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Perhaps the florist wrote the note.

She snorted impatiently at herself and unfolded the note. To her surprise it was a poem, one she had never seen before.

I hope this bouquet finds you well,

If not, I hope it binds you,

To hope and life and tomorrow,

That what we started,

May not end in sorrow.

There was no signature, but she did not need one to know who had written it. She chuckled forlornly through her tears.

“If you feel this way, then why did you run?” she whispered.

CHAPTER 34

“What is he trying to do?” Georgiana asked grumpily.

The ensuing days brought more and more flowers until her room was a kaleidoscope of colors and a riot of scents. Roses, peonies, lilies, lilacs, and countless bunches of forget-me-nots covered every available desk and table and overflowed onto the floor.

She would have traded every single flower for his presence. But he was not there.

“You see, I told you!” Daisy said, looking excitedly around the room. “I told you he still cares for you. He was quite upset when he left. He behaved as though he was afraid of something.”

Georgiana turned away from her. She did not want to hear it. It all sounded very selfish to her.

“I have a headache,” she declared. “Leave me alone and let me sleep.”

“Oh no, darling. I do not want to leave you alone. Can I read to you while you sleep?”

Daisy did not seem to understand that her continued reluctance to leave Georgiana alone, even for a moment, was providing a stark contrast to Robert’s reluctance to stay. Every time she insisted on staying it reminded Georgiana that Robert had insisted on leaving.

That he had chosen to run rather than stay and fight for her.

Even if he feared something happening to me, how does leaving me ensure that it will not? What self-indulgent twaddle.

She realized she was quite enraged with him.

“I would rather sit in silence if you do not mind,” she snapped at Daisy. “It is too loud in here, with the flowers and all the hustle and bustle. I wish for quiet. Take the flowers to the sitting room.”

Daisy let out an annoyed grunt. “As you wish.”

Georgiana turned away, but she listened as the servants removed the flowers and Daisy gave occasional instructions. She felt bad for her sister; she was unaccustomed to being the caretaker and not the one being taken care of.

She wished she had the strength to get out of bed and be her usual, energetic self, but aside from the continuing headache and dizziness, she was simply too tired.

My soul is exhausted.

Georgiana drifted off to sleep and awoke later that afternoon to find Selina sitting beside her bed. Her friend was reading from a book of poetry in a quiet cadence that soothed Georgiana’s spirit.

She lay quietly and listened to her soothing voice, surprised to find tears streaming down her cheeks and soaking her pillow.

She did not know if Selina realized she was awake, but Georgiana was grateful that she continued to read instead of speaking. She let the words wash over her, wallowing in their sadness and incorporating it with her own, taking comfort in knowing that she was not alone.

Selina stopped reading and looked up at her. They stared at each other silently, Georgiana’s face a mask of despair, and Selina’s eyes full of compassion.