Robert met her eyes. "You have made that point with admirable clarity."
Matilda almost smiled. "I do not wish there to be any confusion."
"Neither do I."
This time, when she held out the packet, he accepted it carefully: no flourish, no declaration. He simply took the most important thing she possessed and placed it beneath his arm.
Matilda felt fear immediately. The sensation was so strong that she almost asked for it back.
Robert saw something in her face. "You may change your mind."
That stopped her. "What?"
"You may decide not to entrust it to me."
"I have already handed it to you."
"That does not make the choice irreversible."
Matilda looked at the packet, then at him. "No. Take it."
Robert nodded once. "Very well." He rose. "I will return with the solicitor's receipt."
"You need not return today."
"I know."
"Then why would you?"
His expression softened. "Because I suspect you will want to know whether the seal remained intact."
She had no answer to that.
Robert bowed to Mrs. Albright and left. The room felt strangely empty after he had gone.
Mrs. Albright continued stitching for several seconds before speaking: "He did not ask what was inside."
"He knows."
"He knows part of it."
Matilda touched the tuning fork. "Enough, perhaps."