My tongue makes no bones about love letters. I was taught to write them by the best, Mr. Byron. So to you I would say—write a letter to my heart. It's that simple. The one who wrote best, wins." Marietta's eyes fluttered shut, then opened again. "Write a letter," she repeated, with new resolve. "Write me a love letter." His pen poised above the paper, Gabriel paused. "And I'm supposed to do this?" "Yes, Gabriel. Please, my dear boy. I have a secret I'd like to give you. Please write to me. I'm all the way out here in New York. There must be someone who misses me." She looked at him hopefully. "You can take some time off from your lessons and give your love a try." "I can't leave." He swallowed. "I'm afraid." "What?" Marietta frowned. "I'll do it if you promise not to be angry." Gabriel pushed his stool back, and got up to go. "Not angry?" Marietta's brows shot up. "What do you mean by that?" "This isn't real," Gabriel whispered. "This house isn't real. You aren't real. It's all some sort of trick of the real world—a practical joke." "Mr. Byron, please," Marietta said in a small, firm voice. "Please sit down." The small figure in the painting, the voice in the corner, and the bright green eyes all drew Gabriel back to his stool, if only for a moment. "I'm sorry, Mr. Byron. I was foolish to think you could do this—or that you could stop doing it. I should have known better than to look for you here. The world of letters has changed, my boy, and I don't exist in it anymore. I'm not sure I exist in any other world but this one." She rubbed at her chest. "You're free, Mr. Byron. Go home." Gabriel blinked back tears. "You will have everything you've ever wanted," she said. "You will always have that, whatever happens to me. That love is yours, Mr. Byron, and always will be yours. You need only claim it." Gabriel reached for the paper and quill. As he drew a blank page before him and dipped the quill into the inkwell, Marietta's painted figure in the painting said goodbye for the last time, the words barely a whisper in the dark. Gabriel didn't hear them. All he heard was the sound of a heart beating in an empty world. Chapter 16 His head hung down, the light from the hall at his back, Gabriel pushed his chair away from the desk. All this time, it had all been waiting for him in that room. All this time, she'd been waiting in that picture. It wasn't enough. It would never be enough. Even if he went back to her now, all that was good in his life, all that had once made him happy, would be gone. He'd never be able to go home, not to the real world. He'd never see Anna or Emily again. And he couldn't go on without them. Gabriel slid his books away from his desk. He'd taken this job with Dr. Blackwell because it was a starting point, a stepping stone to some great discovery. He needed to go back to her, whatever it took, and do it right this time. He'd been given so much for so little, and yet he hadn't done it right. He heard footsteps on the stairs. "Gabriel?" He turned to see Emily, back from the doctor's office. She'd stopped in the hall and was staring at him. "Emily." Gabriel rose, smiling sadly at her. "Come in. I'm leaving today." Emily entered the office. "Going back to that girl in the picture?" "Yes, Emily," he said, with a nod. "I'm going back to that girl in the picture." Emily's eyes went to the painting of Marietta as he spoke. She glanced at Gabriel before moving slowly toward it. "I can't stay," he said. "You'll be all right here. Just listen to Uncle." He could only watch as she stared at the picture, studying Marietta's face, as if she might know her from somewhere. "She's waiting for you," Gabriel said. "She always has been." He paused, taking a deep breath. "She was one of the first people I really loved, Em." Emily nodded slowly. "I know," she whispered. Gabriel gave Emily a hard look. "Don't be mad at me, Em." "I know." She spoke so quietly that Gabriel had to lean down to hear her. "What?" he whispered. "I love you," she said. "Emily?" His mind began to sink, as if a great weight had been taken off of it. "She loved me," Emily said. "I miss her." She looked at Gabriel. "You love her too. I know you do. I felt it in the picture. You loved her so much, and she loved you so much. And now she's gone." "Yes," Gabriel said, softly. "She's gone." "It's sad," Emily said. "Yes, it is sad. But there's nothing to be done about it now." He took Emily's hand, and led her back to the door. "I'll be back soon." "Good luck," Emily said, with a small, sad smile. She closed the door behind him. Gabriel opened the door to the attic. As he'd hoped, Will stood in the hall. "Good. You're ready to go. You should get down. You need to make sure Emily's okay, so she doesn't slip and fall." He began to walk toward the stairs. "And then there's one more thing I want to make sure of. Marietta wanted to see you. Not now, I'm sure, but maybe tomorrow. When the weather is good. Out there, in the park." Gabriel didn't hesitate. "I know." Will waited in the foyer as Gabriel climbed the stairs, one flight after another, until he came out onto the attic floor. He turned to look at his grandfather. "Thank you," he said. Will waved, and the two men walked in silence out the door, and into the bright morning sunlight. * * * Dr. Blackwell stood on the cobblestone path outside of Gabriel's room, his cane in his hand. He looked up as Gabriel approached. "Gabriel," he said, and his wrinkled face broke into a smile. "How's the world of letters treating you?" Gabriel shook the doctor's hand. "I'm ready to go back now," he said. "I'm sorry it took me so long, but I—" "I know you're ready," the doctor said, giving Gabriel's hand another squeeze. "Now go on—do what you need to do." Gabriel nodded. "I will." He pulled the book from the pouch at his side. He held it out to the doctor. "I won't need that anymore." The doctor let the book fall, and it disappeared from Gabriel's hands, along with all its bright, shining promise. "Now go, my boy. And good luck." Gabriel turned toward the path. He smiled at the doctor, nodded his thanks once more, and stepped through the door into the world of letters. * * * Gabriel walked along the brick path, up the gentle slope to the grassy hill that led to the pond. No. She's gone. Gabriel closed his eyes, and felt tears stream down his cheeks. "I love you," he whispered, and he stepped into the shadow of the weeping willow. Chapter 17 Gabriel sat alone in the small clearing beneath the weeping willow, staring at the empty pond. Marietta and Will had been here just the day before. He'd seen the pond then, as if for the first time. He hadn't realized that it was here until Emily mentioned it, before the doctor sent him back. The sky was the color of smoke and shadow. It was a very dark night. He looked up, studying the stars. Somewhere in those distant spheres was Marietta. He reached up and touched a small green stone in the corner of his left eye. "I love you, Marietta," he whispered. The stone crumbled in his hand. Gabriel stared at it, stunned. He'd been talking to her without saying a word to her. He ran his thumb over the stone, trying to call up the memory of her, but he knew he'd never forget her face, or her touch. He took out the letter. It was so long since he'd seen her. He hadn't felt like this about anyone since, well, since Marietta. And Will's letter only intensified that feeling, which explained why he felt so lonely now, and so frightened. What if they