Free Dark Mirror 2 - Dark Passage by M.J. Putney Page A

arched. “That’s not saying much.”
    Too true. Voice starchy, she said, “I can’t accept an invitation from a man.”
    “The invitation is from my mother. I am but her emissary.” He gave her a warm, almost irresistible smile. “I guarantee that our dinner will be much better than what you had here. We’ll end with that splendid plum pudding you left in the Labyrinth.”
    She frowned. “Why were you in the Labyrinth when there were no classes?”
    “I like to check every few days to see if Nick Rainford has sent a message. His life is a lot more interesting than mine.” Jack looked a little envious. Leave it to a stupid boy to think it was “interesting” to be in the middle of a catastrophic war!
    Jack frowned. “I’m getting worried. There hasn’t been a message from Nick in over a fortnight. One can’t help but wonder…”
    Cynthia shuddered as she remembered the menacing roar of the heavy guns as the Nazis and Allies pounded away at each other. Lackland was right on the Straits of Dover and could easily be bombed from horrible airplanes or pounded by artillery. Her imagination produced a ghastly vision of a Nazi bomb smashing into the Rainford home. The whole family could be dead.
    She really liked the Rainfords, even though they were commoners. Mrs. Rainford and Polly had been very welcoming, and Nick was less annoying than Jack. “I’m sure he and his family are fine,” she said, trying to convince herself. “He’s probably just too busy to walk out to the abbey.”
    “Probably you’re right,” Jack said. “But if there’s no message from him in another fortnight, I may go through the mirror to find out if they’re all right.”
    Appalled, Cynthia asked, “Could you travel there without Tory’s help?”
    “Nick made it back here on his own. I think I could manage the return journey. Probably.” Dismissing the topic, he said, “Come along now. The goose is waiting.”
    “Why would I want a second Christmas dinner?” Except that she did. She’d been too miserable to eat much, and she’d finished Tory’s shortbread days ago.
    “Because the abbey is a flat bore over the holidays. Another day or two and you’ll be kicking the walls.” He grinned. “In a very ladylike way, of course. My mother thinks that since you provided the pudding, you should share in it.”
    “Lady Fairmount sent the pudding, and Tory left it for me when she got an unexpected invitation to her brother’s house. I couldn’t eat that great thing so I left it to the Labyrinth. I thought the Irregulars would share it after the holidays.”
    “Well, I took the pudding home. I promise that a Rainford Christmas dinner will be far more amusing than sulking here in a cold room.”
    “I’m not sulking!” Cynthia scowled, privately admitting that he was right. This was such a ghastly holiday that even joining a family of commoners sounded good. Jack’s younger sister, Rachel, was pleasant, and his mother seemed nice.
    A thought struck her. “Your mother is the best hearth witch around, isn’t she? Could she show me how to keep this room warm in spite of the suppression spell?”
    “She could probably teach you a few tricks,” Jack said. “Rachel is good, but she hasn’t anything like Mum’s experience.”
    “Very well, I’ll join you for dinner,” she said ungraciously.
    He beamed, and she realized he hadn’t been as confident about persuading her as he’d pretended. “Then grab a cloak and come along. It’s cold out there.”
    She gave a horrified thought to her appearance. She was wearing her plainest gown, and her hair fell in slatternly tangles around her shoulders. “I’m not going out to dinner even in a farmhouse dressed like this!” she exclaimed. “Go wait in the corridor until I change.”
    He rolled his eyes. “You look fine as you are. If you must change, do it quickly. I’m hungry.”
    “Out!” she ordered. “And no peeking!”
    Smiling, he ambled from the room while Cynthia