Chapter Nine
Master Theo bounced out of his chair and strode over to one of the shelves. He started pulling books off it at random, piling them on one of the tables.
Baffled, Mable followed, and leaned over to read the titles.
A History of Spells and Enchantments, she read. Intrigued, she picked up another book he placed on the table. Hexes, Curses, and Magiques Foul, it said. When she saw that the same theme was in all the titles, her mouth quirked in a smile.
"What, no Spell-Casting for Dummies?"
Master Theo stopped his forage, looking at her blankly. "I beg your pardon?"
"Never mind. What are these for?" Mable picked up another book.
Master Theo reached up—he was tall enough he could almost reach the top shelf if he stood on his toes—and pulled two more books down. "I think one of these books might hold the key to finding you a way home."
Mable glanced at the book she had idly picked up. "Half of these aren't even in English." She complained.
Master Theo stopped his ransacking of the shelves to grin at her. It wasn't really reassuring, since it gave her a good view of his fangs. "Look again."
Mable studied the book in her hand, then blinked when the words shifted so the title was in English.
She gasped. "Do they all do that?"
Master Theo split the stack of books in two and placed one on a separate side table. "They've been spelled so that they can be read by anyone, no matter what language they speak."
Mable traced the title of the book, entranced.
Master Theo sat down in a chair, and gestured for her to do the same. As she sat down in the vacant chair across from her companion, Mable had a sudden realization. "Do we even know what we're looking for?"
"We're looking for something to bend the spell, a way to get you home."
"Well yeah, but how will we know if, or when, we find it? It's not like it's going to be labeled 'Sending Mable Home, Page Eight' or anything. What are we trying to find?"
Master Theo leafed through one of the books. "I'm not exactly sure."
"Well that's a fine way to start a search." Mable said wryly.
Master Theo waved his paws imperiously. "Listen. Do you agree that you showing up here was a mistake?"
Mable narrowed her eyes at him. "Yeah, I guess." She said stiffly. It was one thing for her to say arriving here was a mistake, it was completely different if he said it.
He caught her tone. "All right, wrong choice of words. Let me put it this way. Did you intend to come here?"
"No."
"Did you come here intending to find true love?"
"Hell, no."
Master Theo smiled slightly. "So maybe it isn't you, but the spell. Perhaps the spell, after so many years, is starting to break down. Or maybe, if Rianon cast the spell, the spell wasn't that powerful to begin with. You can see why I wouldn't have much faith in Rianon's work?" he waved a paw to encompass his own features.
"In her defense, she did make you into what you asked." She pointed out. He scowled at her. "Sorry."
"My theory is that if you got here accidentally, then there must be a weak spot in the spell. Like a hole in a fence. And much like a hole in a fence, if you can get in, then you may be able to get out." He lay a paw on his pile of books. "Sometimes, true power doesn't come from a spell, but from the sheer will used by the person casting it."
"But I only though Fairies can cast spells." Mable was bewildered.
"Usually. But we do live on land that is inhabited by Fairies, enclosed in a castle that was built by Fairies. Maybe if we use a spell penned by one of their authors." He pointed to the book under his paw, "Maybe the combination of that and your will could get you home."
Mable huffed. "I feel like you are making this up as you go along." She eyed him sidelong. "Have you tried using these in order to break your own curse?" If he hadn't, then he was an idiot.
Master Theo traced one of the book titles, his face morose. "Yes." He replied shortly. "More than you realize."
She pushed back the surge of pity his words provoked. She figured it must be torture, to have magic and enchantments at your fingertips but still be trapped.
"So, why do you think it would work for me?"
He sighed. "I don't know, honestly. I'm hoping since you weren't a part of the original curse, you might have a better chance of escaping. But what would you rather do; look through these books and see if we can find a possible solution, or just give up?"
Mable studied her own pile of books. She supposed he was right. What did she have to lose?
She sighed. "Ok. You start with that pile, and I'll start with this one." She tucked her feet up underneath her, making herself comfortable. She opened the cover, and smiled as the words rearranged themselves to make English letters. After reading a few lines, she found that this book was filled incantations. Luckily, the book she had seemed to be some beginners guide; each incantation had a description underneath. A short history of the spell, when and where to use it, and the best environment in which to use it were just a few of the odd, and remarkable, gifts the paragraphs had to offer. Mable felt as if she were reading a very ingenious fantasy book.
