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No She leaned forward squinting That wasn’t a bell

He nodded at his handiwork and then turned around That hen he saw her His eyes widened slightly "Free"

"Edward" She looked at hiave her a small, tired smile "I’ve not slept yet Now shut your eyes, Free And Jeffreys--you can take yourself off Thank you for your help" Edward jerked his head, and the htly, bowed, and slipped away

"Shut my eyes?" Free didn’t comply She looked around instead "Why would I--" And then she stopped, her breath taken away Because there were others--an entire pail of these plants, ste at abreeze

She took a step forward

No, those really weren’t bells They were thimbles--he must have taken a handful from the seamstress’s room He’d made all these flowers from those

She could suddenly feel the pebbles beneath her slippers, hard, gritty little dots pressing into the soles of her feet

"Last night," he said, "after you fell asleep, I kept thinking Of all the things you said, of all the things I know you want You told me that everyone tempered their dreams over time--eventually"

"I did" What this had to do with a sheaf of iron bluebells, she didn’t know

"You told me you wanted to believe in , Free What I remembered most was that day in your office The day I fell completely, irrevocably, head over heels in love with you I was a co to drain the Thames with thimbles"

She smiled faintly "I re That you weren’t trying to drain the Thaarden, drop by drop You made me think, for the first tiainst all of this" He stretched his arms wide

Her throat felt scratchy

"So that’s what I was doing last night" His voice was low "You told arden of thimbles A proe won’t be almost what you wished for, that your dreams will not be tempered That I will not be the one who holds you back, but the arden when your ar between the ht I could make it up to you," he said "Drop by drop Thi these, I kneasn’t enough I couldn’t ask you to become another viscountess I’d be -up job, but there are a hundred women who could be viscountesses There’s only one of you"

She was feeling almost hazy Her knees felt weak But he was the one who took her hand "So I’ you, Free Don’t be my viscountess Don’t throw my parties Don’t run my estate Let me be your thimble carrier Be you, thesure that you never run out of water"

"How?" Her voice cracked "You have a seat in Parliament, an estate that needs care Your wife needs to make sure that…"

"No," he said softly

"I lect their duties"

He ca about being a complete and utter scoundrel is that I don’t have to accept everyone else’s reality I had this idea last night This strange, incomprehensible idea Why do we have to make decisions about the estate? I’ve spent the last seven years ofletters I know nothing of estate ement"