Juliana had managed to get on famously with the Kane family. The boys were rambunctious. They reminded her so much of Richard when he was their age. Cyril, although at times a bit stuffy, found Juliana's knowledge of business laws and other such topics refreshing.

Annabelle confessed she did not have the mind to grasp such concepts. To which Cyril agreed but said it was one of the things that attracted her to him. She had such an eye for beauty and his days were spent dealing with things that were dark. She was a breath of fresh air whenever he came home to her.

Juliana demanded to pay some sort of rent to the Kane household, not wanting to take advantage of their kindness, but they would not hear it. The most she could get Cyril to concede to was allowing her to help Annabelle with the house. Their usual housekeeper's mother took sick and that left Annabelle to care for things on her own and with two boys the tender ages of seven and five Annabelle could use all the help she could get. Juliana had settled in quite nicely and was happy to feel a part of a family again.

"Juliana, this letter just came for you," Cyril said handing it to her and heading over to the table get some breakfast. Juliana could not imagine who would write her here. The only post that she received since she arrived weeks ago was from the family steward, Mr. Dooley. He forwarded her last week's wages from Bentley Manor to her. She had been surprised to see the postmark and handwriting was the same.

"Odd," Juliana thought as she opened the letter and read its contents. Her eyes widened and she felt her world crumble, "No! How can that be?" Juliana exclaimed. The letter slipped from her fingers and floated silently the to floor. Juliana's hands covered her face at this moment she just wished she would die.

Immediately alarmed Cyril came running to her side. "Juliana, what is it? What's wrong?" When Juliana could give no answer Cyril did the only thing he knew to do when faced with something he could not understand and called for his wife.

"Cyril? What is it?" Annabelle asked darting into the room not caring one lick for her husband's tone. "Juliana" he said as he pointed to where she sat in the chair. Annabelle knelt before her and slowly lowered Juliana's hands, silent tears carved their path down her cheeks, spilling over from her eyes.

"Juliana? Honey?" she asked in the same tone Juliana heard her use with her sons when they were upset by something, "What is it? Tell me. What has happened?"

Juliana looked down at her friend, but found it hard to speak. "My father..." was all she managed to force past her lips and she could speak no more. She instead pointed to the letter for Annabelle to read.

Annabelle picked up the letter that lay discarded on the floor. As she read the letter she too had a similar reaction to the news contained within. A trembling hand came to her lips and she looked sorrowfully at her friend. "Oh, Juliana," was all she could manage her heart breaking for the woman before her.

"Will someone please tell me what this is all about?" Cyril asked more cross then he intended. Upon seeing both women's reactions however he was not entirely sure he wanted to know.

Taking a few deep breaths. Annabelle tried to explain. "It is a letter from Father's steward. Contained within is a very large promissory note," she said holding it up for Cyril to see. It was a small fortune.

"The letter states that Juliana's father had turned over those funds to secure a betrothal of marriage to my brother Richard. Upon my father's death he had made it clear that should Richard marry someone other than Juliana that all funds were to be relinquished to her in her name to do with what she wished. No one else knew of the arrangement except my father and Mr. Dooley. My Father had wished it that way because he did not want my mother to have access to the funds. He also wished if Richard were to marry, he marry for love and not love of money. So it was kept secret from everyone even Juliana."

Cyril shook his head in confusion. "Well surely there is worse news than finding out you are now somewhat wealthy," he said to Juliana his practical mind unable to fill in the blanks.

Annabelle stood and faced her husband alarmed it seemed by his lack of tact and understanding. "How can you not see?" she said waving her hand to encompass the length of Juliana. "Do you not realize what this money could have meant to her, to my brother?"

As the blank stare only grew larger on Cyril's face Annabelle sighed with dismay and frustration. "What you seem not to understand is that Juliana has been in love with my brother since the beginning of time. When she had lost her family in the fire she was led to believe she had nothing and took a position of servitude with my family for more than ten years. A few months ago my brother who was injured in the war returned home. My mother who had Juliana as her personal servant told Richard that Juliana had died in the fire with her family. Juliana was so ashamed of her position she never told Richard who she really was and now..."

"Now he is marrying someone else," Juliana completed Annabelle's sentence finally able to find her voice. Standing up and taking back the letter from Annabelle, she made it even simpler for Cyril. "My only dream was to marry Richard, it was a dream I believed died with everything else I cared about in that fire. It was not true. This money could have made the difference. Given me the chance to present myself to Richard as his equal instead of his chambermaid!" She threw the letter from her in disgust, the mere sight of it threatened to be her undoing. The loathing for herself and her position was clearly evident in her tone.

Shocked Annabelle whirled on Juliana, eyes wide with wonder. "My mother made you Richard's..."

Juliana just nodded in affirmation to Annabelle's unfinished question. "And now," she said addressing Cyril again who obviously was getting a very clear picture, " I have lost him completely and the only thing I get to comfort me is this money which I care not about," she said looking at the discarded letter, the pain of it ripping at her heart.

"But surely if you explained to him. Told him who you are. Maybe he would choose you. He has not married yet," Cyril tried to inject something positive into the conversation.

"How do you know he is not married?" Juliana asked. Cyril looked to his wife and Annabelle bit her lip too much was said already.

"Annabelle? Cyril? How do you know?" Juliana asked looking from one to the other.

