The castle door swings open and Felicity barrels out, trailed by Ann, Pip, and the others.
“Gemma! What is it?” Felicity calls.
“Bessie wouldn’t let me pass,” I say.
Pippa gives Bessie a playful pout. “Is that true, Bessie?”
“Don’ know where she’s been,” Bessie offers in explanation.
Pippa twirls a marigold in her fingers. “It’s true, Gemma. If you don’t want to be questioned, you shouldn’t run off by yourself.”
“Yes,” I say, my apprehension growing. I fear her now, and I wonder if she can sense it in me. “It’s time to go back to Spence.”
“But I’m not ready to go back,” Felicity complains.
“Then don’t go. Stay here with me,” Pippa says as if proposing a holiday, and Felicity’s face floods with happiness.
“We can’t get back without Gemma,” Ann says bitterly.
“Tomorrow,” Felicity says softly.
“Tomorrow.” Pip gives Fee a gentle kiss on the cheek and strides back to the castle, the factory girls behind her like ladies-in-waiting. No one offers to help Wendy.
Wendy feels her way until she finds purchase in my sleeve. “Miss? Can’t you take me with you?”
“I’m sorry, Wendy. I can’t bring you back into my world,” I say, helping her toward the castle.
“I’m afraid, miss. I don’t like it ’ere. The castle’s so still at night without Mr. Darcy to keep close. When I call, nobody answers—”
“Wendy!” It’s Bessie come back for her. She stands like a warrior, her stick tall at her side. “Come on, then. Miss Pippa’s waitin’.” She lets Wendy stumble toward her and moves out of the way just as the girl closes in. “Missed me!” She laughs, and then she leads the girl roughly toward the castle.
“Where did you disappear to, Gemma? Off to see Circe?” Felicity goads. She trails her fingers along the corridor that leads to our secret door.
“Yes,” I say, because I’m tired of lying.
“You’re a fine one, aren’t you? You don’t trust Pip but you’ll trust that…that thing who murdered your mother!”
“You wouldn’t understand,” I say, pushing through the shimmering light of the secret door to the East Wing.
Felicity pulls me round to face her. “Of course I wouldn’t. For I’m only your friend who cares about you.”
“Would you care about me if I didn’t have magic?” I ask.
“That is like asking ‘Would you like me if I weren’t myself?’ The magic is a part of you, and you are my friend,” she says. Her answer brings tears to my eyes, and I feel awful for the way I treated her earlier, for not trusting her, for what I shall have to tell her about Pip.
“Oh, no!” Ann says suddenly. She pats her shoulders. “My shawl! It must have fallen.”
Without thinking, she puts her hand out, and the world is flooded with light as the door opens for her.
“Ann, how did you do that?” Felicity asks, wide-eyed.
“I don’t know,” she answers. “I just wanted to get in and…there it was.”
“Stand aside,” Felicity orders. This time, Felicity puts her hand to the door, a look of fierce concentration on her face. Again, the portal into the realms opens wide. She grins as if it were Christmas morning. “Do you realize what this means? Gemma isn’t the only way into the realms! Anyone can open that door. We may come and go as we please!”
They hop up and down in their excitement.
“I’ll just get your shawl for you, will I?” I say.
Ann laughs. “I can get it for myself.” She opens the door and comes out with her shawl, happy as can be. “Isn’t it marvelous?”
Go on, Gemma. Say ‘Yes, it’s wonderful that you don’t need me so much.’
“It’s late,” I say. “We should be in.”
I hear them behind me, giggling and giddy. I keep walking toward Spence, hoping they will follow, knowing they might not.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
THE WHOLE OF THE DAY, I CANNOT REST EASILY IN MY skin. Creostus has been murdered. I am no longer trusted by the forest folk, and I cannot say I blame them for their suspicion of me, for what have I done to earn their trust? I see specters and shadows that aren’t there. Wilhelmina has vanished as in one of her magic tricks. And the magic and the realms are changing: The door will open without my aid now, and Pippa…