And then there was Sir Lucius and her implausible future with him…Selena picked up her pace and drew in a breath. She could not dwell on that fact. It was the lot in life of women like Selena, who had lost their station. Hope died too.

She tapped three times on Lady Harrowden’s door, as was her habit, and stepped inside. Morgan glanced up, out of Lady Harrowden’s sight, and sent Selena a sympathetic smile. It was an unexpected relief to have an ally in that corner.

"Have you brought my correspondence?" Lady Harrowden asked Selena. Gone was the irritation from last night. It came as such a surprise that Selena almost dropped the platter. It was as if nothing had happened.

“Yes, my lady,” she said, stepping forward. “I have also seen Sir Lucius this morning, who has some news for you."

Lady Harrowden glanced up at Selena in between rifling through the letters that were handed to her. "And when will he come back to give me this news? Did he say?"

Suddenly the situation appeared awkward to Selena. She wondered if Sir Lucius had thought through the implications of asking her to relay the news to Lady Harrowden, rather than bringing it himself. It would look as if he were conferring some unusual favor on Selena, a mere companion.

"I believe he did not want to delay the news and feared not to come back early enough to give it to you, so he asked me to pass it on to you.”

Lady Harrowden opened one of the letters with a small knife, her movement an aggressive jerk of the hand. "He knows I rise at eleven o'clock. If he was impatient to give me the news, he should've waited until I was up to make his visit. Very well then. Let us have it."

It was not a very promising beginning, but at least Lady Harrowden did not seem to have any suspicion of what else Sir Lucius could have come to speak about.

"He said that the dower house is ready, and that any painting to be done may be accomplished while you are in residence. You may remove to it as soon as you wish, and he has offered to assist you in whatever you need.” She forced herself to meet the countess’s gaze. Would Lady Harrowden say she needed Selena’s help as well, thus prolonging her stay?

Lady Harrowden set the letter in her lap. “That is very good news. At least he has done me a useful turn. I had planned on having you begin your lessons with Rebecca today. If last night's ball taught me anything, it is that she is totally unfit to be presented in Society as early as this Season. With her fortune, she has the chance of making a good match. But if I present her now when she is just an ill-bred thing with no manners at all—even if she is lovely to look at—it will not reflect well on me and will waste my time.”