Very Truly Yours, Simone

24. the goodbye

Simone sashayed into the breakfast room with a bright smile.

"Is it Christmas?" Gale asked, staring her up and down.

"Why?" she asked, looking down at her dress. It was white with lace ruffles around the neckline. Her hair was tied in a blue lace ribbon, the tail reaching the middle of her back.

"Which present box did you climb out of?" Price asked, his food halfway to his mouth.

"I like the ribbon, Sisi," Roxie said, reaching for the ribbon as Simone settled beside her.

"Beautiful as always, darling," the earl said.

"But you look a little too dressed up, don't you think?" Damon asked with a frown.

"Is it for your suitors?" Freda asked. "Has someone finally grabbed your interest?"

Everyone was looking at her, including Daniel. Perhaps she had overdone it, she thought. But then, this was not the first time. She had done this many times before whenever she finished a dress. "I just think it's a very beautiful day."

"But it's still raining," said Gale.

She rolled her eyes. "I like the rain."

"Since when?" Harry asked.

"Since I woke up and heard the pitter-patter in my windows! Now, please, spare me. My ribbons feel insulted."

"Give them no mind," Lydia said, forking her eggs. "What do you plan to do today? We're finally being discharged from prison."

Simone stole Daniel a look, and he, in turn, smiled and bent his head and pretended to continue eating.

"Lydia is going to Viscount Rothsport."

"Was it today?" Simone asked Lydia. "Do you need help with your painting articles?"

"Emmeline will be enough, but you can come with us," Lydia said.

"We'll come," said Gale. "It's about time we call on Quincy."

"Can we borrow a carriage?" Price asked Harry.

The eldest Stratford just nodded, wiping the corner of his mouth. "Be careful, the lot of you," he said. "No more accidents." To Roxie and Freda, he said, "And no trip to the deck until the roof is dry."

"We're going to call on Dorothy," Roxie said. "Can we take Mr. Mewl with us?"

"No," Damon retorted. "The cow stays."

"What about you, Your Grace?" asked Price. "Plans?"

Simone stared at Daniel. He smiled at Price and said, "I'm planning to borrow Harry's study to pen missives to some correspondence."

"Remind me to give you the papers to take to Web."

Simone frowned. "Take to Web?" she asked, confused.

"If you were not so busy tying ribbons on your hair, you would have been here just in time to hear the duke's announcement."

"What announcement?" she asked, looking at Daniel.

"Emmeline and I have decided to cut our vacation short. I have urgent matters to attend to in Coulway."

"Too soon?" she asked before she could stop herself. She turned to Emmeline, adding, "But I was just starting to spend more time with you."

"I'm certain we'll have more in the future," Emmeline said. "We're not leaving today, of course."

"When?" she asked, seeing Daniel look at her from the corner of her eyes.