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It was almost a physical pain to tear herself away from him and she
dressed quietly as he watched her, totally enthralled with the long,
graceful limbs, the beauty of her movements. It was as though he
couldn't believe his good fortune in finding her, and she still couldn't
quite believe all that had happened.

"I will never, ever let you be sorry that you love me, " he said to her
before they left, both of them somewhat shaken by the enormous steps
they'd taken, and yet she had no regrets. She had cast her lot with his
that day, and now they were bound to each other forever.

He let her drive part of the way home, and several times she frightened
him, but he loved it. They laughed, they sang, they were like two
children who had set sail in a tiny boat on a stormy sea, and all they
could do now was trust the Fates to protect them.

"I love you, Toby Whitticomb, " she said in a strong, clear voice when
he dropped her three blocks from home, hating to leave her.

"Not as much as I love you. You'll see, you'll be mine one day, " he
said proudly, "though I don't deserve you."

"I already am yours, " she whispered, and then kissed his cheek, before
stepping back onto the sidewalk, still a little dazed by what she'd done
for him, and the enormity of their commitment.

She waved as he drove away, her eyes riveted to him for as long as she
could see him. They had promised to meet again the next day, at the
library again, and they were going back to the little house that was
theirs now.

Chapter 6.

October was fraught with activity for all of them. Edward Henderson had
all but concluded an enormous business deal, and he was actually
enjoying it greatly. He went to John Watson's office every day, and
spent hours at conference tables, surrounded by bankers and attorneys.

Olivia had made several friends, and was invited everywhere for
luncheons and teas, and although Victoria was invited too, she seldom
joined her. She told Olivia she was going to lectures and meetings of
the National American Women's Suffrage Association, but Olivia suspected
there was more to it than that. She knew instinctively that among the
other things she did, she was secretly meeting Toby Whitticomb.

Olivia no longer said anything, but she was constantly watching her
sister. She saw the changes in her, knew how much in love she must have
been, but knew just as well how little she could do to stop it.

The Hendersons continued to go to concerts and plays, and at her
father's request, Olivia gave two more small dinners. Charles Dawson
came to one of them, but he spent much of the evening discussing
business with her father. And Olivia was less talkative than usual.

She was far too worded about her sister. There seemed to be a silence
between them these days, a block of something impenetrable that Olivia
felt but could not see or reach through, and whenever she tried to
question Victoria about it, she insisted
that Olivia was imagining it, nothing between them was any different.

Olivia was beginning to long for the time when they would go home, and
she could reclaim her sister from her infatuation with Toby. More than
ever, she found that she missed her. But in late October, Edward
Henderson was saying that he doubted they would go back to Croton until
Thanksgiving. He was concluding the sale of the mill, and he thought
that being in New York was good for them anyway, it gave them a chance
to make friends, and he sometimes winked at them, perhaps even meet
husbands. In any case, it was obvious how much they enjoyed it.

Olivia was in many ways still the same, but she had honed her social
skills and became the perfect hostess. But it was Victoria who seemed to
have blossomed into womanhood, and there suddenly seemed to be an aura
of something much more sophisticated about her. It was something which
no one discussed, but all of those who knew her well had noticed.

Olivia had seen it too, but never questioned it openly, she decided that
it must have been a style Victoria was affecting in order to appeal to
Toby.

And Victoria said nothing at all, to anyone, and least of all to her
sister. Olivia knew nothing of her twin's trysts with him, and certainly
not what was happening at the little house far uptown, where they met
each morning, yet she sensed that Victoria's relationship with him had
deepened. Olivia knew also that Victoria was avoiding her, and seemed
far too busy, which Olivia thought was suspicious.

"You haven't tired of our city yet? " Charles Dawson asked Olivia one
afternoon when he came to see her father. She had come to oversee the
serving of the tea tray, and her father had asked her to stay, since
they had concluded their business.

"Perhaps a little, " she smiled. "I like it here, but I miss the turning
of the leaves in Croton."

"We'll be back soon." Her father smiled at her, grateful for all her
help. For the past two months, she had had the house in New York running
to perfection.

"You must bring Geoffrey to visit us, " she said warmly to Charles, sorry
that she still hadn't met him.

"He'd love it, " Charles assured her.

"Does he ride? " Charles shook his head regretfully in answer.

"Perhaps I could teach him."

"I'm sure he'd like that."

"Where's your sister this afternoon, by the way? " Her father
interrupted them, curious about the whereabouts of his other daughter.

"Out with friends. The usual. The library. I'm really not sure.

She should be back any minute."

"She's certainly out a lot these days, " he smiled at her. He was happy
that they had enjoyed New York so much, everyone was enamored with them,
and fascinated by the totally identical sisters.

Charles left a little while after that, and Victoria was just coming up
the front steps as he left. A car drove rapidly away, but no one
noticed, and he chatted with her for a moment. There was something odd
in her eyes this time, something vague and dreamy, and once again he was
struck by how similar she was to her twin, and yet at some vague,
mystical level, how different. And yet there were definitely times when
he saw them together that he couldn't tell them apart for a single
instant. He was still musing about it as he drove home to his son.

Thanksgiving and Christmas would be upon them soon, and Charles was
dreading them. The holidays had been an agony the year before, without
Susan.

