17 December 1871, Sunday
Home, home. We are home! We arrived last night and are unpacking today. I took time to attend church this morning and give thanks for our safe voyage and my new little passenger and was surprised to find that the world had continued on in my absence. This morning was the first reading of the Banns at the Edenfield Church for Inspector Simon MacGreggor and Miss Helen Shorrock. He looked uncommonly happy coming out of church with her on his arm. I congratulated them both on their engagement and asked when the wedding would be held. They are planning it for Saturday the 13th of January. How very exciting!
I came home to tell Ruth but she already knew. Helen had sent her a letter that arrived while we were in Africa and she had read last evening.
18 December 1871, Monday
Emily came today and asked me to help her with her Wooster problem. I agreed but she needs a few more days to think about what she wants to say to him.
One of the letters in the stack was from James. It was very short, if celebratory in tone. “Delphine engaged to marry the Honourable Stephen Fortescue, son of Viscount Chelmsford. John’s threat now empty, ha!”
Mrs John must be in transports of joy. Her favourite cousin to marry into a family with a title. I wonder if that is part of the reason that Mother arranged to go into London and work with the Young Mothers and Infants society this winter rather than stay home.
19 December 1871, Tuesday
Sir Cosmo left for London yesterday and returned today with my mother, James, and Betty in tow. We had talked about celebrating Christmas together at the townhouse in London but Sir Cosmo convinced them to come out to Edenfield for Christmas. I am very happy to have them here. I feel like I cry at every little thing these days, but my husband will get to spend Christmas with my family and that pleases me a more than I can say.
20 December 1871, Wednesday
I finished unpacking today. Mr Salmalin has put the trunks away and our little cottage is tidy once more. I have a little mail of my own to catch up on and hope to do so this afternoon.
~Later~
Well, none of my own projects are any further along but I believe
that Emily and Henry are now sorted to their satisfaction. Miss
Bertilde approached me just as I sat down to work on my letters
and asked for help talking to Lieutenant Wooster. She gave me
a note to take to him– expressing her interest in his proposal.
I gave him the letter and got them together in a room. I was just
going to sit their quietly and chaperone the proceedings but they
started talking around each other and sideways to the topic at
hand, until I had to take matters into my own hands and ask them,
in plain terms, what they were about.
It came out then. She loves him, he loves her. They seem to have worked out some basic ground rules and have agreed to marry. I leave it to others to actually get them to the altar. I’m worn out.
21 December 1871, Thursday
I have finally had time to read my correspondence, which included a note from my brother John inviting me to visit Whitnell house in February. There was also a note from Simon mentioning his engagement to Miss Helen (sent while we were away).
25 December 1871, Monday
I just got back from evening services at the Edenfield Church. Mother, James, and Betty joined me for a very peaceful and moving service. Sir Cosmo and Lady Cowperthwaite put in an appearance, as did many of the household. I’ve never seen the church so full. Edward is in town with the Frazers attending Mr Scrooge’s annual Christmas feast, so we can look forward to a quiet night.
27 December 1871, Wednesday
The house is emptying out. Sir Cosmo and Lady Cowperthwaite went into London to meet up with Miss Bertilde. They are going to visit Lieutenant Wooster’s Aunt in Snodbury, Worcestershire. Sir Cosmo and Wooster seem to have the wedding plans well in hand. I have been instructed to remain and enjoy the house with my family through the New Year.
1 January 1872, Monday
It is a little odd to play hostess in my mistress’s house. However, Mother, James and Betty have all risen to the occasion and we had a lovely little family party in on of the small parlours. Mr Salmalin joined us since the staff had the night off (and he is family). Mrs Robb made us a very nice cold plate before assuring herself we could manage and taking herself off for the night. We played games late into the night and welcomed in the New Year. Mr Salmalin has a previously undiscovered gift for the game of charades.
2 January 1872, Tuesday
I received a letter from John today, extending an invitation to Whitnell House for February 5th through the 12th for a family celebration.
3 January 1872, Wednesday
The parting of the ways. James is heading back to Scotland via Whitnell House while Mother, Betty, Mr Salmalin and I return to London. Lady Cowperthwaite sent me a very cryptic telegram requesting, but very specifically not ordering, my return. I am curious.
