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Mrs Tryon finished with her second glove, and let out a little sound--not really a sigh, -the-subject sort of noise "But alas," she said, "it is not to be"

Cecilia waited for an i moment, but Mrs Tryon did not say more Finally, Cecilia forced herself to ask, "Was there anything in particular I ht help you with?"

"No"

More silence Mrs Tryon, she realized, wielded it like a weapon

"I" Ceciliaabout this woman that left her utterly inept "I have errands," she finally said

"As do I" Mrs Tryon’s words were crisp, and so were her motions when she rose to her feet

Cecilia followed her to the door, but before she could bid her farewell, Mrs Tryon said, "Cecilia--I may call you Cecilia, may I not?"

Cecilia squinted as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight "Of course"

"Since fate has brought us together this afternoon, I feel it odmother to impart some advice"

Their eyes iven

"I would never want to," Cecilia said It was the truth

"No, I don’t suppose you would But you must always remember that he was once destined for someone else"

It was a cruel statement, but it was not cruelly meant Cecilia wasn’t sure why she was so certain of this Perhaps it was the thin veil ofination

It was a re

It was s at the British Army headquarters Governor Tryon hi of Edward’s time in Connecticut, and the written account he’d submitted just one day prior for Colonel Stubbs had not been deeovernor and told hi he’d already said three times before He supposed there was some usefulness to it, since Tryon hoped to lead a series of raids on the Connecticut coast in just a few short weeks

The big surprise, however, occurred right when Edas leaving Colonel Stubbs intercepted hiood paper, folded into an envelope, and sealed ax

"It’s froruffly "He left it with me in case he did not return"

Edward stared down at the envelope "For me?" he asked du to his father, but he said no It doesn’t matter, anyway, I suppose, since the father predeceased the son" Stubbs let out a tired, frowning sigh, and one of his hands came up to scratch his head "Actually, I don’t knohich of them passed on first, but it hardlydown at his nahtly untidy script Men wrote such letters all the time, but usually for their families

"If you want some privacy to read it, you can use the office across the hall," Stubbs offered "Greene is out for the day, and so is Montby, so you should not be bothered"

"Thank you," Edward said reflexively He did want privacy to read his friend’s letter It was not every day one received ht react

Stubbs escorted hi so far as to open theto alleviate the heavy, stuffy air He said so as he departed and shut the door, but Edward didn’t notice He just stared down at the envelope, taking a deep breath before finally sliding his fingers underneath the wax seal to open it

Dear Edward,

If you are reading this, I ae, really, to write these words I have never believed in ghosts, but right now the notion is a comfort I think I should like to come back and haunt you You deserve it after that episode in Rhode Island with Herr Fars

Edward s day, and their quest for an os fro at theedy--they hadn’t had a --but Edward couldn’t rehed so hard It had taken Thoet the yolk out of his coat, and Edward had been picking bits of shell froht