After that, I made certain to fill our time with idle chatter, drawing him out about his idea for a new play. Though he had outgrown asking us to act them out, he still wrote them. He wrote poetry, too, and yearned to study more languages. He had so little time for it now, though, working with his father.

“I have heard that Arabic has the most beautiful poetry known to man,” he said as we browsed a haberdashery. He idly stroked the ribbons streaming from a lady’s hat. This was the one topic that could make him sad. Though my situation was obviously worse, Henry was also a prisoner to other people’s expectations. His life had been mapped out for him from the day he was born: he would follow his father into business, expanding their family holdings.

I hated to see him sad. It felt like a too-tight collar, tugging at me. If I could fix Victor’s rages, I could fix Henry’s sadness.

And maybe I could fix my own situation, as well. “Henry. You must go to study with Victor.”

“I could never. My father sees no purpose in it.”

I pulled a hat off a shelf. It was stiff and well made, but the material covering it was velvety soft to the touch. I placed it on his head, stepping back to admire it. “You look like a poet.” I smiled. He reached up and tentatively stroked the hat. I forged ahead, with my quickly hardening idea. “You will convince your father that the Eastern languages are useful. Think of how much is left unbought, unsold, because we cannot adequately communicate with the merchants there! Why, a man with the connections of your father and the skills to speak clearly with the merchants of Arabia and China could build an empire!”

Henry took the hat, turning it in his hands. “I have never thought of it that way. I could learn the languages because I love them—”

“And the poetry!” I added.

He beamed. “And the poetry!”

“To better understand their cultures and relate to them…” I smiled slyly. “It would be important and would aid you in gaining foreigners’ trust.”

He laughed. “You know, Elizabeth, I think you could convince Winter to leave early and give all his territory to Spring if only you could talk to him.”