“You? Misremember? But you are famed for your prodigious memory, Lady Julia,” the Ermine said archly. “It has always been remarked upon.”

“I think yesterday’s travel has been hard upon us all,” I said quickly. “It was arduous and we are all still a little weary. Perhaps that is enough walking for today.”

“Yes, quite,” Miss Grant said. “My sister and I will take our leave now to rest before breakfast. Good morning.” She ushered Lady Hester away, casting a wild look back at me as they walked toward the staircase.

“It must be the fatigue of the journey,” Julia said. “Of course I know where our friends live. It was just a slip of memory. From fatigue, I’m sure it was just fatigue—”

“Indeed,” I said, cutting her off. My sister was, I feared, protesting too much, and the Ermine was watching her with knitted brow. “Good morning, Mrs. Ellis-Brant. We will see you at breakfast.”

I took my sister’s arm and sedately steered her to the staircase, away from the Ermine’s far-too-watchful gaze.

Back in her bedchamber, Julia pressed her hands to her face, close to tears.

“I do not know why I said Weymouth. I know it is Bournemouth. And Emelia pounced upon it. Did you hear that snide remark about my memory? And Hester’s face—it has frightened her even more.”

I drew my sister’s hands down in my own. “Come, you are making too much of it.” It was not idle comfort on my part; my sister seemed overwhelmed by the small mistake.

“What if she puts it all together?”

“From that one comment? I do not think so, my dear.”

I suspected the Ermine had been more interested in my sister’s failure of memory than in what she had failed to remember. Even so, Julia was right about Hester—her fear had been almost tangible.

“Leonard,” I called. My sister’s maid promptly emerged from the adjoining dressing room. “Go fetch tea and some bread and butter for Lady Julia.”

“I do not need tea and bread,” Julia said.

“You ate nothing for dinner. Please take something.”

She eyed me for a mutinous moment, then sighed. “As you wish.”

I nodded to Leonard, who departed on her mission.

Julia grasped my hands, her skin oddly clammy. “You must check on Lady Hester and Miss Grant. They must be so anxious. No, I should do it. To apologize. Yes, that is what I must do.”

She drew her hands back but I kept hold of them.

“No, my dear,” I said. The last thing we needed was my sister and Lady Hester spinning each other into more agitation. “I will visit them. Now, put this behind you and do not mention it again. Especially to the Ermine. Returning to it will only raise it in its importance.”

On that sage advice, I took myself off to Lady Hester.