Chapter Fourteen
"What are you doing, Labelle?" said the figure. Deep and masculine, it echoed into the aisle where Mable and Labelle stood.
"Mon Dieu, Jacques!" cried Labelle, putting a hand over her heart. "You nearly killed us! What's the meaning of lurking in the doorway like that?"
Mable took several deep breaths, urging her heartbeat to return to normal. In the meantime, she stole a look at the large man in front of her. He was indeed the tallest man she had seen so far, with the only exception being Theo. There was no sight of flab or gut anywhere underneath his rumpled shirt and brown slacks. He had a head full of black, wavy hair that was cut just above his ears, and tousled in a way that could only be described as sexy. His sloe-colored eyes jumped from Labelle's face to her own, and Mable felt heat rise up in her neck. Besides the fact that he was gorgeous, he was also studying her in a way that made Mable think she was being judged. On their own accord, her eyes traveled down to her boots, and on their way Mable saw the plain, leather scabbard attached at his hip.
"I was not lurking, Labelle. You barged in here. Like you always do." said Jacques calmly. His voice held no hint of the rumble in Theo's or the mellow warmth of Monsieur Lune's and Carnier's. His voice was deep, certainly, but had a hint of danger in it that was liable to turn any woman into putty. Mable shifted uncomfortably on the spot. It seemed that Jacques was like the male version of Labelle.
Labelle took no notice of Mable's discomfort. The only change in her demeanor was that her voice rose slightly, "I do not barge anywhere. We were just coming to show Mable the horses, and because we needed the walk."
"Ah yes, our guest." Black eyes found hers, and Mable got the distinct impression that she had been sized up and was found wanting. She fidgeted under that stare, wondering if he had heard about her escapades in the forest a few days ago.
Labelle, having regained her composure, glared at Jacques. "Lady Mable, this is Monsieur Jacques, or Maestro, as the men call him. Jacques, this is Lady Mable. She will be staying with us for the time being." Labelle folded her arms grumpily across her chest.
Mable blinked when Jacques—Maestro—picked up her hand, and eyes never leaving her face, kissed it gently. Mable felt the flush rise from her neck to her face, and cursed her ability to blush so easily.
Mable's hands fell back to her sides, and she had to grope desperately in her mind for something to say. "Nice place you have here" just did not seem to cut it.
"It's nice to meet you." she said instead and felt slightly disturbed when his eyes continued to watch her face. She didn't feel safe with this man, which was perplexing since he wasn't nearly as monster-like as Theo.
"I am honored to be introduced to the new Lady of the castle." He said, with icy politeness.
Mable held her hands palm up. "I'm not the Lady," she said, for what felt like the hundredth time.
She didn't think Maestro heard her. He had turned to Labelle and was saying, "I'm sorry I haven't been to the castle for a few days. You know how I like to drill the men to make sure they do not become complacent."
The small apology seemed to mollify Labelle, and she smiled up at him with a warmth that made Mable feel a little voyeur-ish.
Now that he had looked away from her, Mable could study his interaction with Labelle better. The way he was looking at her was so…intense that it came quite close to making Mable sigh with longing. It was certainly different from the way he had looked at her. When he looked at her, Mable was sure she was being measured in some way; when he looked at Labelle, she was positive that Labelle was being caressed without actually being touched.
Before Mable could feel too awkward with the two lovebirds, Maddie arrived, bringing the distraction that everyone needed.
"Maestro! Where have you been? Master Theo has been grumbling about how he hasn't seen you for days. I think he misses you." She gave Maestro a cheerful hug. To Mable's surprise, the man hugged her back, and picked the girl up and playfully threw her in the air, a trick that had pissed mothers off for centuries.
"I have just been busy these past few days. Perhaps tonight I will join you for dinner." He said, returning Maddy to the ground. "It will give me a chance to get to know Lady Mable better." he continued, and once again those black eyes zeroed in on her face.
"It probably would." Mable said. Labelle and Maddie's presence made Mable a little more courageous. "If you do join us, you'll be in for a treat. I am helping cook dinner tonight."
Maestro's eyebrows rose. "The Lady? Helping with dinner? That is highly unusual."
Mable tried not to seem too challenging when she said coolly, "I am not the Lady, Monsieur Maestro. I am simply staying here until Theo and I can find a way for me to get back home."