It was Annabelle that broke the silence. "I have received announcement of his betrothal to Cecelia Chase. I did not tell you, Juliana because I knew it would only upset you. We have also received a letter from Richard asking if he could visit with us. He is coming to London to procure a marriage license and wanted to ask Cyril's advice on something. If the date on the letter is correct he is due here tomorrow."

"Augh!" Juliana screamed throwing her hands up into the air pushing past the two of them as she walked into the foyer. She had nearly made it to her room before they came running out after her.

"He was only asking as a matter of formality there would not have been enough time for me to send a response," Annabelle said pleading for her friend's understanding.

Juliana did an about face and stormed up to Annabelle her temper boiling just below the surface.

"When were you going to tell me, Annabelle?" Juliana demanded to know.

Annabelle bit her lip again. She had betrayed her friend but she had only her best interests at heart. "I am not totally sure I would have." To which Juliana threw her hands up in the air again in a sign of surrender and turned to go back to her room but Annabelle's plea stopped her.

"Juliana, please? You are my dearest friend and Richard is my brother. Both of your happiness is important to me. I wanted a chance to talk to him first. He does not know who you really are. I thought maybe if I could talk to him that..."

"That what?" Juliana asked exasperated at the idea. "That you can wave some magic wand and put our lives back together again?"

Juliana knew she was being harsh and regretted the words even as she spoke them. The crestfallen look on Annabelle's face sent Juliana running to her and gathering her into an embrace as she begged, "Forgive me, Annabelle. You have been nothing but wonderful to me but I am afraid this is something no one could fix."

Pulling Annabelle way from her slightly so she could look her eye to eye she confessed, "I saw your brother and Cecilia in bed together. It was the last day I was in service as his chambermaid."

"Oh, Juliana." Annabelle said hugging her friend once more, "I am so sorry." Releasing her friend she nodded her head as if she had made her mind up about something. She looked at Annabelle and to Cyril and said, "When Richard comes here, please tell him nothing of me. He has made his choice. At least one of us has a chance to be happy."

"But he will be expecting to see you Juliana," Annabelle said. "He still believes you to be in service here."

"Tell him things did not work out as you wished. That I have moved on and you know not where."

"But where would you go?" Cyril asked concerned, he and Annabelle both had grown accustomed to Juliana being around and did not care for the idea that Richard's visit was forcing her from their home.

Juliana smiled and ran back to pick up the letter and the promissory note. Her change of mood was astounding. "You know the property that Annabelle and I want as our studio," Juliana asked.

"The one owned by my client?" Cyril inquired.

"Yes," she confirmed waving the note in her hand. "I want you to buy it." She said thrusting the note at him. "Tell the owner I will pay twice his asking price if I can move in immediately."

Looking quite proud she said, "That should get his attention. You have the keys I can move my belongings there tonight and you can let me know of his answer in the morning. There are two floors and a small dinning area with a stove. The top floor I will keep for our original purpose of a studio but the first floor would make a more than adequate flat for myself."

"Juliana I clearly see no reason why you have to be out of here tonight," Cyril said knowing full well Annabelle agreed with him. "If Richard does come tomorrow and you are here we will simply tell him otherwise," Cyril offered.

Shaking her head and placing her hand on his shoulder she said, "You do not understand. I am not removing myself from your home for my protection but I am doing so for Richard. I do not trust myself to see him again."

Cyril and Annabelle did as Juliana asked. Her belongings and a few other items they had loaned her were moved in that evening. The owner of the house was more than thrilled to take Juliana's generous offer.

"Are you sure you will be all right?" Annabelle asked for the tenth time as she helped her friend unpack an old set of dishes her and Cyril no longer had use for.

"You forget," Juliana reassured her, " I have been on my own for quite some time now. I can take care of myself."

Annabelle sighed, "The boys are going to miss you."

Juliana knew Annabelle would stop at nothing to get her to return home with her. "I will miss them too but I am not so far way that I will not be able to visit. In fact I was thinking of turning that room over there into a guest bedroom. They could even stay over once in awhile. If that was agreeable with you?" Juliana said giving Cyril a coy smile and a wink.

"What a night alone with my wife?" Cyril said smiling back however he was reprimanded with a sharp look from Annabelle. "Now what would we need that for," Cyril added quite unconvincingly to appease his wife.

"The truth is," Annabelle said as she took a break from unpacking, "... is that I am going to miss you."

Juliana knew all along that this was the true reason. "You, my friend, will be with me almost everyday painting beautiful pictures in our new studio. Who knows with my new found fortune maybe I will open a gallery or a museum to showcase all of our art and some of those other artists... maybe," she added with a giggle.

Annabelle threw a pillow at Juliana. "Do not go buying the town on my behalf," she said. Although Juliana knew secretly Annabelle liked the idea. It did hold promise.

"Well thank you both for all your kindness. In truth I am glad not to be a burden on you any longer."

"You have never been a burden to us." Cyril said giving Juliana a peck on the cheek. "You have made my Annabelle very happy and for that I will be eternally in your debt." Juliana smiled. Annabelle's husband was truly a good man.

"I miss you already," Annabelle said with a slight pout. "Well I will expect to see you the day after tomorrow if Richard decides not to stay over. We have work to do." Juliana said giving her friend a hug goodbye.

"Take care," she said as she waved to them until their coach disappeared. She believed she was going to like living here, but only time would tell.