Authors: Gloria Harchar
Finally he
'
d realized he wasn
'
t to blame for the accident. Now he would be able to enjoy life, as he should, and she had created the most beautiful
yellow
dye
to celebrate their love. Smiling, she envisioned
Malcolm
'
s happiness when she showed him the special cloth that the stockingers worked on now, woven with the
Clockwork
Blue
and the new
dye
.
"
Exactly as I intended.
"
The
yellow
color would always remind her of their glorious afternoon making love on the cliff, and the fierceness of that union. It hadn
'
t ended there. In the cabin he
'
d insisted on kissing her dry, sipping the rain from her body. In fact, for the past handful of days it had been an afternoon routine to go to the cabin to spend several hours making love. The feeling she
'
d never before experienced. How could she be so deeply in love? She realized that she
'
d never known what love was until meeting
Malcolm
.
Now he would live his life as he should, free from guilt and pain. Now he would represent the bill that
Nicola
had salvaged after Ramsey had thrown it in the hearth in
Malcolm
'
s office ten days ago. He would embrace life, would become the leader he was destined to be.
"
Congratulations, lass,
"
Allegro whispered near her ear. Surprised, she turned to find him hovering near her face.
"
You did it. You tamed the Black Falcon.
"
Allegro
'
s mouth c
urved up almost to his pointy ears
.
Returning the contagious grin,
Nicola
stood staring at the pixie for several moments. Then she noticed the baggage in his hand.
"
You
'
re leaving?"
"
Yes
. Whe
n the couple is safely in love
is our cue to go.
"
"
Where is
Glissando
?
"
"
He
'
s coming.
"
The air suddenly sizzled and popped with a glittering green to produce
Glissando
.
"
Good
b
ye
, lass.
"
He wasn't smiling. In fact, his narrow forehead
wore a deep crease.
Seeming distracted, the pixie glanced out the window up at the sky.
"
What
'
s wrong?
"
"
Nothing.
"
Allegro flew in front of
Glissando
.
"
Right,
Glissando
?
"
After a slight pause
,
Glissando
nodded.
Allegro shrugged.
"
Unless it
'
s that he
'
ll miss you.
"
"
Quite right, lass,
"
Glissando
replied.
"
I will miss
you
.
"
A rush of affection swept her.
"
And I will you, also.
"
"
We
'
ve got to go now,
"
Allegro said, flying toward the door.
"
So long!
"
Glissando
hesitated
and looked around, his eyes narrowed in suspicion
.
He chewed on his lower lip.
"
I want to
stay
.
"
Allegro zipped toward him in a flash of
yellow
.
"
You can
'
t. We
'
ve got another job waiting. Maestro says we
'
re through here.
"
"
But I say we
'
re not.
"
"
Glissando
...
"
He glanced at Allegro and seemed to wilt.
"
Oh, all right,
"
he said with a sigh. Luggage in one hand,
Glissando
waved with his other.
"
Farewell
,
Nicola
.
"
She studied
Glissando
. He
looked the same with his wiry figure and kinky green hair
.
Ye
t something was different.
"
Will you be all right, my dear friend?
"
His e
ye
s glittered suspiciously before he blinked.
"
I
'
ll be fine.
"
Throwing her a wan smile, he followed Allegro. They both disappeared in a flash of colored sparkles.
Nicola
looked after them for a long time. In the hush of the lengthening shadows, a dark, sin
ister sensation stole over her. Her heart iced over as a dark evil hovered nearby.
She frowned, wondering why she felt so cold and alone.
Glissando
'
s depression must be catching, she decided. She would miss them. That was all. So why did a dark phantom seem to steal over her soul?
The door banged open.
"
He
'
s deporting me,
Nicola
!
"
Ramsey
yelled
.
"
You can
'
t let him do it.
"
"
What?
"
she asked as she watched
Malcolm
stride into the shop, his mouth set in a grim line.
Malcolm
halted next to her cousin.
"
I
'
m not deporting him.
I
'
m sending him on tour with your Mr. Hamilton.
Gaspar will accompany them.
"
When
Malcolm
stepped aside, she realized the tutor stood behind him.
Ramsey jutted his chin.
"
I
'
m not going.
"
"
Yes
, you are,
"
Malcolm
said, the muscle in his jaw hard as granite.
Gaspar stood like the Pavilion behind Ramsey.
Her cousin
'
s chin jutted out even farther.
"
I won
'
t.
"
Nicola
wiped her hands on a drying cloth as she contemplated Ramsey, trying to understand the situation.
"
Why are you being so stubborn? There
'
s no reason for you to stay. Your education is important, especially now that you
'
ve decided to pursue a seat in the House of Commons.
"
"
The Luddites need me.
"
He threw
Malcolm
a look of disgust.
Malcolm
didn
'
t blink.
Nicola
set her scarf aside and considered Ramsey
'
s flushed cheeks. What was wrong?
"
I thought you would forgo that route of destruction.
Malcolm
, didn
'
t you tell him of your change in heart?
"
she asked, turning toward him.
"
What change?"
Malcolm
asked.
Something was definitely wrong.
"
Why, the fact that you plan to introduce his bill.
"
The stillness of his expression scared her. But there was something more, something that sent a frisson of fear to curl in her stomach: the absence of the warmth and love in his
eyes
she
'
d begun to cherish over the last few days. Could she have mistaken those times of intimacy? She had given him her whole heart and soul. What if he
couldn
'
t
love her in return? The thought made her whole being crumble like cold ash. Holding the panic at bay, she gave him a steady look.
"
Can I have a word with you alone?
"