"What on earth can you possibly mean by suggesting such a thing? Avoid society?"
"I am going to spend a considerable amount of time determining what it is I want from my life, and the villa will provide the right amount of seclusion required for serious contemplation."
"What you want from your life? Emily, I have lost all interest in attempting to understand you." She sighed again and fluttered her eyelids. "Well, I can assure you that a woman like Madame du Lac will not suffer to sit around at some tedious villa for months on end. I shall quite depend upon her to see to your return to society. I shall write to her today."
"Thank you, Mother," I said through clenched teeth, taking comfort in the knowledge that Cécile's version of society was infinitely preferable to that of my mother. "If you will excuse me, I have much to attend to if I am to have any hope of being ready to receive you and the rest of the family at Ashton Hall for Christmas."
"I have several other errands to run and have already tarried here for longer than I intended," she said as she rose from her seat. Unfortunately, before she could leave the room, Davis entered to announce the arrival of Colin. As soon as she heard his name, my mother sat back down and smoothed her skirts. "I believe I would like to speak with Mr. Hargreaves." I dropped my head into my hands, barely looking up when Colin entered the room.
"Good day, Mr. Hargreaves," my mother said. "I am forever in your debt for saving my darling daughter from the clutches of that dreadful man."
"I assure you, Lady Bromley, that Emily had the situation well in hand herself," he replied. "I was not even there when she exposed Mr. Palmer."
"It's lovely to see you, Mr. Hargreaves." I smiled as he kissed my hand.
"And it is even more lovely to see you out of mourning, Lady Ashton." I could hardly take my eyes off his handsome face as he lingered over my hand.
"My mother was just preparing to leave, Mr. Hargreaves," I said with a wicked grin. "I am certain that you will take no offense if she stays with us no longer." My mother scowled at me and tapped her parasol on the floor.
"Of course not." Colin bowed politely to my mother. "As always, Lady Bromley, it has been a delight to see you."
"Thank you again, Mr. Hargreaves." My mother rose from her seat once more, not willing to argue with me in front of an extremely eligible gentleman. "Will we have the pleasure of seeing you at Mrs. Barring's tonight?"
"Unfortunately not; I have a prior engagement." He bowed again, and my mother left, shooting me a cutting glance on her way out. Colin closed the door behind her and leaned against it with folded arms. "I am afraid that I am here on business."
"You look dreadfully serious," I replied.
"I've read the statements you gave to the police. You made quite a point of telling them that Aldwin Attewater had nothing to do with the thefts."
"That is true. Mr. Attewater is a frustrated artist who sells his work to whoever will buy it. He does not deceive his clients. They are fully aware they are buying copies."
"Surely you do not believe that?" Colin asked, looking at me skeptically.
"Why shouldn't I? I imagine that if you investigate Mr. Attewater's financial concerns, you will find that he is a man of very limited means. Surely he would be much better off if he chose to present his copies as originals."
"Is it true that you have commissioned a work from him?"
"I have."
"I know that you have conversed with him at great length and that it was he who identified for you the fakes in the British Museum. Are you certain that he showed you all of them?"
"Quite certain."
"And you would swear that he never was involved in deceiving the museum?"
I paused for an instant to consider my answer. "A lady, Mr. Hargreaves, should never swear."
"Is that all the answer I am to expect?"
A smile was the only response I gave him. Frankly, I liked the idea of Mr. Attewater's fragment staying in the museum. Perhaps, in the very faraway future, it would be identified as a copy and appreciated in its own right, like the Roman versions of Greek originals.
"Very well. I am not convinced that Attewater is the innocent you believe him to be, Emily, but have no evidence to prove it. He does not appear to have the sorts of connections that would enable him to continue the Palmers' work, so I shall leave him alone for the time being. You, however-" He stopped. "No. I shall never again warn you off an acquaintance."
"Thank you, Mr. Hargreaves," I said. "I appreciate your respect for my judgment."
"Think nothing of the kind. I make it a practice not to waste my time on futile endeavors."
"Then we shall abandon the subject entirely," I said. "I'm sorry you shall not be at Mrs. Barring's tonight. It's sure to be a tedious evening. I should like to have danced with you, though."
"I've grown rather fond of dancing with you in sitting rooms." He reached for my hand and pulled me from my chair. He wrapped his arm around my waist and brought me close to him; the feeling of him so near caused me to tremble as I looked up at his face. I am certain that we would have started to waltz had our eyes not met, but they did. Neither of us moved, and we stood for some time staring silently at each other. Finally he lifted my chin gently with a single finger, bringing my lips to his and kissing me softly.
"'Andromache! My soul's far better part,'" he murmured against my neck. "I cannot adequately explain the effect you have on me. Your slightest touch ruins my self-control."
"I know the feeling very well," I whispered, kissing him back.
"I am the worst type of cad to do this without asking your permission first and fully expect you to slap me again." He touched a curl that had escaped from my pompadour.
"I don't think you shall be slapped today," I replied, burying my face in his chest. "If pressed, I would admit to having liked it very much when you kissed me on the Pont-Neuf."
"I should never have done it, Emily. Not then." He lowered me onto the settee and sat next to me. "I hope you can forgive me."
"My recent behavior suggests that I have." I smiled. He leaned closer, as if he would kiss me again, and then stopped.
"Is it too soon? I know that you are out of mourning, et cetera, et cetera, but the emotional upheaval of the past months must have taxed you greatly."
"No, I assure you, I am all right now. I am happy to have suffered what I did. If I had not, I should have been consumed with the guilt of neither having loved my husband nor grieving the loss of him. In the end I truly mourned him. He deserved nothing less."
"He was a most excellent man, Emily."
"I know. It is a pity that I did not realize it sooner, but it would be foolish for me to dwell on romantic fantasies of what our marriage could have been like. I did grow to love him after his death, but I might never have if he were still alive." I shrugged and caught myself feeling suddenly French. "At any rate, that chapter of my life is over, and I have no regrets."
"I am glad," he said, sighing, as he looked at his watch. "I'm afraid I really must leave. My brother is expecting me in Richmond. When do you go to Ashton Hall?"
"Tomorrow. I shall return to London only briefly before I journey to Santorini."
"I should not have arranged the trip so well for you." He smiled and rose from the settee. "I wish I had thought of delaying your departure so that I could see you again before you go."
"When will you return to London?"
"Most likely not until the spring. I have business in Berlin and will travel there soon after the New Year."
"What sort of business, Colin? Anything that might interest me?"
"Not in the least," he replied firmly, and pulled me to my feet. "I shall miss you, Emily." He kissed me lightly and slipped a small box into my hand. "Happy Christmas."
He took his leave before I opened the gift and thus cheated himself of seeing my expression as I realized what he had given me: a golden apple inscribed "Tê kallistê."