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Edalked to the bed and sat down on the edge, offering his silent support

"I thinkI think it was desperation" She tipped her face toward his, and he kneould be forever haunted by the look in her eyes It was not sorrow, nor was it fear It was sonation, as if she’d looked within herself and found so hollow "I felt very alone," she admitted "And scared I don’t know if"

She did not finish her sentence right away Edward held still, allowing his silence to be his encouragement

"I don’t know if I would have come if I had not felt so alone," she finally finished "I’d like to think that I was thinking only of Thomas, and how much he needed my help, but I wonder if I needed to leave even more"

"There is no shame in that"

She looked up "Isn’t there?"

"No," he said fervently, taking hold of both her hands "You are brave, and you have a true and beautiful heart There is no sha fears and worries"

But her eyes would not meet his

"And you are not alone," he vowed "I promise You will never be alone"

He waited for her to say soe the depth of his state to regain her coular tenor, and she delicately pulled one of her hands fro to her lashes

Then she said, "I would like to get dressed"

It was clearly a request for hi of disappointave a little nod and ratitude as he stood and walked to the door

"Edward," she called out

He turned, a ridiculous flare of hope rising within him

"Your boots," she reed feet He gave a curt nod--not that that would carabbed his boots before heading out into the hall

He could put on the das on the stairs

Chapter 10

An uneventful life sounds marvelous just now Our date of departure loo Did you know that it will take at least five weeks to reach North A home--the winds blow predo This is siven an anticipated date of return

Edward bids me to say hello and not to tell you that he is a miserable sailor

--from Thomas Harcourt to his sister Cecilia

By the ti roo his boots

"Oh, do not rise," she said, when he pushed his chair back to stand "Please"

He went still for the barest of ave a nod It cost hientleht to conserve his energy wherever possible

And she had a duty to ht not realize that she owed it, but she did She was taking advantage of his good nature and his good naood health

She sat across fro more than he had the day before She was convinced that his lingering weakness was due less to his head injury than it was to his not having eaten for a week

Goal for today: Make sure that Edward ate properly

Certainly easier than the previous day’s goal, which was to stop lying soyour h to know his e rush, without even having put on his boots Granted, she’d told hiet dressed--which she supposed implied that she hoped for privacy--but surely that had not been an unreasonable request