Richard only got a quarter through his story before Alex was sound asleep. He watched as Alex's small chest rose and fell with his breath and wondered would he have a boy like his sister's sons or perhaps a girl, like Cecilia? The more he contemplated the thought of being a Father the more he realized he was not at all adverse to the idea. Alex was a bright boy and certainly had a bright future ahead of him. Suddenly their conversation earlier ran through his mind and Richard knew he must leave now if he had any chance of finding his Anna.

As he reached the front door Annabelle stopped him. "Richard, where are you headed?"

Donning his cape and gloves he smiled nonchalantly saying, "I guess that nap this afternoon worked a little too well. I am too awake to entertain the idea of sleep and so I thought a stroll might do me good."

"At this hour?" Annabelle looked at him as if he were daft.

"I am a big boy, sister dear, and it is only nine thirty. By the way you talk you would swear it were nearly a quarter to ten." He teased.

"Fine," she said in a huff, "go we have no room for sarcasm in this household." Annabelle practically shoved him out the door.

"I am off dear sister of mine," he said giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "Do not bother to wait up for me. I shall return, I promise."

Richard knew London like the back of his hand spending most of his youth here when attending school. He wandered through the streets. Soon he would be approaching Jasper Street. Richard knew he had no right to impose or intrude on her life. Anna had made it quite clear to his sister that she preferred not be found. That hurt just a little. Perhaps he was fooling himself in hoping that she held feelings for him?

In truth, he could not explain why he had the desire to seek her out. What would he do if he found her? What did he expect would happen? He found when posed with these questions he really did not care. His heart had only one demand and that was to see her, just this once before he was married, now that he was forced to give her up forever.

"Thank you," he heard someone say, the woman's voice was familiar. She had just purchased flowers from woman on the street. As she moved on Richard also approached the beggar woman and bought a single rose, while trying to keep the woman with the auburn hair in sight.

"If love is true it will be yours tonight." The beggar woman had prophesized. "From your lips to God's ears." Richard said to the old woman giving her a gold coin for her troubles. "Bless you sir! Bless you!" The woman gushed.

Richard had no time to respond for the woman he was following turned the corner and out of sight. He sprinted after her afraid he may lose her but as he rounded the corner he sighed in relief. There she was giving some coins to another pan handler in exchange for some candles. From his vantage point he could see her profile, it must be his Anna, he must not let her out of his sight again.

Juliana wore her new dress she had bought before her trip to London. She liked it because it made her feel bold and daring. Earlier she had bought herself some wine and roasted chicken, which awaited her at home. She had just got herself an armful of wild flowers and some beeswax candles. She felt like celebrating tonight for she believed that with Richard gone and married she would finally be rid of her childish notions of love and happily ever after. Soon she would start her new life as a businesswoman, artist and maybe even gallery owner. The idea brought a smile to her lips.

She turned the next corner and stopped in front of the third house, her house. She had a home. Now that was something to be happy about and nothing and nobody could ruin that for her.

"Good Evening," came a male voice far too close for comfort.

Juliana screamed. Her flowers and candles thrown into the wind. She had thought she was alone. She knew no one on this street.

"Shh!" Richard said soothingly. "Anna it is me, Richard." Her scream was loud enough to get the notice of the Watch. He had forgotten she frightened so easily.

Richard? It could not possibly be? Juliana turned still resting her hand on her racing heart.

"Why is it," he asked "that when ever we meet you end up dropping something?" Richard said with much amusement to his voice.

It was him. "Perhaps," she answered rather annoyed, as she bent down to pick up her flowers, "that is because ONE of us is always showing up where not expected. Or wanted for that matter."

Richard shrugged. He had to concede to that notion and bent down to help her gather her flowers.

"I think I got them all," Juliana said talking to herself, taking a second look to be certain.

"No, I think you missed one," Richard said pulling a rose from under his cape. It was a red rose. Juliana had never received a rose or any flowers from a man and there it was in pure perfection.

She frowned at it and refused to take it from him. "Richard, what are you doing here?"

"Ask me again?" Richard said with a rather sappy look upon his brow.

"Why?" Juliana asked perturbed taking her key from her reticule to let herself in. "Because," he told her, "it is the first time you have said my name. Richard. Not my Lord. Not Lord Bentley. Just Richard."

Juliana sighed suddenly feeling tired and entered her flat. "You may as well come in. You managed to follow me this far." Juliana said holding the door open for him.

