragon is likely to sustain injuries, and possibly death, which would furtherdeepen the shame of Longbourn house. The layer of respectability over your house is already so thin, and this would break it.
Furthermore, Miss Longbourn is reckless and unprepared to race. In this most recent derby at Rosings, she sustained a serious injury to her shoulder, which I treated. Further racing would bring further injuries.
If she races again, she will be discovered. This farce will be brought to light.
You must control your daughter to prevent this eventuality.