4 January 1872, Thursday,
We arrived in London last night to a subdued flurry of excitement. Wooster has procured a special license from the Archbishop allowing him to marry Miss Bertilde post-haste. It was an option Sir Cosmo had researched during the trials and tribulations surrounding his own wedding day, one that, given my divorced state and lack of spectacular income, was not available to Mr Salmalin and me. I will admit there was a certain amount of romance in touring Scotland and waiting for the day we could marry. It certainly helped that we were in good company.
So Miss Bertilde is to marry her Lieutenant on the morrow. She is packed and ready to go and is pacing the floor for lack of action. We are taking turns sitting with her and trying to distract her from the slow passage of time.
5 January 1872, Friday
Now they are The Honourable Mr and Mrs Henry Wooster. The stood before the Registrar, said their vows in the presence of their friends. We had a nice dinner for them at the house and the took the late train out of town to a destination unknown to most of us. Mrs Gregson has been avoided for the nonce– though I did hear from Mrs Cuthbert and Mrs Frazer that the good Lieutenant’s sister had come round looking for him just before the new year– fortunately they and their chaperones were hidden away at that point. Now the deed is done and Emily will have to face up to her new sister-in-law at some point but there is no need to rush the confrontation.
Lady Cowperthwaite says we will be staying in London through the 10th. I will send a note round to my tutors to see if they would be willing to work with me.
6 January 1872, Saturday
Miss Gong is not available next week but both Mr Davakadasham and Mr Chigwidgeon said they could make time for me. The library at the Order of St Jerome is open this week and Mrs Godwin has given me permission to continue my researches.
7 January 1872, Sunday
After church I went over to the Cuthberts and had tea with Mrs Frazer. She and Violet have become very adept at dealing with the babies. We had a nice chat about nothing in particular. She did ask after my condition. Fatigue seems to be the worst of my problems. I need more sleep than I ever have before. If I sit too long in any one place, especially a comfortable chair in front of a fire I am asleep before I know it. It is rather vexing. I have tried to combat it by going to bed earlier than is my wont, to no avail.
8 January 1872, Monday
I made it though both my language lessons but fell asleep in the library while trying to research the ‘crystal, key, scroll’ image from Mrs Cuthbert’s dream. Mr Haversham found me and sent me home in a cab. It is so difficult to get anything done this time of year. The sun isn’t up until 8:00 a.m. and it sets as early as 4:00 p.m but it can get dark earlier than that if the sky is overcast and since it is in the process of setting for an hour before that.
Tomorrow I will pace myself better.
9 January 1872, Tuesday
I mentioned the subject of my researches to Mr Davakadasham and he told me that the particular combination I am researching may be difficult to find. I mentioned the conversation between Merlin and Mrs de Vere and Mr Davakadasham suggested that the Sisters which Merlin referred to are the Nine Sisters, a collection of goddesses or sorceresses who dwell on the Isle of Apples. This led to a digression about language and root words as the name "Avalon" is believed to derive from the Saxon word for "of apples". The sorceresses, in some version of the legends, took the dying King Arthur away either for burial or to heal so that he might awaken in Britain's hour of greatest need.
There are tales that the Nine Sisters each bear a key which is capable of unlocking a vault containing a powerful weapon. Or a collection of powerful weapons, such as the Thirteen Treasures of Britain.
Other stories say that the Nine Sisters possess a library (filled with either books or scrolls– depending on how old the legend is) which contains all the wisdom of the gods and the lost wisdom of ancient sorcerers.
There is at least one specific story in the old Celtic tradition of a man, who was seeking the killers of his clansman, who was shipwrecked on an island covered with apple trees, where dwelled nine wise women, who nursed him back to health, and when he told them of his quest, one of them took him to an underground vault, which she opened with a key, and inside she showed him nine magickal stones, which "shone like jewels" and which sang. He was told that the singing foretold the future. He wrote down the song of the stones, and the song guided him to the killers of his clansman, and allowed him to avenge the murders and claim his birth right.
