Page 4 of The Swan Detective (The Swan Syndicate #2)
When the fog came, Stella gripped Beckworth’s hand so tightly, she felt him flinch.
She would have wrapped her arms around him if it weren’t for the duffel bags.
The trip through the fog didn’t scare her.
Not really. Though learning two minutes before the jump that Maire and Sebastian had fiddled with the incantation didn’t leave her with a lot of confidence.
Whisps of fog circled her. They appeared almost corporeal, and her stomach twisted in knots, as if her insides wanted to be on the outside.
It wasn’t until she hit the ground, rolled, and ended face-first in the dirt with the weight of her duffel holding her down that she huffed out a sigh of relief.
The first thing she spotted was her hand and the stone ring that allowed them to time travel.
The rest of her worries dissipated. Not because she knew they’d landed in the right place and time, but the knowledge she still had her ring.
With the correct incantation that Stella had practiced a hundred times so she’d never forget it, she could always get back home.
Even if Finn came after them with the Heart Stone, the one item the smaller stones were mystically connected with, there were two small pieces of the Heart Stone that had been chipped off and made into earrings.
Those tiny bits were connected to all the stones with enough power to bring the travelers back to the dock in Baywood.
She groaned as she rolled over onto the duffel, feeling a bit like a turtle who’d been rolled onto its back.
The sky was blue, the sun out, but there was a nip of chill in the air.
She turned her head, searching for Beckworth, and noticed the tall trees sprouting young leaves.
Spring. The time of year seemed correct, and now, the only question was what year it was, and where they were?
She startled when fingers gripped her leg.
“It’s just me,” Beckworth said. “Are you alright?”
She shoved the duffel strap off her shoulder and pushed herself up to find Beckworth doing the same thing. “That felt different.”
He scanned the landscape, and a smile lit his incredible lips. “At least, we’re in the right spot.”
Stella followed his gaze, and her own smile surfaced. Barrington strode toward them, and he didn’t look surprised to see them.
“Lady Stella, it’s good to see you again.” Barrington held out his hand, and though he wore his stoic butler expression, she didn’t miss the humor in his gaze.
Once she was on her feet, she gave him a long perusal. “I’m surprised you haven’t spread chairs around the area, selling tickets for our arrival.”
“A wonderful idea, but you’re a day late. There have been some speculations on whether you’d arrive at all.”
“If you don’t mind.” Beckworth turned to Stella, and she just waved him off.
“You’ve been thinking about that colt for the last few days. Go see him. I’ll put on my big girl panties and play lady of the manor.”
Both men grinned, and though Barrington’s cheeks might have reddened at talk of panties, he was astute enough to ignore her.
“You’ll be pleased by how the colt has grown.” Barrington picked up both duffels and waited for Stella to lead the way.
She gave Beckworth a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll see about food. Don’t be long. You can come back and play after you eat.”
“Yes, Mother.” Beckworth kissed her cheek in return and didn’t waste time heading for the stables.
“He seems well.” Barrington followed a step behind as they walked out of the trees and through the immense English garden before reaching the back of the manor. “Let’s go through the solarium. Nellie is busy with preparations for lunch.”
Douglas, one of the footmen, waited for them just inside the French doors, and he immediately took the bags. “Shall I call for Libby? She’s helping Mrs. Walker with the spring cleaning.”
Stella considered the question. She didn’t need Libby’s help at the moment, though she was excited to see her. Libby would appreciate getting out of the cleaning, but Stella didn’t want to end up on Mrs. Walker’s bad side.
She ended up shaking her head. “It can wait. Where can I find her?”
“They’re in the west wing in one of the drawing rooms.”
“Close enough. Thank you, Douglas.”
Barrington left them at the stairs as she followed Douglas up to the master bedroom. She went directly to the windows and opened the drapes wider while Douglas dropped the bags on two chairs.
“Is there anything else I can get you, Lady Stella?”
“How long until lunch?”
“Another hour.”
“Could you have a coffee service brought up, if it’s not inconvenient?”
“Of course, my lady.” His grin was infectious, and she returned one of her own.
“It’s good to be home.”
He nodded, still holding that grin, and as soon as he closed the door, she raced to the bed and threw herself face down on it.