For a minute, Mable thought she saw a hint of fury in Maestro's face. "What do you mean, you are leaving?"
"I can't stay." Mable pointed out, wearily. Would she have to explain this to every person she met here? "My father and sisters are probably worried sick. Theo agreed to help me find a spell or something that might get me home."
"She's trapped here as well, Jacques." Labelle told him, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "She cannot leave the castle grounds."
"Well, if you are truly like us, then you know that it is impossible for you to leave." Maestro told her. His superior tone irritated her.
Mable fought back a scowl, attempting to remain civil, if only for Labelle's sake. "Theo says it might not be impossible. Since I got here by mistake, then I might be able to get back. We've been looking at spells for the past few days now. I'm sure we'll find something soon." She said, with a confidence she didn't entirely feel.
"I'm sure you will too, Mable." Labelle gave Maestro a dirty look. "Theo, Lune, Maddie and myself have all promised to help you. Between all of us, we should be able to come up with something."
"Unlikely." Maestro cut off their hopeful words with a dismissive wave. "No human can break a Fairy spell. Do you think we have not tried it ourselves? What makes you think you are powerful enough to prevail?" Mable took a step back at the unexpected hostility in his tone.
"Jacques!" Labelle hissed.
"It might not be a Fairy spell." Maddie pointed out in a small voice. "Papa says that the Fairy might not had meant to trap us here. It might just have been a mistake, like Master Theo's curse." She had shifted so she stood flanking Mable but was a step behind her. Mable didn't blame the girl for it; her own eyes kept darting to Maestro's sheathed sword.
"I do not believe that for a moment. Face it, Lady. You are cursed to be trapped here, just like the rest of us." Maestro shook his head at her and strode away.
They all watched him go; Labelle in distress, Maddie almost in tears, and Mable shaking from the undeniable fear that he may be right.
Mable's hands moved with a deftness that was in complete contrast to her absent manner. She had even found a way to drown out Carnier's loud, imperious voice as she worked together with his chefs to make dinner. It wasn't anything too fancy; in fact, making spaghetti and meatballs was the reason it was so easy for her mind to drift. Carnier had given her half-reign of his kitchen, meaning he had asked her to give the directions, and then cordially asked her to look after the pasta. The man himself was making a superb salad to complement the pasta, and a few other cooks were keeping an eye on the dessert. Mable had been put in next to two chefs; Margot again and Henri, a pot-bellied chef who cut greens with such spirit that Mable half-suspected Monsieur Carnier had stolen him from the soldiers.
Her visit to the stables had ended quite soon after her disastrous meeting with the Captain of the guard. Mable didn't know what bothered her more; the cold bluntness of his demeanor or the fact that even she was uncertain Theo's plan to find a "hole" in the spell would work.
They had been trying for two days and had found nothing. What if Maestro was right and she was stuck here forever? Mable tried to push the thought out of her mind, but it kept darting back in, a shadow that seemed to constantly follow her. Even Monsieur Carnier's exuberant praise of her pasta-making skills barely made her smile.
She tried to find some solace in the fact that Maddie and Theo both loved the dish, and congratulated her on her success with Monsieur Carnier, who let few people play around in his kitchen. They were so busy enjoying themselves and their dinner, they didn't even notice that she picked at her food.
Maddie tugged at Mable's arm. "Mable, can you tell me another story tonight? That last one you told was so different! I really liked it. Please?" Big, brown eyes looked beseechingly into Mable's face.
She smiled. "All right. Have your father come and get me again, though. I'll never find the way to your room by myself."
Maddie squealed and jumped up to hug Mable. Neither of them noticed when Monsieur Lune walked in until he had come up behind his daughter, brown eyes stern.
"Maddie, it's time for school work," he said, and tugged the girl out of Mable's arms. "Thank you, Lady Mable, for agreeing to this. I know you must be tired." His voice was more gracious to Mable than it was to his groaning daughter.
"It's fine, Monsieur Lune, I'm happy to do it." Mable waved goodbye as Maddie was gloomily led out of the room. She looked down the table at Theo. "I know we worked this morning, but would you mind if we went to the library and searched some more?"
To her surprise, Theo nodded eagerly. He got up and came over to her side of the table to offer her his arm. Together, the two walked briskly down the corridors, silent, but in a good way. Better than their silences had been before. There was more easy companionship now than there had been a few days ago. After her trip to the stables, Mable found it comforting.
