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"Sometimes he has sweets in his pocket, and he lets me have them," the child confided "And once he had soirls don’t play with soldiers, and Uncle Sigh said then it was a good thing I’lanced at herbecause he knows I’irl"

"I see" Lucy ss like that that h over hiain Her h over Uncle Sigh?"

"Theodora!"

"What, Mama?"

"Here we are," Lucy interjected

The carriage had stopped in thelane, unable to reach the side of the street because of the crush of carriages, dray carts, hawkers, men on horses, and pedestrians The first time Lucy had witnessed a scene such as this, her breath had been quite taken away SoThe cart drayers shouting abuses at pedestrians in their path, the hawkers crying their wares, liveried foot nearly under the hoofs of the horses She’d not kno to take it all in; her senses were overwhelmed Now, nearly a week later, she’d become a trifle more used to the city, but even so, she found the constant bustle invigorating to her ears and eyes every time Perhaps she alould Could a person ever find London boring?

One of the foot the ladies to alight Lucy held her skirts well off the ground as theyfootman walked ahead, both protection and future parcel-bearer The carriage pulled away behind them The coachman would have to find a place to stop farther on or circle back

"This is quite a nice millinery shop," Rosalind said as they entered the establishs they have here"

Lucy blinked and looked at the floor-to-ceiling shelves of multicolored lace, braid, hats, and trim She tried not to appear as overwhelle shop in Maiden Hill that had but one shelf of triowns, the variety of color almost made her eyes hurt

"Can I have this, Mailt braid and started to wrap it around herself

"No, dear, although perhaps it would be right for Aunt Lucy?"

Lucy bit her lip She couldn’t really see herself in gilt "Maybe that lace" She pointed

Rosalind’s eyes narrowed at the pretty Belgian lace "Yes, I think so It will go nicely on that rose print sack goe ordered this "

Thirty lad that she had Rosalind as a guide The other woht look delicate, but she knew her fashions and she bargained like a seasoned housekeeper They found the carriage waiting in the road, an angry cart driver shouting at the coachet past The ladies hurried into the carriage

"My" Rosalind patted her face with a lace handkerchief She looked at her daughter, lying on the seat in childish exhaustion "Perhaps we should go back to the house for some tea and refreshreement She curled up on the seat and was soon asleep, despite the jolting of the carriage and the noise froirl must be used to the city and its ways

"You aren’t what I expected when Simon said he was to be married," Rosalind said softly

Lucy raised her brows in question

Rosalind bit her bottom lip "I don’t mean to insult you"

"I’m not"

"It’s just that Simon has always kept company with a certain type of lady" Rosalind wrinkled her nose "Not always respectable but usually very sophisticated"

"And I’m from the country," Lucy said ruefully

"Yes" Rosalind smiled "I was surprised, but nicely, at his choice"

"Thank you"

The carriage stopped There appeared to be sory male shouts rose outside

"Sometimes I think it would be easier to walk," Rosalind murmured

"Certainly faster" Lucy s to the commotion Pocket snored softly, unperturbed

"Actually" The other woman hesitated "I shouldn’t tell you this, but when I first met them--Ethan and Simon--it was Simon I was attracted to at first"

"Really?" Lucy kept her features neutral What was Rosalind trying to tell her?

"Yes He had that darkness about him, even before Ethan’s death, that I thinkAnd the way he talks, his wit It can be quite captivating at tih Ethan was the more handsome brother"

"What happened?" Had Simon been equally enthralled by this delicate woazed out the"He scared ht her breath "How?"