“No one minds,” he assured her.

“I mind.”

“I've already allowed you to reduce your dose by half.”

“And it still leaves me half out of my mind. I can bear a little pain, Charles. I'm no weakling.”

“Ellie, you don't have to be a martyr.”

“I don't want to be a martyr. I just want to be myself.”

He looked doubtful, but he put the bottle back on the bedside table. “If your hands start to hurt…”

“I know, I know. I—” Ellie breathed a sign of relief as someone knocked at the door, effectively ending the conversation. Charles still looked as if he might change his mind and pour the laudanum down her throat at the slightest provocation. “Come in!” she called out.

Judith bounded in, her dark blond hair pulled away from her face. “Good day, Ellie,” she chirped.

“Good day, Judith. It's fine to see you.”

The young girl nodded regally and climbed up on the bed.

“Don't I rate a greeting?” Charles asked.

“Yes, yes, of course,” Judith replied. “Good day to you, Charles, but you will have to leave.”

Ellie choked down a laugh.

“And why is that?” he demanded.

“I have extremely important matters to discuss with Ellie. Private matters.”

“Is that so?”

Judith raised her brows in a supercilious expression that somehow fit her little six-year-old face perfectly. “Indeed. Although I suppose you may remain while I give Ellie her present.”

“How very generous of you,” Charles said.

“A present! How thoughtful!” Ellie said at the exact same time.

“I painted you a picture.” Judith held up a small watercolor.

“It's beautiful, Judith,” Ellie exclaimed, regarding the blue, green, and red slashes. “It's lovely. It's…it's…”

“It's the meadow,” Judith said.

Ellie breathed a huge sigh of relief that she didn't have to hazard a guess.

“See?” the little girl continued. “This is the grass, and this is the sky. And these are the apples on the apple tree.”

“Where is the tree trunk?” Charles inquired.

Judith scowled at him. “I ran out of brown.”

“Would you like me to order you some more?”

“I would like that above all else.”

Charles smiled. “I wish all women were as easy to please.”

“We're not so unreasonable,” Ellie felt compelled to say as a general defense of her gender.

Judith planted her hands on her hips, clearly irritated that she didn't understand what the adults were talking about. “You shall have to leave now, Charles. As I said, I need to speak with Ellie. It's very important.”

“Is it?” he asked. “Too important for me? The earl? The one who is supposedly in charge of this pile of stones?”

“The key word there would be ‘supposedly,’” Ellie said with a smile. “I suspect it is Judith who really runs the household.”

“You are no doubt correct,” he said wryly.

“We shall need at least half an hour, I should think,” said Judith. “Perhaps longer. Either way, you should be sure to knock before you reenter. I shouldn't want you to interrupt us.”