Chapter Eighteen

She moved through the fair

Wherein familiar faces are met at the market and the title again was chosen randomly

 

They quickly found her father in the thinning crowd but Marshall wasn’t to be seen.

 

“Have you seen Marshall?” her father questioned them.

 

“No,” she shook her head then smiled brightly, “But we bought a house.”

 

Her father barely blinked, “We were right in this area when I last saw him.”

 

Together the three of them moved through the crowd, until Julian spotted him, “There he is.”

 

She glanced over and saw Marshall excitedly talking to someone, his hands fluttering in the air.  The crowd shifted some more and she saw who he was talking to, a dark haired man in a long coat who was bouncing on his toes as he listened to Marshall.

 

“That chap looks familiar,” Julian squinted at the pair.

 

“He should, you shot at him last time we were here,” she reminded him.

 

“Ah, Wolf wasn’t it,” he recalled.

 

She smiled at her dad’s questioning look, “We met him last time we were here.  He should be able to get us to the castle and to the mirror.”

 

Her dad grunted and they made their way to the pair.

 

“Hi, guys,” Marshall greeted them with a grin.

 

“Huff, puff!  I have to go get Virginia,” Wolf grinned at them then bounded off through the crowd.

 

“I was telling him all about our adventure…” Marshall trailed off at the stern look on Jack’s face.

 

She jumped in, “Actually that was really fortunate that you talked to him.”  At Marshall’s brightened expression she went on, “We met him last time we were here and he should be able to get us to the castle and back home.”

 

Marshall beamed at that and Wolf returned with Virginia just then.  The dark haired woman was carrying a child around a year old and was listening to Wolf, who seemed to be repeating what Marshall had told him.

 

Virginia smiled and adjusted the little boy on her hip, “Well I was surprised when Wolf said you were here.  I didn’t think we’d see you again.”

 

Sydney smiled back, “Well it’s kind of a long story and it wasn’t really planned.  We really need to get back home too, before our people really start to get worried.”

 

“Of course,” Virginia smiled again, “We have a carriage here and we were going to head to the castle to have dinner with Wendell and Dad, you’re welcome to come along.”

 

She sighed in relief, “Thanks that would be great.”

 

Sydney walked beside Virginia and smiled at the boy in her arms, “He’s so cute.  What’s his name?”

 

“His name’s Warren,” Virginia told her.

 

“Julian isn’t he soo cute,” she made faces at the grinning child.

 

“Yes, he’s darling,” Julian answered without looking at the child in question.

 

She discreetly elbowed him to which he merely raised an eyebrow.

 

The six of them, seven counting Warren, crammed into the carriage, Sydney sat between her father and Julian while Marshall sat next to Wolf.

 

If she and Julian were going to live here it’d be nice to have a friend and she rather thought Virginia was someone she’d get along with.  “So Virginia, do you and Wolf live at the castle?”

 

“Oh, no,” Virginia laughed, “We have our own place near by.  Dad lives at the castle though so we visit a lot.”

 

She smiled, “Julian and I just bought a house on the other side of town.”

 

Virginia’s face lit up, “Really are you planning on moving here full time then?”

 

Given the other woman’s eager question she guessed she would gladly welcome a ‘neighbor’ from her own world.  “Yes.  We have a few things to tie up back home, but then we’re going to be moving here.”

 

Virginia practically squealed, “That’ll be so great.  I do miss New York, I try and visit when I can, but it’ll be great to have someone else around to talk about,” she waved her free hand, “well stuff.”

 

She returned the smile, “That’d be great.  I’m afraid this world is fairly different and new to us so it’d be nice to have someone to fill us in on events and such.  By the way you wouldn’t happen to have a few history books I could borrow?  I want to try and be as well informed about this world before we settle down for good.”

 

Virginia handed Warren off to Wolf, “I’ve a whole library at home.  I’ve actually started collecting books, about the Nine Kingdom’s history, non-fiction, tales.  I’m sure I can get you a book or two to borrow.”

