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strummed an off chord.
    Lady Cordelia bolted upright.
    It was Edmund. His towering form filled the doorway; his raw energy charged the room. Even the wall painting, a ribald hunting scene, seemed to come alive.
    "Good day, ladies." He inclined his head slightly before casting a wide, heart-stopping grin.
    "By your leave, Edmund, you gave me a fright!"
    Lady Cordelia exclaimed, patting her straw-colored curls as if they might be in danger of falling out.
    "I do apologize Aunt Cordelia. But I have hit upon a famous scheme and could not wait to speak with you."
    "Impatient as ever," she mumbled.
    The corner of his eyes crinkled in a most appealing manner as he turned his riveting smile on Kate alone. He seemed not at all put off by her black eye. And she had no defense for Edmund's smile. Warm waves of pleasure skipped down her spine.
    Lady Cordelia reached for her silver goblet of sack. "Pray, do not keep us in suspense, eh? What is thy famous scheme?"
    "My work here is concluded and I must return to London to be on hand when Parliament resumes."
    "Go on," the old woman urged.
    "You and Kate must accompany me,"
    Lady Cordelia's arm froze in midair; her goblet of sack halted midway to her lips. She blinked rapidly as if the room had suddenly gone dark.
    For Kate's part, she was certain she had not heard correctly. She tilted her head. "Me?"
    Edmund nodded eagerly as he approached her in his odd, loping gait. "Aye, Kate. Until you have secured a position as nurse, I am proposing you come to London as Aunt Cordelia's gentlewoman."
    "But I am not gentry born," she protested. "I cannot hold such a position."
    Clearly dubious, he hiked a dark brow. "You cannot be certain. You may well be gentry born, Kate."
    "What makes you think I wish to go to London, Edmund?" Lady Cordelia's parchment-paper brow folded in a bewildered frown as she set down her goblet.
    "My dear aunt, I shall feel very much better if you consult the finest physicians... who can only be found in London."
    After but a moment's thought, Cordelia heaved a weary sigh that shook her abundant bosom. "'Tis true, healing care is lacking in the country. Everyone knows it to be so."
    "You are at a country surgeon's mercy by remaining at Rose Hall, Aunt Cordelia," Edmund intoned gravely.
    "Mayhap a truly knowledgeable physician could cure my rheumatism and give me a remedy to ease these bilious attacks that continue to plague me."
    Kate feared 'twas the constant stream of sack that plagued Lady Cordelia but dared not say as much. Besides, her own head spun with Edmund's proposal.
    London? Kate had never been to London. The city offered many goldsmiths. Perhaps the one goldsmith who knew the origin of her ring plied his craft in London,
    But the thought of living under the same roof with Edmund caused her pulse to pound, 'Twould be dangerous.
    "What say you, Kate? We will reward you well to serve as you already do from the goodness of your heart. You shall officially become Aunt Cordelia's gentlewoman."
    "I... I do not know..." Kate's voice trailed off in confusion. How could he demand such a hurried decision? There was much to consider. What to do? What to do? She must consult her stargazer at once.
    "You hesitate. Do you find my dear aunt much too trying?" Edmund asked with a rakish wink.
    Kate's heart fluttered.
    Lady Cordelia cried out in protest. "I am not the least bit trying. But do I not have any say in this matter?"
    "Of course, Aunt. What say you?"
    "I... I should like Kate to be my gentlewoman."
    "I thought as much." Edmund turned his broad grin on Kate. 'Twas a dazzling grin that immobilized her mind. "Kate?"
    "I, I..." Her voice trailed off.She could not think.
    Edmund's great charm was not his only means of persuasion. "If you are residing in London, it may help with the business we discussed at our last meeting," he noted.
    "What business?" the older woman asked, slicing a questioning glance at Kate, who quickly lowered her eyes.
    Cordelia Wydville had never been