Regulus smiled, watching with amusement as Carina scampered off. He half expected to hear her chattering on in her own strange mixture of English and French about what she saw. He was pleased beyond words that Aurora had chosen to come with them. Granted, he knew that a good deal of that had to do with his daughter's charming pleading at their last lesson, but he didn't care. Regulus appreciated the adult company, and particularly that it was Aurora's company.

It had been odd, the last few months. The more time he spent around her, the more he saw of the careful, skillful way she had of making Carina anticipate their lessons with glee, the more he began to be intrigued by her. She wasn't like many of the women he had met since his return. They were interested in the poor seemingly wealthy and well connected widower. None of them had been brazen enough to throw themselves at him, but he had heard the whispers, seen the glances. No, Aurora was different, reserved and independent and so damned confusing that a man could spend a lifetime just trying to figure her out. She was beautiful, but more than just a pretty face. Intelligent, but with such a personality that she could make him laugh and think. Engaging for adult conversation yet still gifted in dealing with his daughter.

And there were the scars. He had taken to studying her when he thought she wouldn't notice, and he had noticed one small, faint scar near her hairline, and another near her eyes. It led him to wonder if there were others he had missed, and how exactly she had gotten scars in such places. They were too small and faint to be from dueling, he decided, but he had yet to come up with another explanation, and not having any answer was maddening. He wanted to ask her about them, about a great many things but he worried that she was so busy pegging him in the very professional role of the father of her pupil that she wouldn't open up that much. She was more than happy to share minor details, where she grew up, about her education and teaching credentials, but some things he knew were divided by that wall of being professional, and that was maddening as well.

But today wasn't like that. Today was about Carina, and him enjoying one of the rare excursions Aurora had agreed to. He pointed out something in a shop just ahead. "A galleon says that she'll spot that in a moment and insist on showing it to us."