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"I realize," Edward said, steepling his hands in a contemplative motion, "that you are in an extremely delicate position But if you truly wish for me to remember the events of the last few months, you will need to help me recall them" He leaned forward "We are on the same side"

"I have never doubted your loyalty," the colonel said

Edward nodded graciously

"But nor can I feed you the infor you knohat Edas doing?" Cecilia cut in

"Cecilia," Edward said, his voice a soft warning

Which she ignored "If you knohat he was doing, you must tell him," she insisted "It’s cruel of you not to It could help hiain, this ti Edward’s warning, she locked eyes with Colonel Stubbs and said, "Surely if you want him to remember what happened in Connecticut, you will tell hi you know"

The colonel ood, Mrs Rokesby, but have you considered that anything I say could influence your husband’s recollections? I cannot afford to color his memories with information of my own that ht left Cecilia as she realized the colonel had a point But still, wasn’t Edward’s peace of ?

Stern lines forize for ize for myself I am sorry It is difficult for me to see the situation froet well," Colonel Stubbs said with surprising gentleness

"I do," she said fervently "Even--"

Her heart stopped Even if itin a house of cards, and the ained his hed at the bitter irony of it She’d been arguing nonstop with the colonel, fighting for the one thing that would break her heart

But she couldn’t help it She wanted hi More than--

Her heart stopped More than finding Thomas?

No That could not be Maybe she was just as bad as Colonel Stubbs, withholding facts that could help Edward get his memory back But Thomas was her brother Edould understand

Or so she kept telling herself

"Cecilia?"

She heard Edward’s voice, co?" He took her hand, then started to rub it "Are you all right? Your hands are like ice"

Slowly she ca as she took in Edward’s worried face

"You sounded like you were choking," he said

She looked at the colonel, as also regarding her orry "I’ sound must have been a sob "I don’t knohat caht," Colonel Stubbs said, much to Cecilia’s--and by the looks of it, Edward’s--surprise "You are his wife It is as God intended that you should put his welfare above all else"

Cecilia allowed a moment to pass, then asked, "Are you married, Colonel Stubbs?"

"I was," he said simply, and it was easy to know from his expression what he meant

"I’m sorry," she murmured

The normally stoic colonel sed, and his eyes flashed with pain "It was o," he said, "but I think of her every day"

Impulsively, Cecilia reached out and covered his hand with hers "I’ave a jerky nod, then ained his composure Cecilia took her hand away; their er would have been aard

"I ," Colonel Stubbs said He looked at Edward "I hope you know that I do pray for the return of your memory And not only because you may possess information that could be crucial to our cause I do not knohat it is like to be ine it sits ithin one’s soul"

Edward acknowledged this with a nod, and then they both stood

"For what it’s worth, Captain Rokesby," the colonel continued, "you were sent to Connecticut to gather inforether "My cartographical skills are unre for h that would certainly be useful"