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But soon her optih, and she decided that perhaps he had been called away fro way up to Northuone at least a week

A week came and went, and frustration built up next to the despair in Miranda's heart She could not inquire as to his whereabouts- no one in the Bevelstoke family realized that the tere close- Miranda had always been considered Olivia's friend, not Turner's- and if she asked repeatedly where he was, it would look suspicious And it ithout saying that Miranda could have no logical reason to go to Turner's lodgings and inquire herself That would ruin her reputation corace was still a private matter

When another week passed, however, she decided that she couldn't bear to reer She fabricated an illness for her father and told the Bevelstokes that she had to return to Cumberland immediately to care for him They were all terribly concerned, and Miranda felt souilty when Lady Rudland insisted that she travel back in their coach with two outriders and a maid

But it had to be done She could not reer It hurt too much

A few days later, she was home Her father was perplexed He didn't know verywomen, but he'd been assured that they all wanted seasons in London But he didn't mind; Miranda was certainly never a bother Half the time he didn't even realize she was there So he patted her on the hand and returned to his precious manuscripts

As for Miranda, she almost convinced herself that she was happy to be back at horeen fields and clean air of the Lakes, the sedate pace of the village, the early-to-bed and early-to-rise attitude Well, perhaps not that- with no co to do, she slept in until noon and stayed up late every night, scribbling furiously in her journal

A letter arrived from Olivia only two days after Miranda did Miranda smiled as she opened it- trust Olivia to be so iht away Miranda's eyes flew over the letter for Turner's na it, but there was no mention of him Not quite sure if she was disappointed or relieved, she turned back to the beginning and began to read London was dull without her, Olivia wrote She hadn't realized how much she had enjoyed Miranda's wry observations of society until they were gone When was she co home? Was her father i ? (Thrice underlined, in typical Olivia fashion) Miranda read those sentences with a pang in her conscience Her father was downstairs in his study poring over his manuscripts without even the teeniest of sniffles

With a sigh, Miranda shoved her conscience over to the side and folded Olivia's letter, placing it in her desk drawer A lie wasn't always a sin, she decided Surely she was justified in whatever she had to do to get away from London, where all she could do was sit and wait and hope that Turner would stop by

Of course, all she did in the country was sit and think about hi she forced herself to count how many times his naust, the total was thirty-seven

Clearly, this trip to the country was not clearing her mind

Then, after a week and a half, Olivia arrived on a surprise visit

"Livvy, what are you doing here?" Miranda asked as she rushed into the parlor where her friend aiting "Is so?"

"Not at all," Olivia returned breezily "I've just come up to retrieve you You are desperately needed in London"