A delightful lavender scent drifted off Delphine’s person as she sat next to Bennett in the coach. It shouldn’t affect him, but it did. Greatly. It took a great effort on his part not to lean closer to her and bask in her nearness.
Fortunately, sanity prevailed. That, and his sisters were sitting across from him in the cramped coach.
He glanced over at Delphine and noticed that she was staring out the window. There was a line between her brow as she appeared deep in thought. He wished he could wipe away every worry, every concern, but it was not his place to do so.
In a few days, she would return home and that was for the best. At least, that was the lie he kept telling himself. He wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to her.
Elodie’s voice filled the coach, captivating everyone’s attention. “We are almost there,” she announced.
Reaching up, Melody adjusted the straw hat on her head as she turned to address her sister. “I am taking you at your word that you won’t tip over the rowboat.”
“I assure you that I won’t since I have no desire to have Mother lecture me about soiling another gown,” Elodie responded.
Bennett chuckled. “How is it that you soil so many gowns?”
“I’m not quite sure,” Elodie said. “The most unfortunate things happen to me. It is hardly my fault.”
“Then, precisely, whose fault is it?” Melody asked.
Elodie shrugged. “The universe.”
Melody shook her head. “When are you going to stop blaming everyone- and everything- but yourself for your misfortune?”
“Perhaps I will stop when Mother and Father accept that I wish to be a spinster forever.” Elodie paused. “I shall live in Delphine’s castle with her and I will be her apprentice.”
“You, an apprentice?” Bennett asked.
With a tilt of her chin, Elodie replied, “Yes, I would be the greatest apprentice of all time. People would write stories about me and perhaps even make up folk songs.”
Bennett knew he was going to regret this question, but he decided to ask it anyways. “What will you be an apprentice of, Sister?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes, it does, actually,” Bennett replied, “Being an apprentice means you intend to learn specific skills.
“Then I shall learn the art of running a business,” Elodie shared.
Bennett gave Elodie a disbelieving look. “Is that something you are truly interested in?”
“I had never considered running a business until I met Delphine,” Elodie said. “But why not?”
“Father would never allow you to do such a thing,” Bennett declared.
Elodie’s lips twitched. “Then I shall run far away and open the greatest business of all time.”
Bennett did not think Elodie was the least bit serious, but he decided to press her anyways. “And what type of business would that be?”
“I haven’t quite decided yet, but I will figure that out when I apprentice with Delphine,” Elodie stated.
Melody chimed in, “Being an apprentice would require you to be teachable.”
“I am very teachable. Everyone says so,” Elodie declared.
Bennett furrowed his brow. “Who, pray tell, is ‘everyone’?”
Elodie waved a dismissive hand in front of her. “The list is far too extensive for me to go into it now, but suffice it to say, you would know some of the people.”
“I do think you are making that list up,” Bennett remarked.
