Page 93 of The Dragoneers of Longbourn and Pemberley
What was she going to do now?
Valeraine took the egg to the nest. Lelantos nuzzled it with his nose, but then lost interest. She laid it in a padded hay cocoon, and sat to watch it.
Dragon eggs hatched in midwinter, but when would this one be ready? This winter? Next?
Well, she couldn’t stay here for years to watch it, could she?
But she couldn’t take her eyes off it.
This. This could have been Longbourn’s salvation. If it had been here a week ago. Now, their lands were signed away. A second dragon would only bankrupt them, with no fields for the dragon to work. Buying new land would be nearly impossible, as they would have to compete with Netherfield for every acre and make an enemy of their son-in-law. There was simply no room left in Longbourn for a growing dragon.
It would be difficult on the house. Merna and Papa had reiterated that to her over breakfast: the egg would be a nuisance.
Papa had left the puzzle of what to do with it in Valeraine’s hands. She had rightfully earned the egg by winning the derby, after all.
So how would she solve it? It was illegal to sell it. They couldn’t keep it at Longbourn.
This was all Pemberley’s fault. It really was.
So, it could be his problem. He couldn’t stand to look at the egg, because the idea of Valeraine was so repulsive? How unfortunate for him. He couldn’t push his problems off on her.
She had just made her peace that Longbourn didn’t need an egg, that she didn’t need the future prosperity of Longbourn to be happy. Then Pemberley gave back the hopes and dreams which she had already mourned and said goodbye to. Now, she had to part with them again.
Valeraine began to pack Lelantos’ saddle bag. She would go to Mr. Pemberley and shove the egg right back in his hands. She would be at his estate by evening.
She wrapped the egg in a sack, padded with blankets, and lowered it carefully into the saddle bag.
Though, she would keep the money. She had earned that, and Longbourn could very much use the prize purse.
The flight to the Pemberley estate was calming. Valeraine and Lelantos took it slowly, enjoying the countryside. Across theirbond they exchanged their wonder at the beautiful landscapes, the towns they flew over. When Valeraine needed a break to stretch her legs and eat the food she had packed, she didn’t even need to twitch the reins. Lelantos picked up on her intention and flung himself into a dive at the ground, just for the fun of it all.
The journey gave her time to think.
Pemberley was so disgusted by Valeraine that he rejected a dragon egg which reminded him of her. Adragon egg. She could hardly imagine distaste that large.
Once Valeraine wasn’t so angry, she could admit that hurt the most: his rejection. After the derby at Pemberley nest, she had started to harbor the hope of their future together. After he defended her at the race (and in the Scaleheart article), she had entertained the fancy he might call on her again, despite the matter of public opinion.
She really had begun to love Mr. Pemberley.
At least, she loved the way he cared for his dragons, and the way he looked at her with admiration and longing. She loved how he had accepted her — even the rebellious dragoneer parts — and wanted to spend time with her anyway. She had wanted to get to know him better and find more things to love. It was painfully clear she would not get the opportunity. The proud Mr. Pemberley would not stoop so low as to publicly associate with the scandalous Miss Longbourn.
She remembered him shouting “Valeraine!” in the snow. That version of Pemberley had still wanted her, even if he was also repulsed by her lowly station.
A version of her still wanted him. The desperate part of her, yearning for his soul. Wishing for someone to share her dragoneering with. Thinking of all the kindnesses he had offered her. She wanted to explore every part of him, and to be known in kind. She treasured how he understood her.
The other version of her clung to her anger toward him, because it hurt so much less to think about. This is what was now. That was what could never be.
He had shown his hand now. He didn’t want anything connected to her, even a dragon egg she had won. His pride and preeminent place in society was too important to jeopardize by associating with her. An anonymous defense of her riding skills in a Scaleheart article was evidently all she could expect from him.
This small revenge of returning the egg in person was all she could do, now. Seeing Pemberley again would be torturous, but at least it might be worse for him.
Chapter sixty-four
When Valeraine arrived at the Pemberley estate — unexpected — astride a dragon — the servants were all a flutter. They recognized her, and so welcomed her, but it was clear they were all anxious to pass the problem of Miss Valeraine Longbourn to someone else as soon as possible.
Lelantos laid down on a green in their garden, content to nap. Perhaps his previous stay of a week at this nest had accustomed him to it.
Valeraine sat on a bench nearby. A large parcel (a sturdy and padded sack) sat next to her feet, waiting to be hand-delivered. A servant offered her tea, which she accepted. It was twilight, and she watched the dimming sky.
