In some remote corner of her mind she heard Wildwood speaking again. "I don't believe that we have had the pleasure of meeting before, my lady. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Keaton of Wildwood, and this is my assistant, Sir Thomas of Harding."

Theresa took in a silent, shallow breath.

"I am Lady Francine, Dowager Baroness of Rytham, and this is the head of the Waldwick guard, Sir Portman."

"Pleased to meet you," Wildwood said. She heard them walk across the room and sit down in the chair directly in front of her.

Theresa felt waves of helpless terror. Would Francine hold her until Wildwood left the room and then secret her away?

"Is there something that we can help you with, my lady?" he asked.

My tale is a sad one," Francine began. "My nieces' and my lives have been of loss. My dear elder brother and his wife died young, leaving my nieces, Theresa and Daphne as orphans. My beloved husband died young of consumption and my parents are gone, so I was forced raised my two nieces alone."

She paused briefly as if gathering herself.

"My girls were doing well, I thought, at least until my dear Theresa disappeared. She had the most startling blue eyes with a hint of purple and black hair. Have you seen or heard anything of her?"

Theresa's heart was in her throat. Would Wildwood give her away now? Did it even matter since Francine knew that she was there?

She still wanted him to deny it. Somehow she would escape again and if he were true she would know where to find help this time.

"I'm afraid not," said Wildwood. He sounded genuinely disappointed that he could not assist.

His acting was good. He seemed just as genuinely concerned as he did about Theresa's problems.

"At first we hushed up her disappearance, certain that she would return, in order to avoid scandal to her name, but she's been gone too long now. Are you quite certain that you have heard nothing? Your reputation says that you are most resourceful," Francine asked. Her voice was rife with the pretence of deep emotional pain.

If Theresa did not know better, she might almost have believed the woman. Her heart pounded all the harder.

Thomas spoke, "I am sorry, Lady Francine. It must be terribly difficult for you." He sounded completely sincere and just as deceptively convincing as Wildwood's words had, but her situation was so dire she could not even summon her typical irritation that he might easily play with her sister's heart. Theresa's form remained as stiff as a statue.

"It has been. I fear the worst. Then there was poor Daphne, my younger niece, devastated at the loss of her sister. She cried every day and then she just went silent. Until one day she found a strange cat and claimed that it was her sister. It had eyes similar to Theresa's, so perhaps that was why she would believe such a strange thing. I told her it was surely not possible."

"Very strange," agreed Wildwood.

Francine sighed, as if her soul was greatly burdened by what had happened.

Theresa knew her aunt's act for the sham that it was and her anger at her aunt eroded some of the fear that was gripping her from the magical prison of her stiff form.

It did not matter if she was trapped; she would find a chance to escape again. She was not going to let Francine control her no matter the sweet lies of the older woman. She would fight every day if she had to.

"Poor Daphne was acting strangely; I began to fear for her sanity. I had her locked up in her rooms for her own safety, of course. The cat stayed with her because she became distressed when they were parted. I summoned the best doctors to see to her."

"What did the doctors say?" Wildwood asked with every appearance of sympathetic interest.

"That she was indeed going mad." Francine sniffed again. Theresa imagined that she was discretely wiping tears from her eyes, the wretched fraud.

"She came to believe that I was imprisoning her for terrible reasons and that it was I who had changed Theresa into a cat!"

As angry as Theresa was, she could hear that her aunt's acting was excellent. She would convince almost anyone, possibly including Wildwood and most certainly the king who was rumored not to be the most intelligent of individuals.

Theresa was hit by the fact if she did not already know the truth, Theresa would want to believe her aunt. A cold shiver ran down her spine.

"Well, you were able to detect that Lord Wildwood had repaired this vase with magic," Thomas pointed out logically. "You must have some magical talent."

Theresa could not help but feel a bit pleased with Thomas.

Then he sneezed. Theresa wished she could grit her teeth.

Francine laughed shakily. "There is a world of difference between sensing that someone repaired a vase with magic and being able to succeed at a complex spell. I dabbled in magic when I was younger, just enough that I well understand what is beyond my reach."

Theresa involuntarily shivered.

Francine collected herself. "But that is not why I am here. My little Daphne believed that I was trying to harm her and the cat. I have spent my life caring for my girls, and she suspected me so much that she ran away!"

Theresa imagined her fraudulent aunt wiping fake tears from her eyes. Theresa tried to grit her teeth, but found that even her mouth was immobilized. Her chest moved rhythmically in silent gasps.

"Don't cry, Lady Francine," Thomas said. "Surely, you will find her."

"Thank you, Sir Thomas." There was a pause and a delicate sniffle. "Have you heard any word of a girl like Daphne? She has dark brown hair, almost black, blue eyes and a terribly sweet face. She had that black cat with her when she ran away. Please help me find her. I just want her safe."

Safely back in her clutches.

Wildwood spoke slowly. "I'm afraid that I have not heard of either lady. However I can offer you accommodations for the night, if that would help."

Theresa thought in horror of her aunt being there the entire night. Francine would have ample opportunity to trap Daphne as well in the underpopulated castle and secret them back to Waldwick.

Surely Francine had the ability to hide traces of Wildwood's magic as he had with hers.

Francine spoke heavily, "I really cannot impose." Theresa was surprised. What was her aunt thinking?