She was just wishing she had bothered to bring a pen, when she glanced up to find Master Theo peering at her.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" Her hand flew up to her mouth before she could stop it.
"No, no." he reassured her, his fur-covered face ruffled slightly in a smile. "I was just considering something."
"Could you look somewhere else while you consider, then? It's weird when you just stare at me like that."
"I apologize. I was just thinking; why don't you stop calling me 'Master' Theo? The only people who really call me 'Master' Theo are the people who work for me. Since you are a guest for an unknown amount of time, it seems only fair that you get to call me by my first name. Not Theodore, of course; even my mother didn't call me by my full name. Theo works just fine."
Mable wasn't quite sure what to say. "B-but Maddie calls you Master Theo. And everyone else, for that matter, people who have known you a lot longer than I have."
"In your presence, yes, they call me 'Master' because that is proper etiquette. However, they only use that term in front of guests; usually most of them just call me Theo. If I give you my permission to just call me Theo, then they will start calling me that in front of you. It's just protocol." He said, shrugging.
"If you say so…Theo." Mable said, pursing her lips. It felt different to say his name without a title. Not in a bad way, and she decided that once she got used to it, it would feel better rolling off her tongue.
"My pleasure, Lady Mable."
"If I get to say your name, then you might as well cut out the 'Lady' crap. Mable's just fine."
"Mable, then."
"Okay." She blew out a breath. Uncomfortable with each other, the two of them went back to reading in quiet.
Mable read another page. She wasn't sure how much help this book would be; most of the spells were for mundane things like purifying water and fire prevention. None of those would help her break another spell. Another page revealed a small spell to move water without using a bucket.
Humans were mostly water, weren't they? Maybe this would work, depending on how flexible she could be. Cursing her lack of a bookmark, she folded the top corner of the page, feeling guilty for ruining such a rare book.
She went back to unmark it a few moments later, but she found as she smoothed it out, it returned to the same, pristine condition it had been in before. Apparently, Fairy authors came up with a way to keep their books from becoming dog-eared.
"It will clean itself off if you spill food or drink on it, too." Master—Theo, just Theo's—voice sounded amused. She had the suspicion he had been watching for far longer than she realized.
Pretending she hadn't heard him, she went back to reading, but the quiet in the room was making her restless. The silence between the two of them wasn't comforting, like it was with two people who knew each other well. It felt awkward, like she was constantly being watched, though when she chanced to look up from the book Theo's eyes were always somewhere else. She kept rearranging her legs, or rolling and unrolling her sleeves, running her fingers through her hair. The strange, uncomfortable atmosphere made her twitchy.
Mable thumbed through a few more pages, before blurting out, "Why are you helping me? You were so against me leaving last night; now all of sudden you seem more than happy to get rid of me. Is this some sort of trick?" Her voice came out louder than she meant to, more accusing.
Theo jumped in his chair. "Trick? What kind of trick do you think I'm playing?" he asked, bemused.
"I-I don't know. This could all be some sort of game, some time-waster to keep me busy for all I know, until you…force me to love you or something." It sounded far-fetched when she said it out loud.
Theo actually had the gall to laugh. "That would be a pretty bad way to get you to fall in love with me." He admitted. "And no, that's not why I'm doing this."
"Then why?" she demanded.
He frowned at the book his paw for such a long time, she thought he wasn't going to answer. "When I went to the Fairies for help, they refused me. I went to Rianon, who was merely an apprentice, because I was desperate. But I would have done anything to make sure my lands, my home, and my family were safe." He glanced up at her with a funny half-smile, "When I saw you at the gate this morning, I saw someone who would also do anything to make sure her family is safe. A woman who would venture out into the cold and snow without any idea of where she was going, no regard for the danger, just so she could get back home. I'd rather help you myself, than to see you get desperate like me and end up in a similar situation."
"So, no getting assistance from the Fairies?" she asked dryly. It was rather nice that he didn't want her to be cursed like him.
Theo smiled more genuinely. "I would recommend against it."
It felt weird, to smile back at him.
Theo glanced up at the ceiling, and remarked casually, "Well, it seems to be later than I thought. Would you like to return to your room to clean up for dinner?"
Mable looked up and her jaw dropped. The sun, which had been in the middle of the ceiling earlier in the day, was now at the western side of the ceiling. Swirls of reds, oranges and gold surrounded it like a halo.
"It moved!"
Theo seemed pleased by her reaction. "It reflects the time of day, like a clock." He explained. "It sets in the evening, and at night the moon rises like it does outside. Its been doing that for as long as I can remember. It makes it quite difficult to lose track of time."