My tutor was kind enough to show me some of the source material he was referring to was in the library and left me to my researches– I didn’t learn much more than what he had already told me, however.
10 January 1872, Wednesday
We have arrived back at Edenfield. Most of the League has gathered at Sir Cosmo’s in anticipation of Inspector MacGreggor and Miss Helen’s wedding on Saturday. There is not much for us to do but pick out what we will wear and wait for the day. I noticed that all of my dresses are getting a bit tight. I will have to let them out a bit and place an order for a larger and more accommodating style of dress soon.
11 January 1872, Thursday
Sir Cosmo read to us this evening. He has another reading assignment from Mr W. Much like Sir Matthew’s strange book, the correspondence pages of the Transactions of the Camden Society are an amusing read. Especially when Sir Cosmo gets carried away and reads the letters in different voices based on the tone taken by the author.
Earlier in the day I asked Lady Cowperthwaite if Mr Salmalin and I could have some time to go and visit my brother in Scotland. I realised the other day, that travel is just going to get more difficult as my Condition progresses, so if I am to visit him in his new home it must be soon as I have the family party to attend the first week in February. Permission was granted and I sent off a telegram to James suggesting a visit the 15th though 19th of this month.
12 January 1872, Friday
A telegram arrived from James this afternoon accepting our offer of a visit. He did say it might be warmer and prettier in the spring.
13 January 1872, Saturday
Mr and Mrs Simon MacGreggor were married today in the Edenfield parish church. The ceremony was simple. The bride was beautiful and the groom was looking very surprised at his good fortune. The Shorrocks hosted a reception after and we had time to congratulate the bride and groom on their newly married state before they changed into their travelling clothes and left us for some peace and quiet.
15 January 1872, Monday
We are on the train heading to Glasgow. Mr Salmalin is sitting next to me and the train is making me even more sleepy than usual. I think a long nap is in order.
16 January 1872, Tuesday
It is cold up here, but not that much more than down in Lancashire. James met us at the station last night and helped us settle into our hotel. It is near the university. James will be meeting us for lunch after his classes. We have the morning to ourselves.
17 January 1872, Wednesday
We had a fine time with James yesterday. He gave us a tour of the University, including his rooms there. They are small, but the walls are thick and seem to keep the drafts at bay. I gave him the gifts we had brought for him: a new pillow and duvet, since he had mentioned the cold in his telegram. He seemed pleased by them. This afternoon we shall tour part of the city while there is still light enough to see what we are looking at.
19 January 1872, Thursday
Mr Salmalin has been very sweet. I was so tired today, I just didn’t feel up to going out James brought us lunch to eat in and looked at me in such a worried fashion that I couldn’t not tell him of my Condition. He was very surprised but seemed pleased by the news. I asked him not to tell anyone else yet, as I was keeping it to myself for now. He agreed. Tomorrow we head back to Edenfield.
22 January 1872, Monday
After an all-to-brief weekend at Edenfield, I have returned to London and my researches for the week. Lady Cowperthwaite is due sometime around the end of March or beginning of April, so I do not have much time left before she will enter confinement and the birth will be upon us.
I arrived here to find a letter from Miss Mitzi regarding the Dragon Researches that Edward and I have been conducting. She suggested that we meet tomorrow and discuss some options. She has something specific in mind that may be of some help.
23 January 1872, Tuesday
Miss Mitzi arrived as planned. She determined that we could use the dragon scales that Edward had collected to created a modified ward that would signal the caster if the person wearing it was either near to or being interfered with by the Dragon/Fae creature.
I cast the spell under her direction and it seemed to work. We gave the resulting amulet to Wilhelmina to wear. It should alert me if it is tampered with.
26 January 1872, Friday
My research has not been as productive as I had hoped. I can find information on dragons and I can find information on the fae but so far I have not found much about a dragon fae hybrid and what one would do to protect oneself from it. I am going to stay in town over the weekend. Mrs Godwin says the library will be open tomorrow– perhaps I’ll have more luck then.
