Juliana has a piece of toast and tea for breakfast not able to eat more at the coaching inn that was the last leg of her journey. She would be in London today and see Annabelle. She wondered how her friend may have changed. It had been quite some time since she had last seen her. At sixteen Annabelle was sent off to her Aunt to be presented and had a husband by the end of the first season as she was touted as high beauty. Something Lady Catherine had enjoyed taking credit for, when the post would arrive from Lady Catherine's sister about Annabelle's progress.

"The coach is ready, Miss." the tavern owner told her and Juliana settled up with him for her stay and breakfast. He had returned some coins to her, "You hardly touched your meal, Miss. Keep your money, you may need them in the days to come."

"Thank you, sir." Juliana said putting the coins back in her reticule.

Once aboard, Juliana felt a surge of excitement. In a few hours she will be in her new home and in her new position. Yes, she was still a servant but she knew things would be different now that she was no longer under the rule of that tyrant, Lady Catherine.

She wondered how Richard was fairing. Oh, how she missed him. She briefly touched her lip. His kiss had inspired such emotions and feelings she knew she would never find its like again. She may die a spinster, however not unloved but loved but once.

When in Town she had hired a hackney to take her the rest of the way.

"We are here, Miss." Juliana took in the grand Townhouse on the crescent. The impressive exterior was a smooth-finished, cream-colored stucco laid on over brick, and artfully lined to imitate the look of large marble blocks.

The door swung open before Juliana made it up the few short stairs.

"Finally!" Annabelle said flushed with excitement. She grabbed Juliana in her embrace.

Annabelle was overjoyed to see Juliana again. "I can not believe what good fortune it was that I received that letter from Mother telling me you wished to come here." Annabelle said as she practically squeezed the life out of her childhood friend and teacher.

"It has been a long time." Juliana said giving the woman a peck on the cheek.

Look at me, jabbering about nonsense while your jacket is still on," Annabelle smiled warmly at Juliana. "God but it is good to see you again."

"With a welcome such as yours, it is good to be here." Juliana agreed. "So where are the young ones I need to teach?" Juliana asked removing her hat and gloves as well as her jacket as she took a look around the house.

"Oh," Annabelle seemed suddenly startled. "Come into the parlor," she motioned for Juliana to follow. "I made sure there would be tea ready. I was not quite sure when your coach was due in but I believe it should still be hot," Annabelle rushed on, pouring Juliana a cup as she spoke.

Juliana knew something was a miss. Ever since she was a child, whenever Annabelle had some news to impart good or bad one could always tell by her actions. She seemed to speed up somehow. Resting her arm on Annabelle's, Juliana calmed Annabelle long enough coax her to take a seat across from her.

"Annabelle what's wrong?"

"Well..." Annabelle hesitated only a moment before deciding it was best to just tell her the truth. "Juliana, my children already have a tutor. He's a wonderful elderly gentleman who lives only a few blocks away and the boys do their studies with him."

Juliana looked at her friend slightly confused. "Boys? But I thought I was being brought here to..."

Annabelle just shook her head in denial of Juliana's unfinished statement.

"Then why am I here?" Juliana asked now thoroughly baffled.

"When Mother wrote me I was overjoyed to hear news of you." Annabelle began. "After Clara was sent to Cousin Abigail to be presented we both wondered what was to become of you. We knew Mother held little regard for you, she made it apparently clear. We assumed she sent you packing and we would never see you again."

"Imagine my surprise when I was told you were still in Mother's service and that you wanted to come here. I could not tell you what that news did for my heart. You have always been like a sister to me. I should have known that Mother would have preferred to torture you instead of allowing you to take a position of governess elsewhere after we had gone. It made perfect sense now that I think of it."

Reaching out to grab Juliana's hands she said with complete sincerity, " Oh, I am so sorry Juliana. If only I had thought that it could have been the truth I would have sent for you instead of the other way around. It must have been awful for you."

Juliana smiled sweetly at the grown woman before her, how she loved her. Still the same Annabelle caring little for herself and perhaps too much for others, but she would never wish her changed. "Your Mother had left a message with me for you."

"What could she possibly want from me?" Annabelle asked she was shocked enough by the first message received by her mother as it had been years and they have hardly spoken.