"It's no imposition," Wildwood urged politely.

"If there is no news of my nieces here, then we really must be going. There are many miles between here and the capital. I hope, if either of them have been abducted, they might be taken there, or to at least find news of their whereabouts. I cannot give up hope."

"Then I wish a safe journey to you and luck at finding your nieces, Lady Francine," Wildwood said.

Thomas sneezed again. Theresa wished irritatedly that he would stop before he gave her away, but the she remembered it was already too late.

Her disconnected mind was a mess.

"Are you quite alright?" Francine asked, her voice heavy with concern.

Thomas answered quickly. "My apologies, there's no need to worry, Lady Francine. I have but a cold, it will pass."

"Well, either way, I wish you good health, Sir Thomas."

"And safe journeys to you, my lady."

"Thank you. Let's be off then, Sir Portman."

"Yes, my lady."

Theresa heard four sets of human footsteps leave the room. The door shut and she was quite alone.

Alone and paralyzed.

Theresa lay behind the green chaise, frozen for what felt like hours.

Had Francine cast this spell on her and left her to starve? It made no sense, because she surely wanted them alive.

She and Daphne were worth little to Francine dead.

Then again, if Theresa died the entire fortune would simply pass to Daphne. Perhaps Francine had decided she was more trouble than she was worth and intended to leave her here to starve.

Or perhaps Francine would send back Portman to steal Theresa during the night.

Or could this be some bizarre magical side effect of the layers of spells on her?

Would Theresa now spend her life paralyzed? Life as a cat would be preferable to that.

She could feel the panic which had briefly ebbed rush back through her immobilized body.

Whatever had caused her state, it was a horrible.

Without the overheard conversation and her anger to capture her focus, Theresa's terror only grew.

Her cat half was panicking. If she had been able she would have yowled and streaked out of the green sitting room. The inclination was not at all helping her state of mind.

She needed to remain calm. Surely Wildwood would find her and save her; surely he could fix it. He was on their side, right?

He had sounded just as sincere when he talked to Francine as he did when he talked to her. Still, he had not given them away. Was he hiding some other motive?

Her mind continued in pointless frantic circles. Perhaps she had been better off under Francine's control. She had not had freedom, but her life had been relatively safe and leisurely. Anything was better than this horrible spell.

Time passed. It felt like forever but in other circumstances Theresa would have recognized it was not actually very long.

If she could only make a sound, they might find where she was.

Finally, the door opened, then closed and Theresa felt the unpleasant weighted spell move off of her body. She leapt to her feet and let out an unearthly yowl she could not restrain inside.

"Come out, Lady Theresa," she heard Wildwood order.

She did not even think about disobeying him, though she had the sudden overwhelming desire to stay hidden exactly where she was.

He sounded stiff and angry.

Theresa crept out from behind the chaise. She spotted a vase in pieces on and end table and the floor. Wildwood standing by the door. He looked as furious as he had sounded.

"What did you think that you were doing?" he asked. His voice was only slightly above his normal level, but to Theresa it sounded like a shout. She could see that his body was tight with tension.

Theresa dropped her eyes. She felt like a complete fool.

She wished that she could apologize properly, but it was not as if she was able to answer. She hung her head.

It was usually Daphne who asked unanswerable questions of her, but she deserved this one.

"Do you really have any idea of how foolish that was? What were you thinking? Did you think that you could somehow help the situation?" he asked, his voice still even in tone.

She shrugged her shoulders, but still did not meet his eyes. It did not make her feel better.

"I understand that it is probably difficult to extend trust after the difficulties that you and Lady Daphne have endured, my lady, but you came to me for help. And I am trying to assist you. In the meantime I have given you free run of my home and my protection."

Theresa waited as if she were still paralyzed.

"How have you repaid me? By deliberately doing the opposite of the single order I gave you."

Theresa still felt guilty over her foolishness, but she would have retorted if she had been able to.

Wrong or not, she was not his servant and was free to do as she wished. She met his eyes and glared.

"Your careless and irresponsible behavior put Lady Daphne and yourself in danger. Lady Francine very nearly noticed you. If I had been but a moment later she might have."

He raked a hand through his hair and inhaled slowly, as if trying to calm himself before continuing.

"Proximity does not make hiding the magic trace on you easier, my lady. And perhaps are not concerned with your own safety, but do you not care that had you been caught, your sister would also have been revealed?" he asked coldly.

Of course she cared, she thought as she narrowed her eyes. So this was all about Daphne, was it? Maybe he thought if he helped Daphne's sister, the pretty noblewoman would show him more favor.

He continued, "Worse, you put the people under my protection at risk. My entire staff, Sir Thomas, possibly the Wizard Jim. What if she had discovered you? Do you imagine that a battle between wizards in the heart of my lands would be a good thing?"

Theresa swallowed, but kept her cat eyes locked on his human gaze.

"Do you think that all of Wildwood needs to be involved in situations such an event would cause? The situation in this country is tense enough without more drama. Think about your actions in the future, Lady Theresa."

About a million different things Theresa wanted to say flew through her mind. She wanted to defend her actions; she wanted to deny everything; she wanted to apologize for being so foolish and beg him to forgive her.

Of course she could not; she could not even speak the words to stop Wildwood when he swivelled and left the room.

He left the door open behind him.

Even the cat inside her felt miserable without knowing why.