“For one thing, there is a pesky war being waged throughout Europe, if you will recall, my love,” he drawled, “and while the winter months always put a damper on the generals’ enthusiasm for battle, if my sources are not mistaken, the foolish Archduke Charles is planning a futile uprising in Austria, which of course will spark all sorts of nasty retaliations. We can only hope that Vienna is not damaged by their stupidity.”
She shrugged. “The Continent is not the only place beyond England. We could visit India or the Americas or—”
“Juliet, you are well aware that I dislike the colonies,” Justin interrupted, a hint of impatience entering his voice. “The society is tedious, the entertainments are rustic, and the natives little better than savages. Besides, my negotiations with the fey are not going as well as I would desire.”
Her heart sank.
For all of Justin’s magic, he was still human, and it was only with a potent mixture of rare herbs that he managed to hold back his mortality.
Herbs that could only be grown with fey magic.
Which meant that Justin would not dare to leave London until he was certain he had enough of the potion to last him for several weeks, if not months.
“What is wrong? You have never had trouble bartering for your potion before.”
Justin grimaced. “The fey are…unsettled.”
“That is hardly a shock. They are always flighty and unpredictable.”
“It is worse than usual. For the past three months I have sought to meet with Yiant, offering him a number of my finest possessions for the privilege, only to be told the Prince is not receiving.”
Juliet frowned in puzzlement. As she had said, the wood sprites were flighty creatures, but they were also cursed with an insatiable craving for magic. Nothing less than the threat of impending death would prevent a wood sprite from collecting a magical object.
“Did you offend him?”
“I would never be that foolish.” Justin’s jaw knotted with tension. “No. The Prince is either attempting to unnerve me in the hopes of increasing the price of his goods, or he has gone into hiding.”
“Why would a fairy go into hiding?”
“A good question.”
A silence descended as they both considered the varied, and assuredly unpleasant, possibilities.
“So what do you intend to do?” she asked.
“Make him an offer so tempting that he cannot resist meeting with me.” Justin shot her a searching gaze. “Speaking of which, have you managed to have a peek at Lord Treadwell’s new collection, my dear?”
She waved a dismissive hand. It had taken less than a quarter hour to search through the Grecian collection that was currently being displayed in Lord Treadwell’s Picture Gallery.
Not only were the badly chipped statues and pieces of pottery lacking any hint of magic, but she suspected they were outright frauds, without the least amount of historical or artistic value.
“Rubbish.”
Justin cast a jaundiced glance toward the looming mansion. “Not entirely unexpected, but still a pity. Perhaps we shall have greater luck at the Stonevilles’ soiree.”
“Did Lord Stoneville purchase new artifacts?”
“No, but the rumor at the gentlemen’s club is that he’s recently taken on a young and very beautiful mistress.”
She frowned in confusion. “What interest could we possibly have in his mistress?”
A knowing smile curved Justin’s mouth. “The old goat must be eighty if he’s a day. If he is managing to keep up with a female a quarter of his age, then he must have some magical trinket to—”
“Yes, I comprehend your meaning,” Juliet interrupted, shuddering at the unfortunate image.
Far less squeamish, Justin held out his arm. “Shall we?”
Chapter Two