“Let us sleep here with you,” Alice said. “Like we did when we were younger, after Mother and Father met their untimely end.”

Which was how Alice always referred to their passing, as though anyone ever attained a timely end. She couldn’t help but believe her youngest sister had been most affected by their parents’ tragic deaths. Standing, she drew her unbound hair over one shoulder. Her pins had remained behind as well. “Come undo my lacings, so I don’t have to send for Bailey.” Her lady’s maid tended to be a bit taciturn when awakened.

Setting her book aside, Alice scrambled out of the bed, darted over, and began unlacing the gown, her fingers nimble, never straying from the task. “How ever did you get that mark there? It looks ghastly.”

With her heart pounding, Selena leaned toward the mirror. At the far side of her neck where it curved into her shoulder was a small discolored patch resembling a bruise but not, where earlier a mouth had been suckling, a tongue soothing. She grew warm with the memories of how it had come to be. He’d branded her, at least temporarily for surely eventually it would fade. “It’s nothing.”

“Does it hurt? It appears painful.”

It had been anything but. “No.”

“How did you get it?” Flo asked, coming up on her knees on the bed as though that would give her a better view.

Selena had to tell them something or they’d keep on about it. “Bailey dropped the brush earlier when she was managing my hair. It struck me at an odd angle.”

“You should let her go if she’s that careless,” Connie said.

“I’m not going to let Bailey go. It was an accident. Don’t say anything to her about it. Don’t say anything to anyone. As I said earlier, it’s nothing.” With the collar of her mourning attire up to her chin, no one would see it.

“Why are you wearing a ball gown anyway?” Connie asked, flopping down on her stomach, with her head at the foot of the bed, her chin resting in her hands.

“I grew weary of mourning black and no one was going to see me, so what did it matter what I wore?”

“My word, Selena. It’s a bit early to grow weary of it when you’ll be wearing it for two years.” Connie pronounced the length of time as though it were a death sentence handed down by a magistrate. “Thank God, we have to mourn for only three months, although I shall be sad much longer than that because you’re right. Lushing was jolly nice. He made me laugh.”

“He made us all laugh,” Flo said. “Where did you go, Selena?”

“Around. Honestly you girls are going to have to cease with the inquisition if you want to remain in my bed.”