Page 10 of Once Upon a Gilded Christmas (To All The Earls I’ve Loved Before #4)

After dinner they all retreated to the parlour for more games that dissolved into a merrie sing-a-long.

Honora chose this time to depart the festivities in favour of her bed. As she sat before the dressing table, the maid brushed out her steel-grey hair, to put it in a braid for sleeping.

Several enchanted rings and bangles sat out on the dressing table. Honora knew them intimately, for she and Juliana had spent months pushing magic into them to make them powerful.

And powerful they were, for there was not much else to do during the mourning season when all others were out dancing.

She had no interest in embroidering through her grief.

Innate, day-to-day magic was rather weak.

It was not like one could cast spells at a whim or bring about a force of personality to win over the opinions of others.

But magic could be stored. Certain objects held it better than others.

Silver was best, and some natural substances like wood.

Gold, not so much. Lead was perfectly neutral, and iron was anathema to it.

Nothing like an ironbound box to disable the effect of a magical enchantment.

When you imbued magic into an item you did it with purpose and intent. As you pushed the magic into it, you manifested what you wanted the magic to do.

Honora picked up a braided ring. This item held the spell Charm, so that any who looked upon its wearer would find her charming.

While one could push magic of various spells into a single object, this was not as effective as concentrating one’s efforts into a single spell.

This made it easy for the wearer to pick and choose what effect one wanted to portray that day.

A bangle for Beauty also lay on the table, not that Juliana really needed assistance in that area. Youth came with its own charm. It was only the hardness of a life lived that made natural beauty fade.

Honora inhaled. Edward did not look old. Every time she looked at him the years melted away from the warmth of his gaze, the delight of his smile. If it weren’t for her own aching hip and stiffness in her back, Honora could have forgotten about the decades that had separated them.

Oh, to be young agai— no. Honora had no desire to return to youth. Age had brought her many worthy things, including wisdom and now a freedom she'd never had before.

Now she did not have to please a parent in her choices. She could marry as she saw fit.

Marriage. Since her slip earlier, it occupied her thoughts all night.

Surely she and Edward couldn’t pick up where they left off? Had too much time passed? So much water under the bridge.

One by one, she returned the jewellery to its box.

The door opened. In waltzed Juliana, a tune on her lips. “I thought you would have been asleep, Mother.”

Honora smiled. It pleased her to see her daughter happy. “Had you come in when I was expecting you, I would have been.”

“Oh, I have had enough for one night,” though the music had not left her bones. She swirled her gown to some tune as she moved to the wardrobe. The maid moved to help her undress.

“I see you discarded some of your jewellery tonight.”

“Mmm,” was her reply as the maid lifted her overgown over Juliana’s head. Once free, she said, “Didn’t want it for dinner.” Her music disappeared. “There was far too much magic this afternoon, would you agree?”

Honora shrugged. She rose from the table and moved to the bed. “That is the whole point.”

The maid finished undressing Juliana, easing her into a nightgown.

Juliana took her mother’s place at the dressing table, to let the maid wind her curls back into their rags.

“Someone said something this afternoon about being overmagicked.” She gave a moment’s thought to this.

“Maybe some are. Maybe there is too much? I don’t know.

“Anyhow, I thought I’d do without magic—well, mostly—for dinner, and see how I went.”

This was quite the change from her earlier attitude. Honora thought back to her observations from dinner. “You seemed to have had a good time?”

A smile relaxed Juliana’s face. “I did.” Her gaze drifted off, possibly recalling the memories of the night? “I mean, I did my duty by being agreeable and pleasant company. But I didn’t go hunting, and I think I ended up better for it.”

“Hunting?”

Juliana’s gaze came back to the present. She regarded her mother through the mirror above the dressing table. “That’s what one of the others called this—a Week at the Hunting Lodge.”

Hunting lodge. Hardly the description Honora would have applied to Lady Hammond’s rather extensive home on the edge of town.

Juliana must have picked up on her mother’s confusion. “We none of us are under any illusion that this week is purely to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour.”

“I suppose not.” Really, the Christmas season didn’t start until the twenty-fourth of December, next week. Then, twelve days of revelry and celebration until the most rambunctious of parties on Twelfth Night.

