If you noticed me

I think you would see

I will never be by myself

Lord I'm asking thee

Please shine down on we

And remember how you once blessed twelve

Heloise sat in her bed writing that night as the girls all prepared for bed. Ottaline was reading over Granville Heritage's letter again. Hannah was removing the new bonnet from her doll and placing it in the carriage next to all the others while Astrid sat on the foot of her own bed playing with her nutcracker.

"He's going to be the prince of our studio," she said proudly.

"Keep that hideous thing far from me," Hannah said as she came round her bed and sat on it. "I don't want it anywhere near my dolls."

"Stop being a magpie, Hannah," Alifair said. "I like Astrid's nutcracker."

"He gives me night frights just looking at him," Hannah said.

"Not me," Astrid said going to the foot of her bed. "He's my own special guardian and he's going to guard my bed." She set the nutcracker out the foot of the bed on the floor. "There you are brave kind soldier. If you get cold in the night your Astrid will knit you a blanket."

"He's looking at me," Hannah cried.

"Oh, Hannah stop it," Miriam said fluffing her pillow. "You've become far too used to getting your way."

Hannah pouted. "Everyone is being wicked to me," she said.

"Stop behaving like a baby and get to bed," Miriam said as said lied down on her pillow.

Hannah shot the nutcracker sentinel one more sour look then climbed into her bed.

/

"I'm afraid I do not understand," Ladybird said as she stood before Jessop's desk. "Have I done something wrong?"

Jessop looked up at her before him. "No," he said. "But I think it is very difficult for Taitiann to stay focused with you here. I would like for her to get more involved in her apprenticeship now and I think your being here will make that difficult."

"I see," Ladybird said though truthfully she didn't. "Sir...if I have grieved you in some way—"

"You have not upset me," Jessop said quickly but even now he found it hard to take his eyes away from her. He checked his pocket watch then got up from the table. "I'll be willing to pay your fair." He picked up a folder and tucked it under his arm. "I suggest you pack now as the train leaves in the morning." He rounded the desk and walked past her leaving her alone in the room.

Ron stepped out from his office and followed him downstairs. "That was wrong," he said as they came downstairs. "How can you just throw that woman out that way?"

"Ron, this is one of those cases where you should mind your own business." Jessop took his hat down from the coat rack.

Ron crossed his arms receiving a frown from Jessop. "I'll say this and then I'll say nothing more." "I saw you help her with her coat that day it rained. And all the time I've worked for you I've never seen you do that for the most pedigreed of women."

"She has to leave," Jessop said opening the door and stepping out on the stoop.

Ron followed him. "But I don't see why. What have you against her? You let Taitiann stay here."

"That's different. And I thought you said you weren't going to say anything else. That woman has to go and I've already made up my mind."

"Oh so now she's that woman?" Ron said. "I see what's going on here." He rubbed his chin. "I see very clearly."

Jessop groaned. "She has to go for her own good!" he said. "There, are you happy? I can't...." he looked back to his building. "I feel a certain way about Miss Winters that I would rather not disclose at the moment to you."

Ron looked down at his feet. "I see,"

"Oh be quiet, Ron," Jessop said. "And the next time I make a decision personnel or otherwise I don't expect my employee to question me. Let us keep in mind that no one else will hire you." He turned away leaving Ron on the stoop and headed for his club.

/

At the gentlemen's club Jessop received praise from the other men, some of them former clients whose cases he had won. As the day waned on; however, and the ever present cloud of cigarette smoke decreased Jessop found himself wishing he hadn't been so cold with Ladybird and Ron. She had been the one who had brought him a blanket and remembered him when his best friend and fiancée abandoned him.

"Who is she?"

Jessop looked to his left and saw another one of the club members smiling down at him.

"Who?"

"This woman who has you so sorrowful," the man answered. He then smiled and slapped Jessop on the back. "I'm only giving you a hard time." He nodded across the way. "There is someone here to see you."

When Jessop looked across the room through the other men who were smoking and talking to pass the evening his heart turned to stone. The man of interest smiled as he crossed the room and took a seat next to Jessop, thanking the man that had helped him.

"What do you want, Andrew?" Jessop said curtly. "I don't believe you have business in New Orleans and you certainly don't have business with me."

Andrew Addams helped himself to some mints on the table. Leaning back in the chair he popped three at a time into his mouth. "You don't have to be that way, Jessop. I know we had a falling out last year but I think enough time has passed for us to let bygones be bygones."

Jessop moved one paper under another. "Nearly causing the death of my cousin is hardly something I can let be in the past. You insulted my family...so I ask you again, what do you want?"

Andrew bit into a mint with a loud crunch. "I'm moving my practice," he said with a grin. "This seems to be a nice city and the vacant building two blocks down is selling cheap. I plan to look into it perhaps, renovate it."

Jessop stared at him for a moment. "The people here don't know you," he said. "That's a desperate gamble to take. What, did your parents throw you out again?"

"They didn't throw me out!" Andrew hissed then recomposed himself. "I was glad to get away. I couldn't take another minute of my father smothering me and my mother trying to find me a wife."

"I think you would have found one by now if you could prove you were upstanding, Andrew," Jessop said. "I doubt if you had eight legs you could stand on one. Women tend to like security. If I wear a parent in the market for my daughter I wouldn't look once at a man of your standard."

Andrew laughed. "You are right about what women want," he said. "A home, a good husband, a sense of security...children." He looked up and met Jessop's brown eyes. For once he did not see confidence in the face of his old acquaintance. He cleared his throat. "I spoke to Nathan Sedgwick...I didn't know you two went against each other in court last fall. He lost." He smirked. "He was...rather bitter and all too happy to tell me the details of your little accident."

Jessop felt his hand slowly making a fist, clenching the fabric of his trousers.

"Poor poor Jessop." Andrew said mockingly, shaking his head. "To hear everyone thought you were perfect." He laughed. "Doesn't that just make you furious at Nathan Sedgwick? Don't you want to get back at him for what he did?"

Jessop fiddled with his cufflinks.

"I'm here now, Jessop," Andrew said. "I'm a bad ghost and I intend to haunt you and make sure you know what it is like to be the loser." He got up from his seat, grabbing a few more mints as he walked away.

/

The train whistled loudly as it pulled out of the dark station at Angel Veil. With her boater hat secure on her head Taitiann picked up her luggage from the depot deck next to Ladybird who was trying the carry her paintings and her luggage together.

A whistle in the night made them turn to the depot building where a man stood at a buckboard with a lantern in his hand. "Taitiann, Ladybird."

"Papa!" Taitiann declared running to him, her boots loud on the planks. "Oh, Papa, I've missed you." She hugged him tightly as Ladybird joined them.

"Uncle Ezra," she hugged him. "How is everyone?"

"Everyone is doing well," Mr. Fairchild said. "I'm still surprised to see you both back. I thought you'd decided to stay longer."

"Mr. St. Cloud asked, Ladybird to leave and I didn't think it right for her to travel alone as upset as she was," Taitiann said. "He was very surprised when I told him so." She smiled. "But I am glad to be home again."

When they arrived home beneath the pines the house was dead quiet. Mr. Fairchild had them leave their things down stairs and suggested they go on up to bed and rest from the trip. Taitiann and Ladybird took only the luggage containing their nightgowns and after changing into them they climbed into the lateral rope supported beds.Separated by Selene they couldn't talk to each other and quickly fell to sleep in the quiet night.