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prevented it all In all his life as a paentleman of leisure--Toby had never felt so utterly worthless

"I don’t even kno he died," his mother cried, her words inald offered her a fresh handkerchief, which she accepted blindly

"They say some kind of apoplexy, but the doctor won’t talk to ht of hiain

"It’s too horrible to contemplate"

"If it was apoplexy," Miss Osborne said quietly, "and it happened in his sleep … he likely suffered no pain"

"That’s kind of you to say, dear But if you’ll forgiveso, I would feel more assured if that came from his physician"

"She is a physician," Joss said

"What Captain GraysonJoss only the briefest of glances, "is that I’ve received a great deal ofa doctor’s daughter But what I tell you now, I learned as a child My irl--a severe one She survived, but the attack left her paralyzed and bedridden, unable to walk or speak Over the next year, she suffered"I always sat with her, you see, whileI would read aloud, work my lessons, spoon her tea and broth Her fits were difficult to even recognize at first It alh she were asleep, in thewent agitated, and her eyelids fluttered against her cheeks Afterward, she would be weakened and perhaps a bit scared, but not in pain Never in pain"

No one spoke Toby was certain it was because they were all thinking the saone quickly and not re shell What a tragedy that would have been--not just for Yorke to live through, but for his irl, forced to become caretaker to her own parent

…

No, no one had e asked weakly "You’re certain?"

"Yes," Miss Osborne answered, her voice groarm and soft "I was there with lad of it, for her sake And yours"

"Mother" A voice from the periphery pierced their bubble of silence "Mother, I’ with her a fresh reserve of wo wave of relief He gratefullyhis sister the seat beside their usta" The older wo eusta soothed her, with soft touches and soft words Mu some excuse, Miss Osborne bolted froinald and Jerest themselves

And Toby just stood there, alone

Hetta lurched froth fro to it with both hands, she bowed her head to her sleeve and wept Noisily She wished she could havedown, rather than dissolving in tears six feet fro her to pieces were a e in her ti-dead mother--but it wasn’t It was envy, mixed with fear Envy for anyone who knew the co affection Fear that she would live her whole life and grow into an old wo hands gripped her shoulders Every muscle in her body tensed

"Go away," she choked out, without lifting her head from her sleeve She didn’t need to look up She kneho it was

"No," came the predictably contrarian reply "No, you need to be held I’ht left in her, no more pride in the way A word, an embrace--whatever scrap of affection he offered her, she would gratefully accept The strong hands turned her away fro arms folded her into his chest

She burrowed her face into his coat and sobbed "Oh, Joss"

"Shhh It’s all right"

His hand went to her hair, stroking and soothing As no one had soothed her in a very long time, since before her h, and his whole body relaxed,a soft place for her She breathed deeply, too, inhaling the co scents of clean linen andwords as she wept, and Hetta tried desperately to steht hear thee … it was brave of you, Hetta I knoasn’t easy, but you gave her soht

"What an ass I’ve been," he said "I’ve treated you so ill Can you ever forgive iven"

"No, you were right," she said, wiping at her eyes She was only too glad to share the blauments Perhaps now they could be friends "I know I should bewith my patients, with their faesture with her hands, indicating her red, swollen eyes "But it’s difficult Just look at er under her chin and tilted her face to his Oh, how unfair that he should be so corace

"I a at you," he repeated, "and I can scarcely understand--how can this tiny, delicate woe?" His hand lifted to her cheek, brushing away a tear "All this, and such lovely eyes"

No Surely he wouldn’t be so cruel as to tease her again

His hand caught her chin "No, don’t dare look away now Do you kno those eyes have haunted me?"

Hetta shook her head, suddenly afraid to blink