It was lumpier than the one at home, but it still felt good.
Flashes of moments with Beckworth in this very bed gave her a warm, tingly sensation, and she closed her eyes, realizing how tired she still was.
She hated getting up early. Her stomach growled.
Maybe Nellie would send something to nibble on with the coffee.
The sound of a tray hitting a hard surface, followed by the rattling of plates, woke Stella. She rolled over and stared at an angry Libby, her fists on her hips.
“You’ve been back for twenty minutes and haven’t called for me?”
Stella chuckled. “It’s good to see you, too.” She sat up and wiped her eyes. “I was just stretching for a few minutes. I hadn’t planned on falling asleep.” She held up her hand before Libby could continue chastising her.
Libby wasn’t a normal lady’s maid. She could play the part when necessary, but she hadn’t been born to service.
She grew up in the crews, Beckworth’s name for gangs, in London’s East End.
She could turn from a proper English lady’s maid to a street hustler in a span of two seconds.
Beckworth gave his staff some leeway when there weren’t guests in the manor since several had come from the streets of London rather than service.
He made it all work, and Stella was pleased the household wasn’t so stuffy.
Mrs. Walker was a different story. She never relaxed, but she also wasn’t overly stern. And she’d become an excellent guide in shaping Stella into the proper lady of the manor that was occasionally required.
Stella threw her legs over the side of the bed and scratched her head. Her hair was a rat’s nest again. “I considered calling for you, but I didn’t want to step on Mrs. Walker’s toes the minute I arrived. I was going to have a cup of coffee, then call for you.”
She stood and marched straight for the mug Libby held out for her. Nellie had quickly learned how much coffee the new lady of the manor drank, and without asking, began serving it with a mug better suited for ale. The woman was heaven-sent.
Libby couldn’t hold in her pout when Stella took the mug, set it down, then pulled her reluctant lady’s maid in for a hug. It took a moment before Libby hugged her in return.
“It’s good to have you home, Lady Stella.”
Stella pulled back and gave Libby a longer perusal. “Mrs. Walker must have been working everyone overtime. You look like you could use a day-long nap.”
Libby returned the mug of coffee to Stella, then opened one of the duffels, removing the contents and placing them in separate piles.
“It started three days before you were set to arrive. We thought we were done until you didn’t appear on the day we expected, so she decided to use the time to go through all the more heavily used rooms again. ”
Stella apologized and explained the unexpected change in the incantation while mulling over the food offerings Nellie had included with the coffee service.
Libby finished removing everything from Stella’s bag and stored the items away.
When she picked up a pile of Beckworth’s clothes and strode toward the dressing room, Stella picked up the tray and strode out to the balcony that overlooked the garden.
It took her breath away, and she grabbed her mug and leaned on the stone railing as she took it all in.
Beckworth was a masterful gardener and took his efforts with planning the manor’s garden quite seriously.
She’d seen the garden at Waverly before.
Once in the fall, after most of the blooms had faded, and again in the winter when it was mostly brown.
To see it full of color now, she could understand how difficult it was for him to leave Waverly behind and why he continued their visits here.
He’d worked so hard for this achievement.
“There you are. I should have known you’d find your way out here.” Libby stood next to her. “It’s really lovely, but I prefer the summer blooms.”
Stella eyed Libby. “I’ve been here less than an hour. You’re not trying to convince me on another trip already, are you?”
Libby batted her eyes and placed a hand on her chest. The only thing missing was a colorfully decorated fan. “That would be completely improper.”
They both laughed, and Stella took a seat, patting the chair next to her. “Come have coffee with me and help me with these tarts.”
Libby bit her lip as she stared at the treats. “I really should get back to cleaning.”
Stella snorted. “Let’s not start my time here as if we don’t know each other. Sit your backside down and relax. Just tell Mrs. Walker I had a couple of items I needed pressed right away, or something that makes sense. Use that silver tongue.”
“Fine, but you should know that Barrington advised me to be a bit more formal with you. He doesn’t seem to understand how difficult that is.”
“He should know me better than that.”
“I don’t think it bothers him. He knows me from my days in the East End. He worries that I might slip up with Beckworth’s guests.”
Stella tilted her head. “I don’t remember seeing you anything but professional with the guests.”