He returned to London more than a week after he left, arriving at sunset. The family was waiting for him, gathered in the gold salon as they had done every night since receiving the news of Sophie's elopement. Claudia hardly noticed them—she had been too consumed with guilt and frantic with worry for Julian. Never had she seen a man look so haunted or despondent as he had when he left. When the footman opened the door to the salon to give Julian entry, everyone came anxiously to their feet. Only Tinley seemed not to notice, doing something at the sideboard that obviously fascinated him far more than his master's arrival. Behind them all, Claudia rose slowly from her seat at the writing table. Julian strolled into the room, loosening his neckcloth. His gaze swept over them all, passing her as if she did not exist. His nieces, oblivious to the tension in the room, jumped from the settee and rushed forward to greet him. "Jeannine, my love, what a beautiful frock!" he exclaimed, picking her up to place a kiss on her cheek.
