LONG SHADOW
INTRODUCTION
Miss Abigail Wilder was not supposed to use her magic in front of the tea ladies. Never use your magic in front of the ton, her
father had told her. Once you do, they’ll never let you rest – you’ll be doing
useless magic tricks until you’re old and grey.
Eighteen-year-old Abigail greatly suspected that the tea ladies were exactly the sort of nobility her father had warned her about. Once every month, the tea ladies met in her Aunt Vanessa’s sitting room for tea.
Ostensibly, the ladies were there at Aunt Vanessa’s invitation in order to
discuss the charity she intended to set up – but in practice, they rarely did
much other than take their tea and gossip about the rest of the beau monde.
Often, in fact, their conversations turned to the subject of Abigail’s father, Lord Elias Wilder – England’s court magician, sometimes known as the Lord Sorcier. “Won’t you tell us at least a little bit of what your husband is up to, my Lady Sorcière?” Lady Mulgrew asked. She was a thin, pinched-looking woman with a high, reedy voice – Abigail sometimes thought she looked a bit like a horse.
Lady Mulgrew had been a tea lady for months now, ever since Aunt Vanessa had started their meetings. As one of the few ladies who had donated any real money so far, Lady Mulgrew carried herself with a
a certain air of importance, enjoying Vanessa’s increased attentions.