 

The men folk were silent as the two women continued to chat about everything from current fashions here and back home to seasons to anything they could think of.  They finally had a lull in their conversation as the carriage rolled down the drive of the castle.

 

Wolf suddenly spoke up, grinning cheerfully, “Once they have their baby Warren will have someone to play with too.”

 

Sydney blinked and she felt Julian stiffen a little next to her.

 

Virginia looked at them apologetically, “Wolf is sensitive to those sorts of things.”  She turned to hiss at him, “What did I tell you about blurting out things like that?”

Wolf gave them a kicked puppy face, “Sorry.”  It even sounded like he whined a bit at the end, turning his hurt puppy face on Virginia who sighed, smiled and ran her hand through his hair.  Wolf closed his eyes and leaned into her hand, making a happy whining sound.

 

Bringing a hand to her mouth, she hid her smile and glanced at Julian.  He was eyeing Wolf slightly askance, but didn’t look greatly perturbed.

 

“Wow Sydney, I didn’t know you were pregnant!”  Marshall beamed at her, “Congratulations!”

 

“Thanks Marshall,” she smiled warmly at the tech who taken her and Sark relationship and now news about the baby all in stride, “Don’t tell anyone at work, okay?  It’s a surprise.”  It was also best if her coworkers and bosses didn’t ever find out, but she could really say that in front of Virginia and Wolf.  She sighed, it appeared she’d be lying to her new friend as well as her old ones.

 

Julian picked her left hand up and held it in his own.  She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, well she was quitting the CIA so it wasn’t like she’d be lying to Virginia, not really.

 

The carriage rolled to a stop and everyone piled out.  Virginia had taken Warren back and sent Wolf bounding off to tell Wendell and her dad that they had company.  She turned to tilt her head at them, “If you’re not too much in a hurry you could stay for supper, stay the night even.  I’m sure Wendell would be happy to offer you some rooms and you can freshen up before going home.”

 

Sydney looked hopefully at her father, surely one more night wouldn’t matter.  The thoughts of the kind of beds and bathtubs the castle surely had to offer was really too tempting to pass up, and all of them deserved a luxurious break didn’t they?  She bit her lip as her father glanced at her then broke into a smile as his lips lifted slightly.

 

“That would be most kind and we’d be grateful for a chance to have a good night’s sleep and freshen up before heading home.”

 

“Yes!” Marshall thrust a fist into the air and did a little jig.  He blushed as everyone laughed lightly at his antics.

 

They followed Virginia into the castle where she spoke briefly to a servant then lead them up a grand staircase and down several ornately decorated hallways with marble floors and plush, red carpeting beneath their feet.  She pushed open tall, light blue double doors in the middle of a hallway, “This suit has a common sitting room and has three bedrooms off it.”

 

They followed her into the gorgeously gilded and sumptuously decorated room.  Heavy wooden furniture with soft looking cushions fit easily in the large room with its floor to ceiling window’s, treated with heavy, brocade curtains.  The ceiling easily had to be twenty feet tall.  Vases of flowers were sprinkled liberally throughout the room on side table and credenzas.

 

“Thank you, it’s beautiful,” she was a bit awed and couldn’t wait to see the actual bedrooms and baths.

 

Virginia smiled, “No problem.  Someone will call you when it’s time for dinner and guide you to the private dinning room.  At least I don’t think Wendell has any formal engagements this evening,” she frowned slightly then went on, “Either way myself, Wolf and my dad, Tony, will be there.”

 

“Thank you,” this time Jack formally thanked her.

 

Virginia started to leaven then turned around, “Oh!  Since you’re staying the night if you want to leave out any clothes the castle staff can have them washed and dried by tomorrow morning.  I’ll also have them send up some clothing for this evening and some sleepwear too.”  She smiled brightly before slipping out the door, “See you later.”

 

Julian’s hand slid onto her butt as he whispered into her ear, “I don’t think we’ll need the sleepwear.”

 

She giggled and grabbed his hand, “We’ll see you all for dinner.”  Then she picked the nearest door and pulled Julian after her.

 

Interlude Seven ~ Interlude Eight ~ Tell us a Tale