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Could someone with Janice’s ailment travel the Middling?
No, I thought. Derrick got me through that second time, but the journey through Middling was a deliberate one. Who knows where in Fairy Janice would end up if we even tried. That meant Derrick would have to find someplace else to hide his mother.
With a deep breath, I turned and headed for the manor.
Chapter Fifteen
I woke before Meredith could reach me, which seemed to agitate the woman, but I refused to apologize for being self-sufficient. Perhaps utilizing servants was the Fairy way, it was not my way, and I found it a little humiliating. The bed was made, my vanity was tidy, and the dirty things from the day before were settled on a chair near the door. Because it seemed to be the way of things, I chose another lightweight dress from the wardrobe, but paired it with a small cream colored jacket in case we were out through the evening again. Pinning the last hairpin into the neat bun I'd made at the base of my skull, I smiled at Meredith's sour expression.
“Forgive me,” I said by way of explanation, “I want to check on Janice before the day gets started.”
“Of course, Miss Grayson, that’s very kind of you,” Meredith said, her sour expression vanishing. “She was asleep earlier, but she may be awake now.”
Turning to the door, I tugged the sleeves of my jacket down and straightened my shoulders in a vain attempt to ward off exhaustion. Sleep had not been easy. Every creak and groan of the house startled me awake, fear for Janice’s safety growling away at me as the minutes turned to hours. More than once I found myself cracking open my door to peer across the hall, but each time I was met with the silence of a slumbering house and an empty corridor.
We crossed to Janice’s room, which was nearly identical to my own save that Janice was afforded a small window looking out on the back of the house. Sunlight cut a bright square onto the bedroom floor, and to my surprise Janice was already seated in her chair, facing the window with that same distant expression she always wore.
“Good morning, Mrs. King,” I said as I walked into the room.
There was no response. And there was still no response as Meredith and I helped to dress the woman, though she did raise her arms for her blouse and stood long enough for us to get a fresh skirt on her. At some point in the night, she managed to use the chamber pot, which Meredith moved to take care of while I ran a brush through Janice’s hair.
“Would the Fairy way be so scandalized to permit regular bathrooms?” I asked.
“The guest house has bathrooms, miss,” Meredith said. “It’s only here in the main house that tradition holds.”
“Because of Ms. Maureen?”
“Because this is where the Alpha resides. The Alpha must maintain Fairy traditions, or they would lose their seat on the council.”
“I see,” I said and lowered my voice to Janice in a mock whisper, “I think I would prefer a hot tub.”
Janice did not respond, but Meredith’s mouth twitched in a hint of humor.
Studying Janice’s face in the mirror, I could see where Derrick got his softer features. She was elegant bones and fine lines, which had translated far too well onto her son. She watched the mirror too, though she did not seem to be seeing it. Her gaze was fixed, and I couldn’t help the little ache in my heart at the sight. Obviously she had some faculties or the chamber pot wouldn’t have been full this morning, but those faculties only went so far, and I wondered how much of her surroundings she was truly aware of.
Did she remember talking to Derrick yesterday? Was my face familiar at all?
“Ms. Maureen has suggested Mrs. King may be more comfortable in the garden this morning. There will be others taking tea there and she can get some fresh air.” Meredith said as she returned the empty chamber pot to its place.
“That sounds lovely,” I said.
Together we began the laborious task of wheeling Janice through the hallway and down the stairs. We were halfway down, struggling to keep the chair from jostling too much, with Meredith at the handlebars and me at Janice’s feet, when Brock showed up. He gaped up at us for several seconds, dark eyes round and surprised. All the bruising from their horrible game the day before seemed to have vanished and I wondered which of the guests was the healer.
"What on earth are you doing?” Brock asked.
I huffed, breathless, and kept hold of the little foot bar where Janice’s slippered feet were resting. “Taking Ms. Janice down to the gardens.”
“Maker’s sake,” Brock said, coming up to grab the side of the chair. “You should have called the men for this.”
“I hadn’t realized how difficult it would be,” I admitted.
“Going up was a good deal easier than coming down has been, sir,” Meredith said, a trifle sheepishly.
“Of course, it is,” Brock said, clearly exasperated by us. “I’ve got it from here.”
I stepped back, startled as Brock simply lifted the chair with Janice on it and began a careful crabwalk down. He grunted in effort and for a moment I feared he might dump Janice on accident, but he made a steady progression down the steps. Realizing I was in the way, I scurried to the bottom of the stairs and waited.
The little stairwell was adjacent to the kitchen and heavenly smells of coffee and eggs and something with onions made my stomach gurgle in anticipation. I caught snippets of an argument from inside and leaned a little, too nosy for my own good.
