‘Now what was this illness you suffered from? Some tropical fever or something, I suppose?’

Beatrice nodded, but her eyes slid away from Rosa and she offered no further detail.

‘Did you ever find the ghost butterfly?’ Rosa asked.

‘N-No. I c-came to the c-conclusion that it d-does not exist.’

‘That is a pity. I should love to have seen it. Still, I suppose you brought home lots of other marvellous specimens that I might admire?’

‘I b-brought n-nothing,’ Beatrice admitted. ‘There s-seemed no p-point. The L-Linnean S-Society r-refused to exhibit my w-work.’

‘That stuffy old bunch of coots! What do you want to be bothering about them for?’

‘The p-point was to sh-share my d-discoveries,’ Beatrice said. ‘With the w-world.’

‘But you enjoy travelling and discovering for its own sake too, don’t you?’

‘Well, y-yes—’

‘Then that’s all that matters. No one can take that away from you. When are you returning abroad?’

Beatrice paused. ‘I m-may not go b-back at all. P-Perhaps it is b-better if I s-stay h-here.’

Rosa stared at her. ‘Better for who? Are you saying you may give up travelling altogether? It isn’t like you to be such a ninny! Whatever happened to the woman who walked out of her own wedding and damn the consequences? And what of the woman who travelled the world by herself, scorning any chaperone?’

‘P-Perhaps that w-was the a-aberration,’ Beatrice said. ‘And the r-real me. Is the. Ninny.’

‘That is not true!’ Rosa exclaimed. ‘The thought is beyond absurd. For heaven’s sake, you managed to break free, and now will you really lock yourself back up in a cage, just because some stuck-up society won’t display your flowers?’

To her surprise, Beatrice suddenly hunched forward, burying her face in her hands. ‘I do n-not know. What to d-do.’

Rosa reached out for her hand and held it tightly. ‘It is hard to go on sometimes,’ she said. ‘I understand. Do you imagine I never faced opposition in my ambition to become an artificer? You have to be so good that they can’t say no to you. You have to fight for it with every breath.’

‘One c-can b-become t-tired. Of f-fighting,’ Beatrice said, yet she spoke with less conviction than she had previously.

‘Yes, I know that too,’ Rosa said. She felt suddenly very tired herself. It was a blow to find that her friend could offer her no help or information when it came to the carousel, and Rosa suddenly longed to be back in the peace and quiet of the aviary, surrounded by her ravens.

‘Rest here a while, if you must,’ she said, ‘but, Beatrice, it would be a travesty if you did not return to doing what you love. I admire you so much for what you did.’

Beatrice looked startled. ‘Y-You?’ she said. ‘Admire m-me?’ She gave a small laugh.

‘Well, why is that funny?’

‘It is j-just that I h-have always l-longed. To be. Like you.’