“Yes, thank you.”
“What are you doing?”
“Working on a composition. I’m sorry if I disturbed you last night.”
“I heard the pianoforte now and then, but you didn’t disturb me. I haven’t been sleeping all that well anyway.”
“Neither have I.”
“Cam, do you think we could ride into Bath and see Kat today?”
He smiled at his sister. “You know, I had a very productive night. I think there is time to go see Kat today.”
Tricia gave him a quick hug. “That’s wonderful. I do miss her. I know she’s in good hands, but it’s frightening, not knowing what is wrong with her.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Cam…”
“Hmm?”
“How are we going to…? That is, where will the money come from for Kat’s care?”
Cameron took a breath before answering. “Don’t worry about it. I have it under control.”
“How?”
“I got another commission, and I just completed it.” He set down the parchment. “I need to go to Bath anyway to get some new quills and parchment so I can make my final copy.” He sighed. “This is my best work ever,” he said, more to himself than to his sister.
“Who commissioned the work?” Tricia asked.
An invisible knife stabbed him in the gut. “Just some stuffy aristocrat. He wants to use my music to propose to his future wife.”
Tricia brought him his tea. “Cam?”
“Hmm?”
“I was wondering… What happened between you and Lady Rose?”
Cameron took a sip of his tea and cleared his throat. Just the topic he didn’t want to discuss. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not a child, Cameron. I saw the way things were between you.”
“You’re imagining things.”
“I don’t think so.”
“She’s a lady of the peerage. She has no interest in me, nor I in her. Now leave it, will you?”
“Cam,” Tricia said, “that night she stayed here, when we thought Kat had scarlet fever, I got up in the middle of the night to use the convenience, and then I checked on Kat. Mum had fallen asleep next to her, and Kat was awake. She asked for you, so I went to your chamber, but you weren’t there. So I went back to Kat, but she had fallen asleep.”
“Trish…”
“I didn’t think much about it, but since Lady Rose left, you’ve seemed so…lost.”
“I’m just worried about Kat, the same as you.”
“Why have you never married, Cam?”