So Teddy was coming home...Emily thought. But that thought brought her back to those memories...Teddy had been originally planning to sail on the Flavian, but after Emily's almost divine intervention, he had, in the process, been saved from drowning with the rest of the ship's passengers and crew.

Emily had spent a night restless...the worst night of her life. She did not know whether she had saved Teddy or not from the great danger. But she knew then that he meant more to her than she had assumed, than her pride had let her assume.

The next morning, she ran to the Tansy Path, asking Mrs. Kent bluntly about her son. Emily saw the hatred in Mrs. Kent's eyes, but alas, Mrs. Kent told her: Teddy did not sail.

But then, Mrs. Kent caught her sleeve as Emily was turning to go and asked her wildly, why Emily cared.

And Emily's answer was more of a revelation to herself than to Mrs. Kent: she loved him!

And yet despite loving Teddy, she was going to marry Dean.

Emily knew Mrs. Kent would never tell Teddy. Mrs. Kent's jealousy had ensured Emily that clause. But why had she acknowledged an unwanted love, especially to a woman who hated her? A Murray would never do that. But Emily reminded herself that she was just as much Starr as Murray.

Perhaps it was the Starr side that forced her to make that confession...but it was over. She would avoid seeing Teddy...and perhaps, they both would forget...

Teddy didn't even care. Had he not ceased to write her? Of course, he was in love with Ilse...beautiful Ilse who Emily could not compete or hold a candle to her friend's beauty. Emily still remembered that night when Teddy stayed so close to Ilse, and mentioned the word "love" to her. Yes, she had known then that there was no hope for them.

Therefore, it was Emily who had to forget. He didn't even care, she said to herself again. There was no letter of congratulations from him when her engagement was announced, none after the incident as of yet...only a short letter of apology after her accident. She needed to let go...in those two weeks, she would stop thinking about him. And think about Dean and her future and the Disappointed House...not Teddy, never Teddy again.

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Emily alighted from the train and looked with pleasure at the bustling town that awaited her. She was glad that the 3 o'clock morning was over about Teddy. How silly she was pinning after a man who didn't care...wasn't she full of condescending pity over Ilse's want of Perry? After all, she was a Murray and a Starr. Certainly, her pride could swallow all of those feelings down. And she was a bride-to-be to top it off. Dean...there was a letter to be read...but she must do it after she arrived at her quarters.

"Hey ye, Miss Emily Starr!" a old man's voice called out. Emily whirled around and noted with amusement that the man was almost half her height...a little man with ever-so-white hair and blue, blue eyes.

He jumped off the wagon and squinted at her. "Ye be Miss Emily Starr?" he crackled.

"Yes, I am,"

"Err...I thought so, Mrs. Adel described ye as a young munchkin,"

Emily was reminded of old Mr. Kelly but hoped that this man would not badger her about marrying or anything of that kind. She stopped an unholy grin from spreading across her face.

"Me name's Mr. Sanders," He took her luggage and threw it in the back of the wagon. "I'm Mrs. Abel's hired man. Ye need anything Miss Emily Starr before we start the trip? It's a tiring one."

"No thank you," Emily replied, settling herself next to Mr. Sanders.

"All righty, here we go, then," Mr. Sanders smartly rapped the horse and it started off.

"So ye're the authoress of The Woman Who Spanked the King?" he asked.

"How did you know that?" Emily was surprised beyond herself. It had been some time ago since she had written the piece.

"Me wife's read it. Laughs herself silly every time. She's been wild to meet ye. Wants to know if ye've written anything else..."

"No, I've quite given up on that pursuit,"

"Eh, that's too bad. Ye're a pretty decent writer. I know, I choked a couple of times, hearing the story. Imagine! The king being such a naughty lad! Shows that they're human too, eh?"

"Indeed,"

Emily changed the subject quickly. It was another reminder of what she had lost.

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