As they walked briskly down the corridor, Mable noted the anticipation on Theo's face. "Why are you so motivated about helping read spell books? I can't imagine it's all that appealing to you." She asked curiously.
Theo glanced down at her. He smiled, showing just a hint of teeth. "On the contrary," he said, "it's very interesting. It's new. It's a goal to work towards. It's been a long time since I've had any real sort of purpose, you know. It's good to have a goal, a will to finish something. It helps you get up in the morning."
Mable chewed on this statement while they trotted quickly up stairs and through varied hallways. She was starting a get a sense of where places were now, she was pleased to observe as she recognized the doors and paintings glittering on the walls. When they reached the doors that led to the library, Mable was feeling confident that she may be able to find her way to the library by herself tomorrow.
Both lost in thought, Mable and Theo each when back to the seats they were in before, and Mable was thrilled to see that nothing had been moved. It would be so much easier to work now if she could find her spot from before she left. She flopped into the soft leather chair and thumbed through her notes, trying to get back into the mood of study.
It was harder than she thought.
"What did you guys do before I came along?" she finally asked the question that had been lingering in her mind. Theo looked up from his own books, startled.
"The same thing, mostly." He gave her question serious thought, answering slowly. "I would read, play chess with Maddie. Labelle and Maddie would go riding horses in the spring and summer months, though I often stayed behind. The horses can't hold me anymore, you see. But they would have a few picnics in the woods. Maestro and I would spar together, like we did when we were young, but we haven't in a long while.
Nothing is as fun as it was. There is nothing new to learn, nothing to feel triumph over at the end of the day. And it was hard for me to…" he stopped, putting his paw in front of his face while his eyes remained distant, "enjoy anything, for a long period of time. Everything reminded me of what I used to have, what I used to be. Then you showed up." Now he looked directly at her, with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "Getting everyone excited and generally turning the place upside down, in barely a day. But," and he held up his paw, his smile stopping Mable's sarcastic remark in her throat, "despite that, and the fact that you will probably drive me insane in the near future, I have to admit, you being here is good for everyone. Even me."
Mable gaped. What was she supposed to say to all that? All she could manage was a muffled, "Oh," and the two companions sank back into silence. She was so flustered she completely missed Theo's question.
"Sorry, what was that?"
"I asked how your trip to the stables was?" said Theo, sounding overly patient. He tossed one of the spell books into his ever-growing pile, one that was noticeably bigger than Mable's. Apparently, he wasn't having as much trouble dissecting all the odd words and sentences. She had barely gotten through the first page.
"Oh, it was fine," she answered, secretly grateful to be doing something else. She felt like she was getting nowhere, and since it was getting late, it was highly doubtful she would find the covetous spell that night. She placed her own book on top of the stack closest to her feet. "It was nice, to get out of the castle for a while."
"Did you meet Jacques?"
Mable nodded. "Yes. He seemed…" she broke off, unsure of what to say. The man had not seemed very nice, but he had not been a brute either.
Theo smiled slightly. "That is the typical reaction when it comes to Jacques. He can be formidable."
"Formidable is one word for it." She muttered.
Theo frowned at her. "What is it? Did he upset you?"
"No…well, yes, but I don't think upsetting me was what he meant to do." Mable caressed the cover of the spell book, finding comfort at the smooth touch of leather under her fingers. "He said that humans cannot break a Fairy spell, and that I should just accept the fact that I was trapped here."
Theo let out a gusty sigh. "That is Jacques. He isn't much of an optimist." Theo ran claws through his fur, like Mable would run her fingers through her hair. "I'm sure he didn't mean to upset you. After a few decades being trapped in this place, it's easy to lose the gift of tact."
"Him telling me it was unlikely to happen wasn't what upset me," Mable said slowly. "Well, ok, it did, but only because he might be right. What if I don't ever find a way home?" She took a deep breath, fighting back the panic that threatened to consume her.
Theo was quiet for several moments, his fingers tapping the cover of the book in his hand. "I won't pretend that what we are doing will be the solution," he rumbled slowly. "It is entirely possible that this might not work. But it will almost certainly not work if you continue to doubt yourself. Remember, Mable; you are the first person to appear at our doorstep in centuries. Something, either the curse or another magic altogether, allowed you to find this place when no one else could. So, if that is possible, why shouldn't returning home be possible for you as well?"