"Though I guess you wouldn't be able read much at night, unless the moon was full." She noted.
Theo stood from his chair, stretching. "Would you like me to escort you to your room?" he asked solicitously.
"Ah…" She was more comfortable with him than she was earlier, but she still rather wished Monsieur Lune or Madame Cecile were here. But she wouldn't be able to find her way back on her own. "Sure." She gave in. She jerked her head toward the buffet table, still covered with breakfast dishes. "Wasn't someone supposed to come clean that up?"
Theo actually winced. "I forgot about that. I'll have to ring for someone to come pick it up." He went over to the library door, where a long, tasseled rope hung from the ceiling. He pulled it and Mable heard a distant bell ring. He turned back to her. "Come on, I'd rather not be here when they come to clean up."
"Why?" she asked, placing her book back on the table. She hoped the staff wouldn't put the books away, otherwise they'd have to find them all over again.
"I'd just prefer not to be in their way." He said, evasive. He opened the door and waited patiently for her to walk through before following her. "So, we can continue reading tomorrow, but perhaps Maddie can give you the grand tour tomorrow afternoon? She's excited about it." He started to walk down the hall, occasionally turning to glance down at her.
It was such an obvious change of topic that Mable was a bit startled. "Sure, I don't see why not. I'll have to figure out how to tell them that I can't leave." She murmured, more to herself. She felt bad that they would find out she tried to leave without a good-bye this morning.
Theo seemed to understand. "Why don't you let me tell them?" he suggested. "I'm sure I can find a way to let them know without telling them about your adventure this morning."
She was strangely touched by the offer. "Are you sure? It should probably be me."
Theo opened his mouth to answer, but they were interrupted by four men walking down the hall. They were all dressed similar to Monsieur Lune, black jackets draped over pristine white shirts. Theo's shoulders stiffened as the men all nodded politely at him, but gave him a wide berth. As they approached her, Mable could see the fear in the eyes, switching to blatant curiosity as they peered at her.
She gave them a hesitant smile, which they all returned, and continued on their way.
Theo didn't turn, just kept walking, and Mable stared at his back as she followed. They were scared of him, she thought sadly. After he sacrificed so much to save their lives, they were still scared of what he had become. It must be awful, she thought as they walked down the hall, to be feared by the very people you tried so hard to save.
They reached the door to her room and Theo turned to look at her. "Well," he said awkwardly, "Here we are." He opened the door for her.
Mable walked into the room and turned to see him still standing in the doorway. ""Um, would you like to come in?" She felt stupid asking him into a room in his own castle. Apparently, he did not, because he shuffled all the way into the room as soon as she asked.
He looked around the room inquisitively, and Mable got the impression that he had never bothered going into the guests' rooms.
"The room is larger than I expected." He said absently.
Mable didn't know what to make of that comment. "Ah, well, you guys sure know how to treat a girl, that's for sure."
Theo made a noncommittal noise. Mable bit her lip, really unsure of what to say. The two stood there, uncomfortable with each other's company for several minutes, Mable playing with a bit of covers and Theo shuffling around in circles.
They were saved by Monsieur Lune, who popped into the room out of thin air. "Ah, there you are, Lady Mable." He beamed at her. "I was hoping I'd run into you. Maddie told me how you would prefer the smaller dining room instead of the larger one. Quite understandable. I've come to let you know Monsieur Carnier has told me dinner will be ready in an hour, and he will take the honor of serving you himself."
Mable glanced at the doorway where Theo had been. He was gone.
A little peeved, Mable smiled graciously at Monsieur Lune. "Thank you so much. I hope I didn't put you guys out with changing the venue."
"Not at all, Lady. It is much easier for us to serve you in the smaller dining room, and between you and me," he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "I've never been much for the formal dining room. Much too ornate for my taste."
Mable couldn't even imagine the practical man in that large, oppressive room.
"Now, I hope you do not mind if my daughter dines with you this evening as well? She says you have agreed, but I wanted to confirm."
"Of course." Mable already felt relieved at the idea of a chattier, more pleasant dinner companion. "I'd love for her to have dinner with us."
Monsieur Lune grabbed her hand and kissed it elegantly. If he noticed her cheeks flush, he ignored it. "I will return for you in an hour, then." He promised, and popped out of the room.
Mable rubbed her crimson cheeks. She wondered if Monsieur Lune would treat her so warmly after he learned about her trying to escape this morning.