“Many of them are taking this for what it is—matchmaking.”

Something in her daughter’s tone made Honora sit up. “But you are not?”

The maid had finished the last nobbly knot on Juliana’s head.

She brought over the small jug of water and the basin for the cleaning of Juliana’s teeth.

Juliana poured a small glass of the water.

As she moistened the end of the birch twig before dipping it into the salt, she said, “Oh, I am. But I thought I’d get the lay of the land first.” She proceeded to scrub at her gums.

Good plan. “And what did you discover?”

Juliana rinsed and spat in the basin. “Lord Clifton is as magicked up as any of the rest of us.”

This made Honora smile. “Is he now?” Poor Jacob. No wonder he didn’t have a chance. She would have to tell Edward of this interesting development. “In hopes of attracting a wife from this lot?”

Juliana suppressed a smile. “Who knows?” She went back to her scrubbing.

“I suppose all the other young ladies were also accoutred?”

She had to wait for Juliana to spit again before she got her answer. “Some are positively desperate. I don’t know why. It’s not a good look.”

“Might work against them?” Honora offered.

“Maybe.” Juliana ran her tongue over her teeth and judged them finished. “But I would have thought that the more magic one had, the more attractive one would be. At least, until this afternoon.” She turned to her mother. “Can one be overmagicked?”

Another memory flooded her mind. “Oh yes,” Honora replied.

Thirty years ago...

Honora Mildmay youthfully danced about her room, much to the consternation of her lady’s maid. Lord Charles was taking her to the theatre! This was to be their first outing in Society since the signing of their agreement.

The thought of being shown off as one’s betrothed thrilled her in a way she had never imagined. An arranged marriage had never struck her as something romantic, but the attention Lord Charles paid her made her heart giddy.

So giddy, she could not decide on which accessories to wear. In one hand she held a necklace charmed for Beauty. In the other, Grace. Both were simple pendants with coloured stones, either of which would suit her gown. “Oh, can’t I wear both?”

The lady’s maid tutted at her. “Ye canna wear both. T’isn’t the done thing.”

“What if we wrapped one about my wrist?” But which one?

“Ye canna do that. It’s a necklace, not a wristlet.”

“I don’t see why that should matter?” Now, Grace or Beauty for the wrist? She held up each necklace in turn.

“'Tis too big. T’would fall off.”

In the end, the lady’s maid had her way.

Only one necklace—Beauty—for Honora. However, when the maid wasn’t looking, Honora slipped Grace into her pocket.

As long as it was close to her body, its magic would resonate—it didn’t necessarily have to touch skin.

Contact with an object was best to activate its full power.

Proximity was the next best thing. Without a person to wake it up, magic merely sat in an object until required.

This was a shame, for it would be ever so useful to enchant objects for useful purposed.

Imagine a lock that could open at a person’s mere touch?

Nobody else, only for whom that lock was enchanted.

Or maybe a door that would admit only the kindest of people into one’s house.

But that might reduce the chances of anyone coming to visit, and absolutely no gossip whatsoever.

Was Beauty and Grace enough? Maybe she should add a few more rings. Maybe some ornamental hair combs. She wouldn’t want to appear lacking, now that she had secured herself a husband.

While the maid’s back was turned, Honora slipped the entire contents of the jewellery box into the embroidered pocket under her panniers.

She and her mother had put many months of imbuement into all these pieces.

It would be a shame for some of them to go to waste.

She closed the lid of the box before the maid returned, so she wouldn’t notice.

To Honora’s relief, another servant came to fetch her before her theft was noted. Off she flounced before the gig was up.

The magic of all the charms wafted about her head in a giddy swirl of elation. Oh, she would be the most beautiful creature, the most charming, the wittiest…

Lord Charles’ carriage had arrived, but it was the tiger who’d come knocking at the door. Never had Honora pulled on her gloves, shawl and spencer so quickly.

He was a but a boy, this servant, who could only stare open-jawed at her, so in awe was he.

“Help me in?” she prompted.

He gathered his wits and proffered his hand.

Up into the carriage she went.