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“Maybe later, then. After you’ve married your noble, you can travel.”
    Caroline did her best to work up a smile in response. Jack’s words had been a valiant effort to give her hope, but they both knew he’d failed.
    They approached a case holding photographs of Native Americans in their exotic ceremonial garb.
    “Tlingit tribe,” Jack said, and then told her of his experiences with them.
    Life second-hand was better than nothing, Caroline supposed. And Jack did have a way of talking. She could almost see herself there, with him. And truly, she could think of no place she would rather be.
    They toured the Alaska exhibit and moved on to the fossil hall. After that, as they walked into the mammalian area, Caroline happened to glance at a clock.
    “Oh, no!” she cried.
    “What?”
    “Amelia and Helen will be home already. If they find I’m not there, they’ll raise an alarm with our father.”
    Jack took her arm in his and turned them toward the exit. “Then let’s get moving.”
    Caroline was breathless by the time he’d hurried them to the hidden spot where she’d left her bicycle, but she was calmer, too.
    “It’s not so bad,” she said to Jack. “Mama is on her way to Newport, and she’s the one who’d be most upset.”
    Jack laughed. “I can imagine.”
    Caroline smiled back. “Thank you.”
    “For what?”
    “For today. The stories … touring the museum with me. You’re the first person who has had as much fun there as I do.”
    “It’s not usually this good for me, either,” he replied.
    Caroline moved closer to him, close enough that they nearly touched.
    Aha! she thought. This was how it was supposed to feel to be young.
    Jack looked down at her, and she read a note of caution in his solemn expression. But she deserved this. She deserved to experience life first-hand.
    Caroline set her hands on his broad shoulders and went up on tiptoe. With no grace at all, she landed her mouth on his.
    He froze for a moment, and she thought he was going to push her away. Instead he settled his hands on her waist and adjusted the angle of their kiss. Dear heaven, it felt so good. His lips were firm and hot, and her heart pounded with wanting more.
    They couldn’t have been there long, not that Caroline retained a sense of time, when the sound of children laughing made them pull back. Two boys around age ten were watching. They made mocking kissing noises as they ran off, still laughing.
    Jack took another step back and shook his head. “You shouldn’t have done that. It wasn’t a good idea.”
    “It wasn’t, was it,” she agreed, since it seemed that was what he wanted to hear.
    He looked at her a moment longer. Embarrassment began to warm her face.
    “I need to leave,” she said.
    She wrestled her bicycle from the yew, refusing Jack’s help, then climbed on with no regard at all for her un-cinched skirt, and headed home.
    The ride was a blur. The possibility of having to deal with Papa was less bleak than the sure knowledge she’d have to deal with Jack again. If she was going to be idiot enough to kiss him, could she have not at least done it in a private place and with some amount of skill?
    Living life first-hand was a messy thing.
    Once home, Caroline left her bicycle at the bottom of the steps to have a servant stow it away. Weary, she entered the house.
    “Good evening, Miss Caroline,” said O’Brien, who stood not three feet away.
    Caroline jumped. “O’Brien, you startled me!”
    “My apologies, Miss,” he said.
    She gave him a sketchy smile and headed upstairs. If she could make it to her room without crossing the twins’ paths, she’d at least be safe from trouble here.
    Caroline held her breath as she tiptoed past their doors and on to her end suite of rooms. She slipped inside. After her door was closed, she leaned against it, unpinned her hat, and breathed a sigh of pure relief.
    “You needn’t sound so content with yourself,” her mother said.
    Caroline jumped