My treasured friend,
It is very strange to be at Wansdyke again. The house and the servants are just as they were when we left. The bitterest cold of winter is behind us, and some days I feel a hint of moisture in the breeze, and it reminds me that snowdrops will soon appear.
Catherine is cheerful and chatty. I am amazed at her strength of spirit. On occasion, however, I see her staring hard out the window, her jaw set and her lips pressed firmly into a line as if she is holding herself together by sheer will.
Not a word from her father the earl, which is a relief.
There have been no letters from LaFrance. I have taken it upon myself to go through the post as soon as it arrives; the servants know that any communications are to be given to me directly. I can see that they are relieved t