Juliana briefly paused. To repeat the message brought such pain, like a sword to the heart. However, she took comfort in that it would be the very last command of Lady Bentley's she would ever be forced to fulfill. "Well she requests you keep your calendar clear for the next few weeks, it seems your brother is to be married."

"Richard? Married? To Whom?" Annabelle rushed on. "This is all a bit sudden is it not? Strange though," Annabelle paused only briefly before adding, "I had always thought you and my brother...well... I had always believed you were meant for one another," she finished lamely seeing the obvious distress that statement caused Juliana.

"Yes, so had I," Juliana replied with a heavy heart. "But things do not always happen as we imagine when we are children."

"Has he seen you?" Annabelle asked, the thought obviously just occurring to her and thinking if he had, her brother a fool to marry another.

"Yes, but he does not suspect I am who I am." Juliana said.

Annabelle frowned in confusion. "I do not understand."

Juliana paused wondering just how much of the story she should tell but figuring that it no longer matter said, "Your mother had told Richard that I had died with my family in the fire. He called me what the other servants called me, Anna."

"Richard thought you the hired help?" Annabelle asked in shocked disbelief.

With a smile, Juliana gently reminded her "That is what I am, or at least was. He had no recourse to think otherwise."

Annabelle threw her hands in the air and groaned in a very unladylike manner. "But he would have to be daft and blind not to realize it was you," she stated obviously annoyed with her brother obtuseness.

"Annabelle," Juliana reasoned feeling compelled to defend Richard from his sister's poor judgment of him, "I was twelve when he last laid eyes on me. I have changed much, and so has he." she concluded, even though she knew she would have recognized Richard anywhere.

"He must be insane." Annabelle said totally exasperated, shaking her head in denial and hands firmly at her hips. "Simply insane."

Juliana laughed at her friends over exaggeration of the situation. "Now about my job?" Juliana asked tentatively.

"Oh, that." Annabelle said as if it were something of little consequence. "My boys have a tutor."

"You mentioned that" Juliana said. "So where do I fit in?"

"Quite nicely I would imagine" Annabelle stated now practically bubbling with excitement as she recalled why it was she was so thrilled that Juliana was here. "You see I told Cyril of you and he knows I have been searching for you for some time now. See that painting above the mantle?"

Juliana looked at the lovely portrait of what she assumed were Annabelle's sons. "Yes, it is wonderful." Juliana replied still not understanding what all this had to do with her coming here and Annabelle's peculiar change in subject.

Annabelle blushed slightly. "Thank you, I painted it."

"You did?" Juliana looked at the painting again with new appreciation. It was so professional.

"Cyril has always been amazed by my ability for art and I told him you taught me all I know. Well when he heard that I found you, he gave me a most glorious idea."

"And what might that be?" Juliana asked tearing her gaze from the painting to look back at her friend.

Annabelle clasped her hands together in glee before announcing, "Well, you see my paintings have caught the attention of some very important people and now that word of mouth has spread many of them have offered to purchase them."

"What wonderful news!" Juliana exclaimed, "Cyril must be so proud of you."

"Yes, it is and he is," Annabelle agreed adding, "but that leaves me with one slight problem. I cannot possibly keep up with the demand. So I thought maybe two masters would be better than one?" Annabelle implied shyly.

It took Juliana a moment to grasp Annabelle's meaning. "You wish for me to go into business with you?" Juliana asked shocked by the idea.

Annabelle sat on the very edge of her seat and grasped both Juliana's hands in hers. "Oh, would you please Juliana, it would mean the world to me. I am an artist but I have no skills for numbers. You have both. You helped with your father's business and I remember how you would help Father with the ledgers. Between the two of us I know we can do it and best of all it would mean you being your own woman. Never again would you be subject to answering to someone else. What do you say? Will you do it?"

Juliana felt this must be one of the happiest days of her life. She was granted her freedom and a way of making a living on her own. She beamed back at Annabelle "Well, with an argument as strong as yours how could I not agree?"

Annabelle literally jumped for joy before once again embracing her friend. "You have no idea how happy you have made me. I can hardly wait to get started, but first I must allow some time for you to settle in, meet my Cyril and my boys."

"Oh, Juliana. With you here, I finally feel like my family is complete."

Juliana laughed. It felt so good to be a part of a family again, just the idea of it brought a joy and peace to her heart that Juliana doubted she would ever feel again.