It occured to Reinette once more just how free her discussion was with this newest stranger into her life. A certain ease came from court life, from the constant whirl of fabric and bodies and desire. Reinette was very pragmatic about discovering what people wanted. Not only was it useful, most often she merely wanted to know.

Yet there were certain aspects of this that felt different. Reinette wondered briefly why the communication always felt so different when they came from furthest away. It felt like more than mere different horizons.

Making a decision, Reinette stood up from the bench and offered Lord Byron her hand, not her arm. She knew quite a bit about finding her feet again.