She lay down on the bed, staring up at the canopy above her. She tried to imagine what Jeanne, Colette and her father were doing right now. She hoped that Jeanne had managed to make it to the house before last night's storm. Colette was a great lawyer, but she wasn't nearly as good at taking care of others as Jeanne was.
Mable smiled. They had all known for years that Jeanne would be the perfect mother. After their own mother's death, Jeanne had been the rock; the steady, calm presence in the storm of grief. It had been Jeanne who had taken care of Mable during her first bout of chicken pox, Jeanne who had stayed up quizzing Colette the night before the Bar exam.
That is why, when their father had started to show the signs of Alzheimer's, Mable had offered to quit school, ignoring Jeanne's protests. Jeanne, who had done so much for all of them, deserved to spend time at home with her daughters and husband, to be taken care of for a change.
Mable promised herself that she would work her damned hardest to find her way home, so that Jeanne would know that she could rely on Mable as much as Mable relied on her.
The informal dining room was far superior to the formal dining room, in Mable's humble opinion. The room was beautifully accented with soft earth colors instead of deep crimsons, making her feel more at home, and the walls were decorated with some lovely scenic paintings of the woods around the castle. Even having to sit at a smaller, more intimate table with Theo was an easy price to pay when her main server was the exuberant Monsieur Carnier, who more than happily gave her extra helpings of roasted potatoes, steamed green beans and slices of cooked-to-perfection pot roast. The addition of Maddie as a supper companion was also a highlight, since Mable didn't ever have to worry about making conversation with the talkative girl.
"So, Mable, did you find any books you liked in the library?" Maddie asked with interest. "There are so many, I can only imagine how hard it was to choose!"
"Ah," Mable started, nearly choking on her green beans. She didn't have the heart to tell Maddie that she had spent several hours trying to find a way to leave.
Theo interrupted them smoothly, "She couldn't choose one, so I told her to ask you, Maddie. You've read almost all of them." He teased.
"I have, but only because we haven't gotten any new ones in so long." Maddie told her dejectedly. "It's always the same stories, over and over."
"Those aren't so bad, sometimes." Mable told her, thinking of several holidays where he family sat around the table, reminiscing.
"Sometimes, but it would be nice to hear a new story." Maddie's eyes brightened. "Perhaps you know of some? "
Mable blinked. She suspected, from the way Theo was hiding his smile, she was about to walk into a trap. "Well, a few, I guess." She narrowed her eyes down the table at her host, who was now trying to take a drink from the water glass shaking in his grip. "All right over there?" she asked suspiciously.
"Yes" he choked out. He sounded like he was trying not to laugh.
"You know what would be wonderful?" Maddie was completely oblivious. "If you could come up to my room tonight before I go to bed and tell me a new story! Oh, you will, won't you?" she pleaded, placing a small hand on Mable's arm. "I haven't heard a new story in so long, and anything you can come up with so much better than the books I've read over and over."
And there was the trap, Mable thought a little glumly. She hadn't ever told a bedtime story before, even to her nieces. Usually it was Jeanne who took the half hour before bed reading to the girls How the hell was she supposed to come up with a story off the top of her head?
But Maddie looked so excited by the prospect, and Mable wasn't made of stone. "Sure, I guess I can tell you a story."
"Wonderful!" Maddie beamed at her. "I'll have Papa come and get you before his meeting tonight."
"Tonight?" Mable choked on her drink. There was a loud snorting noise from down the table, and Mable glared Theo, who was desperately trying to hide his snickers.
"Yes, tonight will be a great time. Papa has a meeting with Theo and Labelle, so I'll be all by myself anyway. And then tomorrow we can go on a tour of the castle." Maddie charged on.
Monsieur Lune and Labelle had a meeting with Theo…Mable got a confirming nod from Theo, who had sobered quickly enough. So tonight, he was going to tell them about their plan to get her home.
Guilt hit her, and suddenly it didn't seem like such a problem to tell a young girl a story while her father learned that Mable was trying to leave them to this long, imprisoned existence.
"All right." She agreed. "Tonight, it is."
"Great!" Maddie's brown eyes were excited. "I can't wait."
"Me…either." Mable tried to smile at the girl. As Maddie went on about what types of stories she had read, Mable caught Theo's eye.
She knew that, he too, was wondering how the servants would take the news that Mable, one way or another, wanted to escape and leave them to their fate.