“The pleasure was all mine, Mr. Ross. Lydia is a most unusual young lady with bright prospects.” Mr. Simon gushed as he took Lydia’s hand briefly. “Best of luck to you in your future.”
On her way back to her room Lydia could think of nothing else but the future. The rumors of war they discussed seemed very distant. Not at all sleepy, she pulled out her journal eager to get down the conversation and the sights she had seen before she forgot any details. She lost track of time as she wrote until finally the coal oil lamp flickered and she realized she had burned through an extravagance of fuel. As always she wrote a page intended for Duncan, for although she had not heard from him since he left for Chicago, she never gave up hope that he was out there thinking of her as she thought of him.
