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“Mama wrote to me, too,” Jane said. “She said she could remember you pulling at the lace upon one of those gowns whenever Nurse tried to dress you.”

“I am glad I confined my objections to the lace.”

“She was very pleased that we had brought them.”

Jane leaned back against the cushion. Elizabeth folded the letter and held it between her hands. The family felt briefly nearer, not because anything had changed, but because Jane could laugh at the same things without an explanation.

“You miss them,” Jane said.

“Of course I do.”

“I am sorry to have taken you so far away.”

“You have done nothing of the kind. I came of my own accord, and I mean to remain until I have taught your baby several useful accomplishments.”

“Such as?”

“Disagreeing civilly with its mother.”

“I believe Charles is already capable of teaching that.”

“Then I shall teach it to win.”

Jane put her hand over Elizabeth’s. They sat together until Charles came looking for his wife to ask whether she wished to walk upon the terrace before lunch.

“I have left my scissors in the bag,” Jane said, rising. “Will you put in the little collar you finished for me? I shall take them both downstairs afterward.”

“Certainly.”

Elizabeth remained at the window after they had gone. The dream had not troubled her while she read the letter. Remembering it now seemed almost an intrusion upon something she would rather think about.

She set the letter safely in the drawer of her writing desk and fetched the collar from her basket. Jane had tied the workbag’s ribbon in a bow, but one loop had been caught through the ivory ring. Elizabeth pulled at the wrong end before noticing the difficulty and drew the knot tight.

“That was very clever,” she murmured.

She put down the collar and attempted to loosen the knot with her fingers. The narrow ribbon had twisted upon itself. After a moment she laid the bag flat upon the table and reached toward her own basket for a pin.

The words from the dream returned without warning.

“Loose the binding,” she said under her breath.

Her hand had not yet reached the basket when the ribbon moved.

One blue loop shortened. The end beside it slipped backward through the knot, slowly enough for Elizabeth to see it go. The other loop fell open, and the two ends lay across the linen bag.

Elizabeth did not move.

Her hand remained suspended beside the basket. Jane was on the terrace. The door was open, but there was nobody upon the threshold and nothing upon the table that could have caught the ribbon.

At last she lowered her hand.

She had loosened the knot herself. She must have done so before reaching for the pin. The ribbon had merely taken a moment to fall apart.

Elizabeth touched one end. It lay quite still.

The explanation ought to have been sufficient. It was the sight of the end passing through the knot that made it difficult. She had watched it draw back, although neither hand was near it.

She tied the ribbon again, making an ordinary bow without passing a loop through the ring. Then she sat down and laid both hands upon her lap.