The Hendersons went to a concert at Carnegie Hall that night, and ran
into several acquaintances, among them Tobias Whitticomb who was sharing
a box with friends, but his wife was not among them. Someone said that
they had heard she was ill, and someone else laughed and volunteered
that they had heard she was expecting. Victoria only smiled to herself,
knowing that she couldn't be, and that he was leaving her in the very
near future. Perhaps they had decided that it was simpler if he went out
alone. But whatever the reason, he and Victoria spent most of the
evening with their eyes riveted to each other.

Her father noticed it this time too, but he said nothing to her on the
drive home, and silently hoped that young Whiwcomb had not singled her
out as the next object of his affections.

"Father saw what happened tonight, " Olivia warned when they undressed,
but Victoria brushed her off as she always did now. It pained Olivia
constantly to feel the distance between them. It was a physical ache, a
visceral pain she never seemed to be Ad of.

"Father doesn't know anything, " Victoria said with complete assurance.

"What exactly is there to know? " Olivia asked softly, suddenly
terrified of how far it had gone, but Victoria didn't even deign to
answer, and that night both girls had nightmares.

But in the morning, the nightmares came true. John Watson called, as he
often did, and asked if he might come by to see Edward Henderson at home
on his way to the office. The visit did not seem unusual, and Henderson
was always glad to see him.

Bertie brought them coffee in the library, and there was a long pause as
John sat and watched Edward. When they were alone John still didn't have
any idea how to begin what he had to tell him. He thought of his old
friend's weak heart, the health that had wavered somewhat in recent
years, and yet he knew there was no other choice available to him.

He had to tell him. He owed it to Edward.

"I'm afraid, " he began slowly, "I have rather bad news." The two men
exchanged a long look. It was like watching a door open to reveal an
abyss into which neither of them wanted to leap now.

"The sale of the mill has fallen through? " He looked disappointed, but
not devastated, but John shook his head in answer.

"No, fortunately, all's well there. In fact, we hope to have the entire
matter complete by Christmas."

"I thought so, " Edward said, they had worked hard on it, and there had
been no suggestion of any problems.

"It's personal, I'm afraid. Something that grieves me deeply to tell
you, and will grieve you. I talked to Martha about it at great length
last night, and we both felt you should know. It's Victoria, Edward.

I'm afraid, " he could hardly bang himself to say the words, for fear it
would kill his friend, or at best wound him deeply. "She's done a very
foolish thing. She's involved with young Whitticomb .. .

seriously ..

. I'm sorry." Their eyes met, awfully, and said a thousand unspeakable
things between the two men. "Apparently there's a little house just
north of town where they meet .. . where they've been meeting.

Someone's housekeeper has been seeing them there every day for the past
month. I'm afraid she .. .

l you can imagine the rest. Oh God, Edward, I'm so sorry, " he said,
watching his old friend's eyes fill with tears, but for a moment Edward
Henderson said nothing.

"Are you sure of this? Who is this woman? Should I speak to her?

Perhaps she's Lying. It could be blackmail."

"Possibly. But given the man's reputation, I was inclined to believe the
story. I wouldn't have come to you unless I was fairly sure of it."

And then, "Do you want me to speak to him? Perhaps we both should."

"I might kill him, if it's true, " Edward said grimly. "I just can't
believe that of Victoria. She's impulsive occasionally, and she's not
above driving my cars or stealing my favorite horse from time to time
for a nice fast ride over the fields, or even through my best garden.

But not this, John .. . not this .. . I just can't believe it of her."

"Neither can I. But she's very young, and naive. I believe he's quite
adept at this. The woman says that he keeps the house just for that
purpose."

"The man belongs in prison."

"And if it's true?

What about your daughter? She can't marry him.

He already is married, with a house full of children, an aristocratic
wife, and I understand from Martha that she's expecting another baby.

I'm afraid this is quite grim."

"Do you suppose anyone knows? " Edward's eyes met his squarely, though
he hated asking the question.

But for Watson, this was almost the worst part.

"He said something to Lionel Matheson at his club a few days ago.

I didn't believe it when I heard it then. Someone in the office told me.

The man is obviously a complete lout if he's willing to destroy a young
girl's reputation. He told Matheson that he was having an affair with a
sweet young thing who had no idea what time it was, and when he was
through with her, there was an identical sister. He didn't mention any
names, but given that comment, he doesn't have to." Edward Henderson
went pale, and if John Watson hadn't been there, he would have gone
straight upstairs to see his daughters. "You'll have to do something
about this quickly, " Watson said what was already clear to both of
them, he's making comments like that, it'll be all over town in no time.

What about sending her to Europe for a while, on a tap somewhere ..

.

anywhere .. . just to get her away from here, and from him.

But after that, you'll have to think seriously about her future.

You'll have to do something. You can't just leave this as it is, it'll
ruin her.

She'll never find a husband after this, or if she does, it won't be
someone you'd want for her."

"I know that, " Edward Henderson said miserably, grateful to his old
friend for his honesty, yet agonized over what he'd been hearing.

"I'll have to think this out. I'll send her back to Croton tomorrow.

But after that, I'm not sure. Europe's not the answer .. . I don't know
what to do with her. I'd force him to marry her if I could, but what the
devil am I supposed to do with a married man with four children? "

"Shoot him, " John Watson said, trying to inject a little humor where
there was precious little, but Edward shot a wintry smile at him and
nodded.

"Believe me, I'd like to. I think I should speak to him. I'd like to
know what happened."

"I don't think you should do that, it's fairly obvious, and you'll upset
yourself for nothing. I'd like to think that he's sincere, though I
doubt it, but even if he is, what will that do for Victoria?