It moved her deeply.
For a moment, neither spoke, then she looked up. “Will you mind Lady Augusta staying?”
He met her gaze—then grinned. “No, Miss Hecate. I shall not mind Lady Augusta staying. Nor do I believe the lady herself would be averse to my company. And you will ask no further questions on that topic.”
She grinned back. “I will not. But I will mention that she is, beneath the town bronze, a good woman who has also undergone many difficult trials in her life. Some of her choices were unwise, but we all learn from our mistakes, do we not?”
“So true.”
Their private interlude ended with the arrival of Frank Worsnop, who declared that Mr. Finn had put together a possible travel plan and wanted to know if Miss Hecate might care to join him for tea so that they could discuss it?
She and Dal moved apart, both comfortable now with the directions their lives were taking.
“Yes,” she answered Frank’s question. “Miss Hecate would be very willing to take tea with Mr. Finn.”
Very willing indeed.
