Clara stared frowning at Lord Fitton for several seconds. Fitton began to worry it was something quite serious. He could take her silence no longer. "How ill are you?"

"I misspoke perhaps when I said, I wished them to cure me though I am at a loss as to what else I can say."

Lord Fitton shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand. So you are not ill?"

"I am..." Clara struggled trying to will the right word to come to mind. "I am... broken."

"Broken? Clara, you are speaking nonsense. I've seen you in the rigging of this ship you are as agile as a gibbon." Then he paused wondering... "Or do you speak of your mental state, the trauma that led to the loss of your voice," he dared to ask.

Clara realized as with most lies this one has come back to haunt her as well. "No, I lied to you. Commander Redgrave asked that I tell no one that I'm a woman. I..."

"Redgrave knows the truth."

Clara nodded.

"What is he going to do about it?"

"I convinced him to let me get to India and he can be done with me. I will stay there until I have achieved my goal. He will no longer be responsible for me."

"And he... agreed with this?"

For a price that Clara was not about to mention, so she just nodded her head, yes.

"I can't lie to you Clara that his decision to keep you on surprises me. I would have thought his first reaction would be to drop you off at the Cape."

Clara shrugged. "I will count it among my blessing this evening before bed that he chose otherwise."

"So, then how are you... broken?"

Clara still found it difficult to say the real reason but began her explanation with, "I am married."

"Not widowed?" Lord Fitton asked shocked by the notion. "What man in his right mind would allow you to take such risks?"

"He doesn't know I am taking them."

"You ran from him then? Did he harm you? Clara, if that is the case..." Fitton's words came out in a flurry, not giving Clara a chance to speak. "my offer still stands. I will protect you. You can continue to travel with me. I would be grateful for your services as an artist and your continuation to assist me in my work."

"No!" Clara said vehemently. "He would never lay a hand on me. He would nary speak to me in anger. Whenever we argued he keep his voice soft and calm and if I pushed him too far, he would remove himself from the room. No, Benjamin would never hurt me."

"Benjamin," Lord Fitton smiled sadly. "So that is why you have come to have that name?"

"Yes," Clara said. "It was the first name that sprung to mind when Commander Redgrave asked me for mine."

"So, why are you running away from him then?" Lord Fitton asked not wishing to pry but wanting to understand.

"I..." Clara's eyes shined with pain. "I wish to have children. I have tried but I am a miserable failure. I hope... no, I pray that the Masters can tell me what is wrong with me. I have been with a child on more than occasion but I have lost them all." Just saying the words out loud caused the devastation of those moments to come rushing back to her, the pain forcing the tears from her eyes.

"I am so sorry, Clara," Lord Fitton said, taking a kerchief from his pocket and handing it to her.

"Thank you," Clara said dabbing lightly at her eyes.

"The last time it happened it nearly killed me. It shook up Benjamin so badly that he refused to make love to me from that point on, fearful that should it happen again it would bring me to my end. Although I understood his reasoning, without his love I felt I was experiencing a living death. I felt bereft. I just know if I could fix this one thing that is broken, that maybe Benjamin and I would have a chance at being what we were meant to be. That perhaps one day we would become a real family."

Lord Fitton didn't mince words, he jumped right to the conclusion that Clara feared most. "What if they can't heal you? What if you are not meant to bear children? What then Clara?"

Clara looked away. "Then I am useless, as a wife, as a lover, I am no longer his equal and he is better off without me."

Lord Fitton turned Clara's face so she was forced to look at him. "If he loves you as much as you say he does, he would never say such a thing about you, nor do I doubt would allow you to say such about yourself."

"It doesn't matter what is said," Clara stated blandly, the tears once again rolling down her cheeks. "It is a fact and one I can not deny. I must get to India. They must be able to fix me. If they can't..." Clara couldn't finish her sentence so Lord Fitton did it for her.

"If they cannot you must come with me." Suddenly so serious, and in complete command, Lord Fitton stared into Clara's eyes so she may feel the full weight of his words.

"Do you understand me?"

"I..."

"This is not up for discussion, Clara. If you choose a life without your husband, I know what alternative you will not speak, but I will not have it. You have come to mean too much to me, even if you are not what I had expected. You cannot expect me to turn my back on you, and pretend I do not know the outcome. You will have shelter and my protection."

"But if that is the result. If the Masters cannot heal me, I could never return to England."

"Then we do not return to England."

Clara's eyes widened in surprise, "I cannot ask this of you and you cannot ask it of yourself. Lord Fitton, I ..."

Lord Fitton put his finger to her lips, silencing her. "I have no need to return. I can be just as happy in India as I am in England or any other country. You see I don't quite fit in anywhere, so wherever I am is of little consequence to me, and if am honest... having you by my side would be far from a burden, as I am oft time quite lonely and your friendship would be more than I could possibly dream of asking for."

"So you see...your alternative must be me," Lord Fitton said with a smile.

Genuinely touched by his words. Clara could only say, "Thank you, I promise to consider your offer."

Lord Fitton knew this would be the only concession he would receive and settled for it. He promised himself that he would keep Clara safe no matter what. Whether it was to return her home to her husband or keep her with him, he would keep her safe even if it meant from herself.

"Shall we get back to work?" he asked and Clara smiled and nodded.

It was a rather enjoyable afternoon. Especially now that they could talk to one another and she could ask all of the questions she had wanted to ask about his work. Lord Fitton became quite animated in ways Clara has never seen before, as he spoke of the variety of flora and fauna he has had the pleasure of encountering over his years of travel.

Clara found it all fascinating as she has seen little of the world outside of the manor and her home with Benjamin. This excursion was a great gift and allowed her to have experiences she only read of in books. She knew the next story she wrote would be about adventure.

Soon Sturgis came to collect her. When there was a knock on the door, Clara rose to answer it but Lord Fitton grabbed her wrist and stopped her. "Does Sturgis know?"

"Yes," Clara said.

"Everything?" Lord Fitton questioned.

"Yes," Clara told him.

It all made sense now the dedication the boy had looking out for her when she was injured. He was most likely fearful of her discovery. He let her go and Clara answered the door.

"Are you ready Claremont?" Sturgis asked, "Cook needs you in the galley as it is nearing supper time."

"Coming," Clara said gathering her belongings, but again Lord Fitton intervened. He pulled Sturgis in the room much to his surprise and shut the door.

"Sturgis, lad. It has come to my attention that we have a very important task ahead of us. A task that only you and I can perform."

Sturgis features sported a frown. "I... Lord Fitton. What task am I suited for with these eyes," Sturgis asked the underlying frustration apparent in his voice.

"When we get to India we must no matter what the outcome from the Masters protect Clara, both you and she are under my protection but I am counting on you, lad to keep her safe whenever she is out of my care. Can I count on you, Sturgis?"

Sturgis stood a little straighter. "That you can, Lord Fitton. And should the Ayurvedic Masters restore my sight I swear not to let her out of it."

Lord Fitton patted the boy on the back. "That's a good, lad. I knew I could count on you."

Clara rolled her eyes at all this male bravado. Has she not proven that she is far from incapable when it comes to taking care of herself? Funny how when men realize you are truly a woman you suddenly become nothing more than a helpless damsel in distress.