29 January 1872, Monday
I am on the train back to Edenfield. I didn’t learn much more about dragon/fae hybrids this weekend. This is what I have found out so far: Dragons by most accounts seem to be vulnerable to ordinary weapons, provided one can live long enough to inflict sufficient damage. Some legends indicate that it requires special knowledge or a blessed or magickal weapon to do the job (none of which I have at the moment).
The Order's books indicated that dragons, when manifesting physically, are most vulnerable after they breathe fire. The theory of the Watcher who has recorded this is that the fire breathing drains some of the life force of the dragon.
That’s it– six full days of research and talking to every Watcher I could get to hold still and I can summarize what I know about dragons in two paragraphs. Perhaps Edward has come up with something in his research.
4 February 1872, Sunday
After a quiet week spend gestating with Lady Cowperthwaite and catching up on the latest doings of the Frazer twins and their mother, Mr Salmalin and I are packing for our trip to Whitnell House. Well, I am packing. My husband’s suits are already neatly packed. I got three new dresses while in London. They have a generous seam allowance, and should last for a few months at least. They are more subdued in colour than the latest fashion, though there was a lovely bright mustard yellow that was very tempting as a trim. The fabrics are all good quality and the workmanship is first rate so I have no concerns about that. Hopefully I look like what I pretend to be, a daughter of the gentry and personal secretary to the wife of an heir to an old and honourable barony, I dare not outshine my mistress, but I wouldn’t mind putting on a good show for my brother– I am a Whitnell after all.
5 February 1872, Monday
We arrived safe and sound. John met us at the platform looking distinctly uncomfortable. Apparently there had been a slight mis-communication, when Mrs John told him to invite the family to come home for this event she hadn’t meant him to include me and my husband. I offered to take lodgings in the hotel and return to Edenfield tomorrow, but he would not hear of it. He saw our trunks loaded into the carriage and drove us home.
This time we were not directed to the servants quarters. John had seen to it that a room was prepared for us. It is not my old room, which Betty ruthlessly took over after I married Mr Salmalin but it is a very nice guest room with pale yellow wallpaper and a comfortable bed.
Now that we are settled in, we must dress for dinner.
6 February 1872, Tuesday
Mr Salmalin and I went riding this morning. It was a cold crisp morning with more frost than snow on the ground. Sarah-Horse and Pickle were glad to see us and fat from winter feeding with not enough exercise. I wish I could take them and Pumpkin to Edenfield. John is really the only one who rides regularly and it is not enough to keep these three in shape along with his own horse, Shelby. Shelby is a big mild-mannered horse whose biggest asset is that he is not easily spooked. Machines, small animals, shadows, the wind– all those things that spook most horses have no effect on Shelby.
We rode out to the standing stones and back. The horses trotted, generating their own heat. Once home, we turned them over to the stable boys for a cooling walk and a good currying.
Lunch was an informal affair. I took a nap afterward so as to be fresh for the main event of the day, tea with Delphine and her intended. They seem to be well a well matched, if boring couple. He is a bit rabbit-faced but he seems to dote on her. Now if I can just keep from falling asleep in company.
7 February 1872, Wednesday
I had a very odd conversation with the secretary to the Viscountess Chelmsford. She asked to speak to me in confidence and then asked if there was anything wrong with my mother’s health. I said, not so far as I knew, and asked her what had given her that impression. Apparently Mrs John has put forth the idea that Betty should be presented this year, in time to be out for the season, and insinuated that my mother might not be able to act as her sponsor. The Viscountess, being a much more thoughtful mother-in-law than Delphine deserves, kindly offered to stand in her stead.
Seeing as I had heard nothing of Betty even being presented this year, the entire conversation shocked me. I asked if I could mention this to my mother and she indicated that she had hoped I might clear the air on this matter.
I went to my mother’s rooms and asked to speak with her. I then relayed the entire conversation. She said that she was not in any way ill and that she had heard nothing of this from Mrs John. She then said that she would handle the matter directly. I do not know if she meant to speak with Mrs John or the Viscountess but it seemed she had matters well in hand. The one thing she did not deny was that Betty would be presented this year. My little sister will be all grown up and hopefully wiser than I was at that age.
