“Not really,” he raised an eyebrow at her. “Admit it, this is a rather sudden and unsettling way to learn of my plan.”
Elizabeth thought about it. “Yes, but more so because of Elinor’s predicament, I think.”
“Either way, like I told your friend, take some time to consider it, ask any questions you may have, talk it over with others, and then tell me what you would like us to do.”
“I will. Thank you,” Lizzie said with a small smile.
They were both silent for a while, then she spoke again. “Poor Elinor. This whole situation made me think of your mother’s marriage.”
Colin’s head jerked towards her. “Not your own?”
“Excuse me?” She widened her eyes.
“I just thought… I imagined you would be reminded of what I’d done to you.”
“I’m not! It isn’t…” Elizabeth took a deep breath. “It wasn’t like this with us. Yes, I was angry at you for what you said about me, and we weren’t friends any more, and I was engaged to someone else…”
Colin interrupted her. “The more you talk, the worse I seem.”
Lizzie was starting to become frustrated. “But you weren’t some cruel, unknown man. I don’t know. I cannot articulate my thoughts very well right now, too much has happened.”
“We can talk more one night after dinner, in the library?” He suggested in a hopeful voice.
“I’d like that.”
*
When they entered the Mayfair house, only Jane was there to greet them. Everyone else was already at Norwich with Mary and Robert.
Elizabeth briefly considered the idea of leaving all of them and going to America with Colin and Elinor. It seemed like thinking of a book she’d read, not a real thing that was happening to her.
“Welcome home, Your Grace,” Jane told the Duke.
“Hello, Jane, how’s your knee?”
“Better now,” she replied, “Doctor Cooper’s pomade really helped.”
Lizzie looked between the two of them incredulously.When did this happen?
“Since your maid is away, Stevenson agreed to help with maintaining certain parts of your wardrobe until we find a replacement,” Colin told her.
“I hadn’t even thought about that, thank you.”
“I shall send him to your dressing room once I’m done with my bath.”
“I appreciate your help,” she told Stevenson later as she showed him the parts of her wardrobe he would be responsible for. “And I apologise for the additional work.”
“It is no problem, ma’am,” Stevenson replied stoically.
Elizabeth wondered whether he would be moving to America with them.
Does he have a family that would miss him? Is he someone’s Thomas?
“Do your people still live in Norwich?” She asked him.
“Yes. My mother and two sisters,” he told her.
“Are they married, your sisters?”
