Rosalind seemed relieved by that answer.
They walked a little farther before Rosalind asked, “Do you… enjoy science and experiments?”
Theodora nearly tripped over a pebble.
Science.Experiments.
She cleared her throat. “Yes. I enjoy them very much.”
Usually the topic grounded her, yet the moment Rosalind said the words, her mind betrayed her and all her thoughts led to Alexander. When he stood, watching them, watchingher,she felt unsettled. As if her body may burst out of the confines her mind placed it in, and try to merge with hisstrong, lean, and tall frame.
She tried to focus. She truly did. But even here, in the quiet of the garden, he intruded on her thoughts and affected her deeply.
“What sort of experiments do you do?” Rosalind asked, snapping her back to reality.
Theodora immediately thought about Alexander’s lips on hers.
She shook her head. “Oh… trivial matters, really. Observations. Hypotheses. I’m currently studying—” She paused, scrambling for something that did not involve romance, the delusion of love, or the way her pulse behaved around a certain Duke. “—the effects of different teas on concentration.”
Rosalind’s eyes brightened with genuine interest. “Truly?”
“Yes,” Theodora said, relieved.
It was not entirely untrue; she had conducted research on it when she first started studying science.
“I am curious about that,” Rosalind said with a hint of excitement.
“Oh, well…some blends sharpen the mind. Others calm it. And I’m trying to determine which is best for reading.”
“That sounds fascinating,” Rosalind said.
Theodora smiled. “It is.”
They walked past a row of lavender bushes and the scent drifted around them like a soft embrace. Theodora glanced at Rosalind, noting the way her shoulders had relaxed, and a faint color returned to her cheeks. Yet there was that lingering sadness in her eyes that remained.
Still… Alexander would be relieved to see her a little better.
She wondered, suddenly, about their parents. Alexander had never spoken much of them, but from the few times he did she noticed the tension in him and Rosalind. Regardless, Theodora understood the importance of secrecy. Just as she would nevertell a soul about her father’s affair, she did not expect Alexander or Rosalind to speak of their own wounds.
Some griefs were private.
“Hydrangeas.” Rosalind suddenly slowed as they reached the far end of the garden, where the path curved around a cluster of hydrangeas.
Theodora stopped beside her. “I must tell you something, Lady Rosalind.”
Rosalind looked at her, confused. “What is it?”
Theodora took a deep breath. “I never thought I would need this walk. Or this conversation. But I did. More than I realized.”
The young girl offered her a small smile.
“You… needed it?”
“Yes,” Theodora said. “Very much.”
“Thank you. For being here.”
Theodora felt warmth unfurl in her chest.
