She cried for only a few minutes more and then rose to her feet. It was wrong crying like this. What if Lucy were to come home? The poor dear was likely to become upset and wonder what was wrong. And Lucy certainly couldn't tell her. Anne would never understand. She was much too young and she'd been through too much already.

Her feet carried her into the bedroom where she quickly dressed for bed. It was still early yet, not quite nightfall, but now her head was throbbing. A nap would do her a world of good, even more so than her walk along the sidewalk in London had.

But sleep would not come, no matter how hard she tried. She tossed and turned, as images of Miles taunted her. Must she be punished for someone that she knew nothing about? He gave her no reason not to trust him, no reason at all. And yet she shouldn't have trusted him. If she hadn't, she would have been spared this pain.

Finally in defeat she climbed out of bed and put on her robe. Outside the wind was blowing, a sign that a storm was coming. But she didn't care. She needed to feel the wind and the spray of the ocean on her face. So she opened the French door and walked onto the balcony, as she had done many times before. However, it only took one look at the beautiful blue sea before she collapsed into tears once more. She cried even more than she had in her life, no longer caring that it was completely uncharacteristic of her.

"It's not fair! It's just not fair!" She sobbed into her hands.

"I know, Lucia… it's not fair, is it?"

As she had done in the carriage, she gasped, startled by the familiar voice. "It's you…."

His handsome face came to light before her and he smiled. "It is."

"But… I don't understand…"

"I came because you needed me. That is, unless I'm wrong."

"No, you're not wrong. I just-." She started to cry again and amazingly she could feel his arms around her, but how was that possible?

"Don't cry Lucia. I hate to see your tears. What happened?"

She leaned against him, comforted by the softness of his black coat and the way he was gently rubbing her back. "Oh Daniel, it was terrible! I-I did what you said… I fell in love, but…"

"What happened?"

"I did something stupid, Daniel, completely stupid! I… I decided to surprise him at his home. Only I'm the one who got the surprise!"

"I don't understand."

"He's married! And he has… two children!"

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea, because if I had…"

"Why am I so stupid?"

As she cried into her hands he held her even closer as she rested her face against his coat.

"Lucia, you're not stupid, so don't even think it. You're wonderful. You're beautiful and kind and you have a beautiful daughter."

She sighed. "I know, but it's not enough. It will never… I wish there was a way that we could be together."

"We will be…"

"But that could take…."

"Years, I know… But you have your whole life ahead of you."

"But how…"

"Go to him, Lucia. Go back to London and find him. He'll be there."

Her eyes widened. "Daniel you can't seriously be suggesting that I go running back to Miles!"

"No, not Miles, Lucia. I'm talking about Gregory."

"Gregory? You mean-."

"The man who took you home, yes."

"But-."

"Just go to London… You'll see…"

She held him tighter, wondering how it was possible for a ghost to feel so real. It had to be a dream. A wonderful dream that she never wanted to let go of.

And that night as she climbed back into bed, she thought about the handsome man that she'd met on her trip home. He was kind, generous and she owed him a great deal.

"Daniel?"

Almost as if by magic, he appeared before her. "Lucia…"

"I'll do it."

He smiled then. "Good."

"But where will you be?"

He took her hands and squeezed gently, and then leaned to kiss her; a kiss that was as gentle as the ocean breeze. "Right here, waiting for you, my darling."

THE END