9 February 1872, Friday
I told my mother of my Condition today. I had planned to wait until the end of the third month but she has been looking at me in that worried way she sometimes has. I told her that James knows– she was a little put out that he had heard first, but understood when I explained about our visit to Glasgow. She seems happy for me, but that happiness is tinged with caution. I am old for a first pregnancy and there are social constraints any children of Mr Salmalin and I will have to deal with. Our children will be hybrids much like our dragon/fae opponent back in August. They will have one foot in the world the upstairs and one in the downstairs and I’m afraid it will make life complicated.
10 February 1872, Saturday
James arrived last night by the late train. I am so glad he is here. He has a natural knack for putting Mr Salmalin at his ease. Though I have noticed this trip that my husband has not seemed so uncomfortable around my family. John and James try to make him at home, Betty still hangs about him as much as she can and Mother is always gracious.
12 February 1872, Monday
We are on the train to Edenfield. I am planning to remain with Lady Cowperthwaite from now until the birth. I should take advantage of her condition to rest my self. Goodness knows we’ll get very little rest once the baby comes.
23 February 1872, Friday
I awoke from a very strange dream. It was a true dreaming. I saw the dragon/fae creature in its human form. It was sitting by a lake in a forest glade. It was using the lake as a scrying-glass to spy on Wilhelmina. The girl in question was hard a work in her workshop. A strange hairy-man-thing shambled up to the dragon/fae and asked what he was looking at. They both watched Wilhelmina. The man-thing suggested that this fascination was unhealthy as she was working on ways to wound him. The dragon/fae said he admired her because she wasn’t just trying to find ways to hurt him, she was trying to figure out how to kill him. I began to wonder if this strange tendency toward obsession with inappropriate females runs in the family and then I remembered who this creature’s father is. An elf who has sired four children (that we have met) all not just by different women but by different species.
My exasperation must have given me away, as the dragon/fae looked up and said something about the witch watching him. The two creatures began packing up saying they would abandon this hiding place for a better one. Then I awoke.
I have since checked on Wilhelmina’s amulet and the magic ward is gone– used up in alerting me to this strange act of spying.
I will have to recast the spell sometime today and make a new ward for Wilhelmina. She obviously needs the protection. I will also consult with Mrs Cuthbert and see if we can’t find the hiding place the creatures were abandoning. I don’t expect to find anything of use– but you never know.
9 March 1872
I received a letter from Mother. Betty has received her appointment to be presented. Mother asks after my health and that of Lady Cowperthwaite, otherwise there is very little else to the letter.
I heard yesterday from Stuart that the Bombards were invading Liverpool and sure enough the Woosters have been invited, separately, to ‘post-bachelor’ dinners in their honour. Mrs Cuthbert has agreed to attend Emily’s with her, as otherwise she would be the only woman present.
12 March 1872, Tuesday
The bombards have lived up to their reputation. Wooster is going down to bail one of them out of jail. Apparently they decided to use a small cannon to ring the bell of a church in Liverpool in honour of Wooster and at least one of them was arrested for disturbing the peace and damage to the bell tower.
Miss Bertilde Mrs Wooster swears her party was not nearly so out of control.
16 March 1872, Saturday
Today Ravvi and I have been married one year. I spent much of the day smiling whenever he came into the room.
17 March 1872, Sunday
Nanny Chigwidgeon has arrived to oversee her granddaughter’s confinement.
25 March 1872, Monday
Sir Cosmo has apparently bought several more railroads. There have been several horrific train accidents over the past few months. He has been very involved in finding a solution and has taken Edward with him on several business trips. Apparently, no consensus could be reached on how to solve the problem and Sir Cosmo could not let such dangerous conditions continue unchecked. So now he owns the defective railroads and he and Edward are out in Edward’s workshop concocting solutions.
29 March 1872, Friday
Good Friday has arrived and with it the promise
of Easter and the resurrection. Early flowers are starting to
push through the frost and the sun is coming back in force. Lady
Cowperthwaite is due any day now and I am beginning to feel rather
ungainly myself. Mrs Frazer, Mrs Cuthbert and Nanny are all near
at hand– hopefully all will go well...
Proceed to Pushing limits
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