"Do you think I can do it?" Mable asked. His answer was very important to her.
Theo gave her question the weight it deserved. "I think that power can be drawn from many places," he said thoughtfully. "It might take some time, and it will not be easy, but in order to get home you will have to find a certain kind of…strength within yourself. I cannot rightfully say whether or not you have that strength of will, but if you think you have it, I believe it is entirely possible for you to find your way out of here."
Before Mable could respond, Monsieur Lune popped into the room.
"Ah, Maddie said you would be here. Mable, my daughter is about to go to bed, and has once again asked for her story. I am sorry to interrupt, but do you think you could tell her a short one before retiring?"
"No problem, I could use a chance to stretch my imagination." Mable joked. She stood up and shook out stiff muscles.
Monsieur Lune looked at Theo. "Master Theo, could you escort her to Maddie? I need to have a meeting with my staff, and it must be done tonight," Monsieur Lune turned apologetically to Mable, "I would certainly escort you myself but work is—unfortunately-work. Do you mind terribly, Lady Mable?"
Mable shook her head at his regret. "Don't be silly, Monsieur Lune, I totally understand. You don't have to explain yourself to me."
"Yes, but I feel as if I must. You are always so kind to my little Maddie, and I deeply appreciate it. It seems such a trivial thing, to only escort you from here to her room, but my work needs to be done, even at my own inconvenience." The man sighed sadly.
"For pity's sake Lune, just let me bring her there and be done with it." Theo said in exasperation. Monsieur Lune scowled at him.
Mable stepped between them. "It's all right, Monsieur Lune. I am always willing to spend some time with Maddie, and I need to move my legs anyway. Don't worry about us." She soothed.
Monsieur Lune called her a gem and popped out seconds later. Mable, after a brisk motion for Theo to go ahead of her, followed behind, feeling embarrassed and gratified at the same time.
Theo studied the empty space where Monsieur Lune had been standing. "He must like you a lot. Maddie is his joy; he doesn't leave her with just anyone." He turned to her, "Shall we go, then?" The two of them briskly walked down hallways and corridors until they reached the foyer. Mable shivered when she heard the wind howl from behind the front doors. Soon after her return to the castle this morning, clouds had formed in the sky and snow had started to fall once again. They would get at least a few more inches before this one was through.
They found Maddie jumping into bed.
"Oh good!" she exclaimed happily, "I thought it might take you longer since you were walking, but you seem to have gotten here all right." The girl put some knitting underneath her pillow and adjusted her doll.
A regular little homemaker, thought Mable with a smile, and sat at the edge of Maddie's bed. "Yeah, your father said he had a meeting tonight, so Theo brought me up here."
Maddie nodded with adult acceptance. "Yes, he forgot about the meeting until I reminded him. It's all right," she assured Mable, as if Mable had questioned Monsieur Lune's faithfulness as a father, "he'll come tuck me in later."
"I didn't doubt that for a second. Now, what kind of story do you want?"
Mable returned to her story-telling technique of recalling memories of her childhood, with her and her sisters as the main characters. Maddie seemed to be fond of that, and Mable could see Theo listening with attentiveness out of the corner of her eye. She even ignored the slight tickle in her throat as time went. She was having fun, reminiscing about growing up and the trouble she and her sisters got into.
It wasn't any surprise to Mable, though, when the girl drifted off to sleep. Theo touched her shoulder gently, but before she left, Mable again kissed the girl's forehead. She liked the maternal feeling she got whenever she was near Maddie.
Theo returned her to her room after that, claiming that the story had also made him tired.
"Not out of boredom, I hope?" Mable smiled up at him from her doorway.
"No, it was not the story. I liked it. But this day has been a long one, and I know that you probably want to go to bed more than I do." He grinned when Mable gave an obvious yawn.
She smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess I'm beat. Good night, then."
"Good night, Mable." With an awkward nod, he strode down the hallway, long legs eating up the ground.
Mable got ready for bed, tired and achy. She found herself coughing more than normal, and her throat was sore. She changed into her nightclothes and slid into bed. As she waited for sleep, she considered what Theo had told her earlier, how he had answered her question about whether or not she could somehow find a way to escape this place.
How was she supposed to find the inner strength to get herself out of this mess, when it felt like it was the lack of it that got her here in the first place?