“You are so much like your mother,” he said, a sad smile lifting his lips. “She never lost her thirst for knowledge, and when we traveled, she wasrelentlessly searching for new ideas and furthering her education.”
“I miss her,” Elizabeth stated softly.
“As do I, and she’d be very proud of you, my dear. Unconventional as the past years have been, I agree with you. It’s time to look ahead. What that will be, I’m not sure, but life has a way of sorting it all out for us,” her father finished gently.
“I’ll certainly have more time to think about it,” Elizabeth said dryly. “How ever will you complete all your additional research if I’m not there to assist you?”
“They delegated a student to be my assistant, but we both know that poor lad won’t hold a candle to your insight.” He smiled warmly.
Elizabeth’s lips bent into a grin. “True.” She paused before continuing. “Thank you, Papa.” A sigh slipped out. “I’m thankful I was able to be there to assist you. Regardless of whether I spent the majority of my time in your office,” she said.
Her father nodded, then stood. “Well, did you visit your bees?”
Elizabeth was thankful for the shift in topic and nodded. “Indeed, and we’ve replenished our honey stores.”
“Good, I’m glad you had a good productive day.”
Elizabeth thought about just how productive it had been and smiled to herself. “I’ll go and ready myself for supper.”
“Very well, my dear. I’ll see you in a little bit.”
Elizabeth went to her room and closed the door, needing a few moments to herself. It wasn’t surprising, this chain of events. But that didn’t mean it was welcome or that it didn’t frustrate her. That they had made the decision apart from her father’s input rubbed her wrong.
It wasn’t fair.
However, she couldn’t change it. Hiding in her father’s study, trying to be invisible, and drawing as little attention as possible to herself was not enough, but if it was, did she want to keep living like that? No. She’d already reached that decision earlier… Odd how the timing had worked out. She sifted through her feelings, naming them to herself, and then grieved the change. As much as leaving hurt, it was time for something new. One thing was certain: sometimes change forced the decisions a person didn’t want to make, making them for him or her.
This was certainly the case, and she couldn’t help but wonder what would be next.Small steps, she told herself. And she knew the next one: she needed to visit Patricia and talk with her brother.
Sixteen
Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is an absurd one.
—Voltaire, Letter to Frederick William, Prince of Prussia, November 28, 1770
“Did you know about the cart selling tea on the way to the market street?” Collin asked Michael. They had hired a hack to take them to the place where Collin had seen the crates being unloaded by the man with the black eye.
Michael frowned. “I can ask my sister, but I don’t usually purchase the sundry items for the house.”
“Well, it would collaborate with our friend’s story from the pub, if the tea was indeed in the crates and being sold in a clandestine manner.”
Michael nodded. “I suppose we’ll soon find out.”
“Or so I hope,” Collin added.
The hack rolled to a stop at the block just ahead of the place Collin remembered. He stepped down and paid the driver, waiting for Michael.
“How do you think we should approach this?” he asked.
Michael twisted his lips. “Show me where we’re going first, and I’ll try to think of the best way.”
Collin nodded in the direction they should walk and strode forward.
“How did you hear about the tea sales?” Michael asked.
Collin answered quickly, “A servant.”
Michael nodded in understanding.