Richard frowned as he took in his surroundings. The house outside appeared sound and well built but inside the furnishings were sparse and lacked any character. It was not a place he felt worthy of Anna.

Upon seeing Richard's obvious disapproval of where she lived Juliana felt infuriated. How dare he judge! "I just moved in, as in yesterday. I still have no furnishings except for a few from Annabelle and Cyril. So, is this what you came for? To see how the other half lives?" Juliana asked irritated, setting her flowers in a vase she had filled with water from the pump before she had left.

"I came to see you," Richard said still not totally believing he had found her. His odds were a hundred to one but here he was and there she stood. God she was beautiful. Her freedom had made her even more alluring. Her hair was only half swept up in a most attractive fashion instead of pulled back into a severe knot as she had always worn it at the Manor. Her lovely dress a pale yellow with delicate white lace trim, a perfect compliment to her auburn hair and dark eyes. She was a vision.

"Well that was a mistake." Juliana said feeling uneasy about his intense gaze. She moved to the stove to put a kettle on for tea.

"I am sorry if my presence here disturbs you," Richard offered feebly.

"There is no sorrow in your heart." Juliana said as she came to stand before him. "You know as well as I you have no business being here, but here you are."

"It was by chance I saw you on the street." Richard said knowing how foolish he sounded.

"Just by chance?" Juliana questioned, challenging the truth of Richard's statement. She laughed without mirth. She tried so hard to stay away and here he was so close she had only to reach out her hand and she could touch him. And oh, how she wished to touch him, to have him touch her.

"You just happened to see me here on the street on which I live with a rose in your cape?" she states her words dripping with sarcasm pointing out his obvious blunder. She took the rose in question from him, walked over to the vase to add it to her wild flowers, grateful to have a reason to move away.

Following her movements around the room as she set to the task of lighting the candles and stoking the hearth a thought occurred to Richard that had not before. "Are you expecting company?" he asked feeling the very recognizable stab of jealousy at the idea.

"No," Juliana said, "why would do you ask such a thing?"

Richard shrugged, "I was just curious. The meal, the wine laid out on the table and then there are the candles and the flowers you purchased coming home..."

Juliana interrupted his assessment by saying again, "Just by chance?" He had been following her for some time if he saw her purchase the flowers and the candles. "Not that I owe you an explanation, but to satisfy your curiosity, I have all these things because I had wished to celebrate." Juliana told him pouring herself a glass of wine, she chose not to offer him one.

"What are you celebrating?" Richard probed.

Juliana had sat down at a small table taking a long sip of the wine she poured. She then pulled a piece of meat from the bone and ate it with her fingers. "My freedom," she answered him, licking the juice from the roasted chicken from her fingertips.

"I would ask for you to join me but I know Annabelle feeds her men well and I am sure you are no exception. So is that how you learned where I lived, through Annabelle?" Juliana asked taking another sip of wine and catching a drip of it that had escaped her lips with her tongue.

Richard was amazed at how she could turn something as simple as enjoying a meal into a seductive action. "You should know Annabelle would never betray you. It was your cohorts in crime that turned you in."

Juliana smiled into her glass, she should have known. "Which one Alex or Willy?"

"Both actually," Richard had said smiling, "but Alex was the one who knew of Jasper Street."

"He must have overheard his father talking," Juliana mused aloud. "He would make a great Runner that one." Richard had called her Anna so that still meant he did not know who she was. Richard was right she should have never doubted Annabelle's loyalty.

"So it must feel good to be free of servitude?" Richard asked.

"Yes, it is." Juliana agreed "It is quite liberating to be free of that and other things."

"What other things?" Richard wanted to know. He wanted to learn anything he could about this creature that haunted his dreams and his every waking moment.

Juliana tilted her head to look at him. He was handsome. His good looks set her heart racing when ever she laid eyes on him, but the reasons she had for loving him had nothing to do with his superior build or kissable lips.

"You." she answered without hesitation. "I am celebrating my freedom from servitude and from you. You see I have this theory..." she began as she took not a sip but a gulp of wine. "I can not possibly be in love with you if you are marrying someone else." The wine had begun to loosen her lips but she could not care, it was a burden she carried way too long.

Richard was blown away by Anna's confession.

"But then again" Juliana mused, "that is a problem with theories you never know if they hold any truth."