A strange feeling grew in Lucien’s chest, something vaguely recognizable, something he had long ignored and buried to not feel, but he still shoved it away now, ignored it, as he always did.
“I think that magiccanbe real,” Elinor finally answered. “But it is not in puffs of bright light, like one might think.”
Lucien smiled, listening to how her societal tutoring entered her voice even with these children whose education far paled in comparison to what she must have had. He liked the fact that she might be speaking to them as such, so that they pick up the same speech patterns.
“Then, what is it like?”
Elinor gave a small smile, and Lucien was hooked for a moment longer than he liked, before she spoke again. “It is like … like a feeling in your chest. It burrows, and for a moment, it feels quite terrifying, but then it grows and grows, until you yourself feel as though you are about to streak through the night sky, just like the shooting stars I taught you all about.”
“I want to be a shooting star!” Toby cried out, giggling. “How do I feel the magic, then?”
“I think it is about …” Elinor mused, pausing. Lucien cocked his head, wondering what she was thinking about. “I think it is about finding something—or someone, even, when you are much older—that is so special, so different, to the world you know, and they change everything. Magic is when your world is turned on its head, and you feel as though you do not know what to do with it, yet, at the same time, it feelsright.It feels as though you have waited for it forever.”
Lucien was just as hooked as the children were, clinging to her every last, beautiful word.
“Forever sounds a long time to wait,” Angelica sighed. “Do I have to spend my waiting time with Toby?”
“Hey!” Toby complained. “What’s wrong with spending it with me? I thought we were friends! I brought you an extra slice of toast at breakfast yesterday.”
Angelica giggled, and Lucien couldn’t help the small smile he gave watching the children tease one another in such an innocent way.
As he crossed his arms over his chest, simply enjoying watching the scene without being part of it, he was spied by Billy.
He gave a loud, dramatic gasp. “Your Grace!”
Blast it,Lucien thought, immediately looking towards Elinor, whose eyes were already on him.
He gave her a small nod as he cocked his head. Pushing off the doorframe, Lucien entered the room at her gesture of invitation.
“I do not want to intrude,” he told her.
Her face flushed, and he was intrigued by that reaction. “You are not. You own this building; you are always welcome to enter whenever you please.”
“Own it, I may, but this is your domain, Lady Elinor. You say who enters.” He flashed her a grin and enjoyed how her blush deepened. She cleared her throat, busying herself with the lesson notes on her desk. “Good evening, children. Are you enjoying your lesson tonight?”
“We are!” Toby called out, ever the loudest. Lucien liked him. “We have been speaking about magic.”
“So I heard.” Lucien glanced back at Elinor, giving her a smirk to let her know he had indeed been eavesdropping.
Her eyes widened slightly, no doubt wondering justwhathe had heard.
“Have you experienced magic, Your Grace?” Angelica asked, her eyes big and fixed upon him.
Lucien paused. For a moment, he felt the thrill of his younger years, of that first, hard pound of his heart when he saw?—
No,he thought.That was not magic. That was … that was heartbreak waiting to happen.
He coughed. “No.” And then he softened his voice. “No, I do not believe I have. Yet.”
“Well, we have begun seeing some magic!” Billy told him. “The breakfast spread has magically expanded. There were so many more options the last few days.”
Lucien smiled, thinking of how he had ordered food to be delivered to Fielding House in abundance, making sure the supplier knew to not spare anything for the coin Lucien had given.
“Is that so?” he asked, laughing quietly. “That does very much sound like magic.”
“There was lots of fruit,” Toby cut in. “I liked the apples, and we did not even run out of food! Usually, we get a few bites and then the food is gone, but these days, there are always leftovers. I even snuck a pastry into my pocket.”
“Oh, Toby,” Elinor said, “you do not have to sneak anything away. The food is yours to enjoy whenever you please.” She looked at Lucien. “Is that right?”