Hesitantly she placed her hand on the railingand mounted the steps. They were narrower than those leading to thefirst and second floor, but it wasn’t as if guests came up here.With each step her heartbeat increased. Why was she so afraid?
The landing opened on a narrow hall. Juliettecould hear the laughter of Eleanor’s brothers from further away.They were in the schoolroom which also functioned as a playroom.
Why did she remember that?
Two doors down she stopped. This had been herroom. Slowly she turned the handle and stepped inside. Though dustcovered the furnishings and toys, nothing was out of place. It wasexactly as it had been the night maman took her from here.
Juliette wandered to the window beside thesmall bed she once slept in. It was the same view from her chamberbelow and oh so familiar. The anxiety melted away and she sank intothe chair nurse often rocked her in. This was her home.
The bed was still covered in a lavenderblanket but something was missing. What sat at the corner of herbed, beside the pillow? Juliette closed her eyes and tried toremember but it wasn’t coming to her.
“I wish to court Juliette,” Acker announcedto the four brothers. He would have preferred only Bentley was inthe room, but after seeing that their wives were settled, the fourhad met in here to partake of a brandy before dinner.
“To what purpose?” John asked.
“Marriage of course.” Why else did agentleman court a lady?
“You’ve know her a year,” Matthew pointedout. “In Milan you didn’t wish for a permanent relationship.”
“That is not so,” Acker argued.
Bentley lifted an eyebrow in interest.
How did he explain without Jordan demandingthey meet at dawn again? “I was taken with Juliette in Milan, butit wasn’t nearly enough time to know her properly.”
“Did you know her improperly?” Jordanasked.
He wasn’t about to tell them of the momentsthey shared alone. Such a confession would get him killed. “No. Imeant there wasn’t much time to know her, and. . . .” Perhaps heshouldn’t say the rest.
“And?” Bentley prompted.
“She was a ballerina. What would societythink if I married a dancer?”
They nodded. At least they agreed with him onthat issue.
“Do I have your permission?”
Bentley stared at him for a moment. Surely hewasn’t going to deny him. Bentley knew him probably better thanmost. He knew he was honorable. At least most of the time. And, hewas wealthy and a lord, with estates. What more could a brotherwant for his sister?
“It is up to Julia.”
She may tell him to go hang. “Very well.”
Jordan stood. “I will go see if she isresting or available to meet with us.” He quit the room and Ackersank onto a chair. What would her answer be?
Bentley refilled his glass, chuckled andwandered over to stand by the fireplace.
Juliette opened her eyes and looked at thebed once again. She must have taken whatever was missing with herthough she wished she could remember what it was.
“Are you looking for this?”
Startled, Juliette turned toward the door tofind Jordan standing there, holding a doll in a faded lavenderdress.
An image flashed through her mind of the dollbeing yanked from her arms? She was crying, but why?
He walked into the room and held it out toher. “I saved it for you. I found it by the wreckage after yourcarriage was to have gone over the bridge.”
She took it in her hands and studied it. Whatwas it about the doll that upset her so?
“You never let go of it, not even in yoursleep,” Jordan said with a smile. “Do you remember?”
Juliette tried to call back the snippet ofmemory she had but it was gone. “No.”
Jordan turned and looked around the room.“Father had this closed off after you left. We weren’t allowed inhere and when Madeline was born they made her use a different room.Even after Eleanor came here with the boys Bentley didn’t want todisturb it.”
“Why?”
Jordan shook his head. “I cannot begin toguess at Father’s reasons. As for Bentley, by then he knew you andAdele were alive and I think he didn’t want to remember thepast.”
Juliette nodded. Part of her wished toremember and another did not. She was afraid to remember butwhy?”
“Do you remember the room?” He askedquietly.
“I remembered the view from my chamber andonly a vague memory of nurse rocking me in this chair.”
Juliette stood and placed the doll at thecorner of the bed. Yes, that is what was missing. When not in herarms, this is where the doll belonged. A smile tugged at her lips.She may not have much of a memory but she recalled a few pleasantemotions. She just wished everything she was feeling waspleasant.
“Bentley would like to speak with you. I cameto see if you were resting when I saw you come up here.”
Juliette nodded. What did he wish to say toher now?
“I’ll show you the way.”
“I think I know it already. Is he in thelibrary? Where father used to work.”
Jordan nodded grimly.
Juliette closed the door quietly behind herand made her way back down the stairs when she reached the landingfear assaulted her, different from the anxiety that had clutched ather before. Something awful had happened here but she didn’t knowwhat. Once again she closed her eyes and tried to remember. She waslaughing, running down the stairs. Someone was chasing her. Hegrabbed her doll and the arm tore. She opened her eyes and blinkedup at Jordan. “You tore my dolls arm.”
He groaned. “I had hoped you wouldn’tremember.”
The memory of her last day in this houseflooded her mind. She was crying and carrying on because a stupidarm was torn. Father had stormed up the stairs and picked her up.He was yelling but Juliette could not recall the words. He hadpicked her up and carried her under his arm down the stairs andinto the library as if she were a sack of potatoes. Juliette ranfor the stairs, what had happened in the library?
“Juliette, wait,” Jordan called after her,but she couldn’t stop. She had to remember.
Without bothering to knock she pushed thedoor open and entered. Bentley
