cloak closer around her as he marched away.
She rushed toward the gates, pulling her sister with her. The man's song had faded down the street, but the memory of it was too vivid. And Mr. Boyle waited at the gates.
"Lady Mount Clare," he said with a bow, his craggy face hidden by the broad brim of his hat. "Quite the spectacle, is it not?"
Eliza glanced back over her shoulder. No one paid them any heed, but they could not be too careful. Even work as seemingly innocuous as writing and printing pamphlets could lead to arrest and death.
"Anna," she said, trying to keep her tone light, "why don't you go ahead to the bookshop? It is not far, and I will be right behind you."
Anna gave her a doubtful frown, but she did go, quietly for once. Quiet was never a good sign with her sister, but Eliza had no time to worry about that now. She had only a moment to hear whatever Boyle's message might be.
"Indeed, it is a spectacle, Mr. Boyle," Eliza said softly.
"One we will see much more of in coming days," Boyle answered. He reached inside his coat, bringing out a small, sealed paper. "Will you be so kind as to deliver this to our friend Fitzgerald?"
"Of course," Eliza said, sliding the note into the fur muff over her arm. "Is that all?"
"For the moment. Your latest work has been a great success."
"I will have more in a few days."
"After the queen's birthday ball?"
"If all goes well." And if she could stay out of Will's way...
"Let us hope." He gave her another bow. "Good day, Lady Mount Clare."
As he left, disappearing into the milling crowd, Eliza tried to take a deep breath. She felt a sudden burning on the back of her neck and whirled around to find Will staring at her. His eyes fairly glowed with anger, even across the distance of the park. Had he seen the exchange, then? Did he know the significance of it from her stolen papers?
Her fist closed over the note in her muff, crushing it as she hurried away. She could still feel him watching, though, suspecting her as she turned the corner and headed for the bookshop.
Anna waited for her in the doorway, and at first, Eliza was relieved for the distraction of her presence. But Anna's lips were set in a stubborn line, and it was soon clear she would be yet more trouble.
"When I go back to Killinan," Anna said, "will you not come with me, Eliza?"
Eliza shook her head "I can't yet leave Dublin."
"But what if it's true?" Anna said stubbornly. It was obvious she had a thought in her head, one that would not be shaken free. "What if there are battles in the streets, houses burned? Blood in the river?"
'That won't happen," Eliza said, hurrying her sister into the shop. The note was like a rock in her hand. "You can stay with me until after the queen's birthday celebration next month. Then I'll join you at Killinan in the spring. In the meantime, I'm sure it will be more peaceful here than with Mama."
Anna ducked into a quiet aisle. "Then why can I not stay with you until the spring?"
"Mama has written that she needs you at home, to help with Caroline."
"I don't know why. Caro is always buried in her dull history books. She thinks I am quite the featherbrain."
The more fool Caro, then, Eliza thought wryly. Anna saw so much behind that facade of golden curls and silken gowns—things others might wish she did not
"Perhaps that is why they need you," she said. 44 To drag Caro out of her books and teach her some social graces. I'm sure Mama will want to marry her off soon enough, along with you."
"Shall we catch earls like you, Eliza?"
"I hope not," Eliza muttered.
"Of course not My heart is set on a duke, at the very least"
"Then you will have to go to London, for dukes are thin on the ground here."
"Or perhaps I will go to St Petersburg and find a Russian prince. They are quite plentiful there, or so I hear." They had come to a window, and Anna gazed at the carriages rattling by. "Where shall we go this evening?"
"I hardly know. Not St Petersburg, though," Eliza said.
She rushed toward the gates, pulling her sister with her. The man's song had faded down the street, but the memory of it was too vivid. And Mr. Boyle waited at the gates.
"Lady Mount Clare," he said with a bow, his craggy face hidden by the broad brim of his hat. "Quite the spectacle, is it not?"
Eliza glanced back over her shoulder. No one paid them any heed, but they could not be too careful. Even work as seemingly innocuous as writing and printing pamphlets could lead to arrest and death.
"Anna," she said, trying to keep her tone light, "why don't you go ahead to the bookshop? It is not far, and I will be right behind you."
Anna gave her a doubtful frown, but she did go, quietly for once. Quiet was never a good sign with her sister, but Eliza had no time to worry about that now. She had only a moment to hear whatever Boyle's message might be.
"Indeed, it is a spectacle, Mr. Boyle," Eliza said softly.
"One we will see much more of in coming days," Boyle answered. He reached inside his coat, bringing out a small, sealed paper. "Will you be so kind as to deliver this to our friend Fitzgerald?"
"Of course," Eliza said, sliding the note into the fur muff over her arm. "Is that all?"
"For the moment. Your latest work has been a great success."
"I will have more in a few days."
"After the queen's birthday ball?"
"If all goes well." And if she could stay out of Will's way...
"Let us hope." He gave her another bow. "Good day, Lady Mount Clare."
As he left, disappearing into the milling crowd, Eliza tried to take a deep breath. She felt a sudden burning on the back of her neck and whirled around to find Will staring at her. His eyes fairly glowed with anger, even across the distance of the park. Had he seen the exchange, then? Did he know the significance of it from her stolen papers?
Her fist closed over the note in her muff, crushing it as she hurried away. She could still feel him watching, though, suspecting her as she turned the corner and headed for the bookshop.
Anna waited for her in the doorway, and at first, Eliza was relieved for the distraction of her presence. But Anna's lips were set in a stubborn line, and it was soon clear she would be yet more trouble.
"When I go back to Killinan," Anna said, "will you not come with me, Eliza?"
Eliza shook her head "I can't yet leave Dublin."
"But what if it's true?" Anna said stubbornly. It was obvious she had a thought in her head, one that would not be shaken free. "What if there are battles in the streets, houses burned? Blood in the river?"
'That won't happen," Eliza said, hurrying her sister into the shop. The note was like a rock in her hand. "You can stay with me until after the queen's birthday celebration next month. Then I'll join you at Killinan in the spring. In the meantime, I'm sure it will be more peaceful here than with Mama."
Anna ducked into a quiet aisle. "Then why can I not stay with you until the spring?"
"Mama has written that she needs you at home, to help with Caroline."
"I don't know why. Caro is always buried in her dull history books. She thinks I am quite the featherbrain."
The more fool Caro, then, Eliza thought wryly. Anna saw so much behind that facade of golden curls and silken gowns—things others might wish she did not
"Perhaps that is why they need you," she said. 44 To drag Caro out of her books and teach her some social graces. I'm sure Mama will want to marry her off soon enough, along with you."
"Shall we catch earls like you, Eliza?"
"I hope not," Eliza muttered.
"Of course not My heart is set on a duke, at the very least"
"Then you will have to go to London, for dukes are thin on the ground here."
"Or perhaps I will go to St Petersburg and find a Russian prince. They are quite plentiful there, or so I hear." They had come to a window, and Anna gazed at the carriages rattling by. "Where shall we go this evening?"
"I hardly know. Not St Petersburg, though," Eliza said.
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