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Elijah snatched up the case of drawings and departed. When he’d traveled halfway to Flint Hall and had to stop to rest his weary horse, it occurred to him to wonder what was in the case.
Some of his mother’s drawings? She was quite talented… and yet, the package was for his lordship. A gentleman did not open another gentleman’s mail.
Though Elijah’s drawing of Je
He appropriated the snug at a familiar posting i
“So you’re really going?” Louisa kept the question light, because Je
“Aunt Arabella has agreed, so yes.” Je
“And how long will you be gone?”
“I don’t know.” The boots went into a trunk, placed gently, like an infant’s baptismal gown might have been stowed away. “Have you seen my—?” Je
From her seat at Je
“Elijah’s Christmas present to me. He left it on my pillow before he came downstairs on Christmas Eve. The embroidery is his mother’s, and it’s exquisite.”
Embroidery, no matter how beautiful, was tedious as the devil, and Je
Je
Or maybe Bedlam. Louisa shoved to her feet and snatched the bag from the trunk. “You haven’t even opened your Christmas present, and yet you won’t leave the country without it. You, Sister, are in a state.”
Je
This Je
Eve’s brilliant ploy with Deene’s supposed Christmas gift had not worked, or not worked well enough, and Their Graces were watching these travel preparations with worry in their eyes.
Worry for Je
Louisa opened the bag and peered inside. “These are not sketches.”
“They’re not?”
Before Je
“He spent a year in St. Petersburg. Let me see those.”
Louisa handed over one, the first one in French, and watched while Je
“Oh, that dear, dratted, man. That dear, dear…”
Rather than listen to Je
“There are ruins on Sicily. Greek, Roman, Norman… Beautiful ruins.”
What that had to do with anything mattered little compared to the ruins Louisa beheld in her sister’s eyes. “Was he trying to send you away?”
Je
“Why in blazes not?” Blazes was not quite profanity. When a woman became responsible for small children, her vocabulary learned all ma
“Because he’ll never get into the Academy if he’s seen promoting the career of a woman in the arts. The Academy has been his goal and his dream for years, and he’s given up years of time among his family to pursue it. There’s unfortunate history between one of the committee members and Elijah’s mother, and it will obstruct Elijah’s path if he’s seen to further my artistic interests. I would not jeopardize Elijah’s happiness for anything.”
Elijah. Not Bernward, not his lordship, and certainly not Mr. Harrison. Perhaps Eve’s pretty, empty box hadn’t been entirely in vain.
Louisa pronounced sentence as gently as she could. “You love him. You’re in love with him.”
A young girl, a girl who’d never known real heartache, would have beamed hugely at this pronouncement and fluffed her hair or twitched her skirts. Je
Being a Windham, this was a life sentence without hope of parole or pardon. “Does he love you?”
The smile dimmed, went from soft to uncertain. “Elijah is very kind. He cares for me, but he gave up everything to pursue his painting professionally—home, family, social co
Je
If Bernward returned Je
“I think you should read these,” Louisa said, passing the bag of letters over to Je
Also, how far away those doors were. Louisa led her sister to the escritoire then sent the footman in the hallway for tea and cakes. As much praise as Bernward had heaped on the talents of the woman whose aspirations he ought not support, it was going to take Je
The door banged open, but it was not one of the small Windham grandchildren charging into Je
“Your father has come up with a wonderful addition to your itinerary.” Her Grace sounded particularly pleased with His Grace. “You really must consider it, Je
Eighteen
Louisa’s expressions were not often hard to read, but Je