“One need not expect the sun for it to rise every morn,” she mumbled.
“You will be pleased to know that we are almost ready to move forward with Mr. Marlowe’s final plans for the aviary.”
Virginia was not pleased to know. The plans did not include Virginia at all.
“When?” she asked.
The solicitor smiled at her. “I’ll let you know.”
She did not understand his smile. The loss of her sanctuary was not good news, but a disaster for her and her rescues. They were used to the aviary now. She did not want to return to using a tiny outbuilding.
“May I keep the aviary?” she asked hesitantly.
“I’m afraid not.” Now the solicitor was frowning. “It is not meant for your personal use, but to realize the dreams of our town’s founder.”
Virginia nodded her understanding. A frown was appropriate. Her stomach felt as though it were tumbling over a cliff.
It was happening again. As soon as she found something she liked, somewhere she felt loved, she was pushed out. Virginia’s presence could be tolerated in short bursts, but not for long. She should know by now.
Her own parents had barred her from the schoolroom. Then polite company. Then their home. They had driven her to an asylum for problematic young ladies and never returned.
“Are you all right?” the solicitor asked, stepping closer.
She jerked away before he could touch her. Even though it was not his fault, he was ruining one of the few things she had come to think of as her own. A place she belonged. Somewhere she could be useful. She adopted her strays because she knew what it was like not to be wanted.
Virginia quit the aviary without asking further questions. Soon it would no longer be available to her. What more did she need to know?
She would not focus on the loss. The birds were not the only ones who needed her. For the first time, she had an opportunity to be useful to another person.
Duke meowed as she stepped out of the aviary.
“You’re right. We still have each other.” She scooped him into her arms and fetched a basket to transport him in. “We’ll visit Mr. T together.”
When Swinton answered the door, Virginia presented her calling card and remembered to inquire about the Duke of Azureford before asking to see her patient.
Swinton personally escorted her down the corridor to the guest parlor and ushered her inside.
Even before Mr. T wheeled his chair around to face her, Virginia’s tight shoulders had already relaxed. She loved these dark, silent rooms. No loud noises, no strange smells, no hustle and bustle. Walking in here was like stepping into her private chamber at the castle. Quiet, cozy, and peaceful.
“You forgot to give your coat to Swinton,” her patient growled. He was wearing the bandages again.
She stepped forward to remove the strips of cloth. “I didn’t forget. I never take off my coat in other people’s houses.”
He scowled up at her. “Why not?”
“It’s easier.” She deposited the bandages in a linen basket. “I never know if they’ll want me to stay long enough to bother.”
A muscle worked in his jaw. “Take it off when you’re here.”
She hesitated before removing her pelisse. Mr. T might feel that way now, but she had arrived only a few moments earlier. She would keep her coat on hand just in case.
“What do you do when you’re not here?” he asked. “Pianoforte?”
She shook her head. Her sisters had been the ones who enjoyed banging at the keys at all hours of the day or night. “I’ve just come from the aviary.”
His dark brows rose. “There’s an aviary?”
She nodded. “At the castle. It’s beautiful. You should see it before they change everything.”
