Ellie's hand covered hers gently. "I am not upset, Liza," she promised. "But I do not wish to come between you both. It has been so long since you have been together. Another hour will hardly make any difference in you and I getting to know one another, after all."

"Where did you find this woman, Jamie?" Eliza said, her tone softening. While some women would have reacted with jealousy to share their brother, Eliza only seemed happy her brother had found someone to share his life with.

Jay chuckled. "Would you believe Georgetown?"

A waiter approached to hand them menus and take their drinks order, something Eleanor was comfortable to give in fluent French with a bright smile that made the man stand up a little straighter and walk a little taller. She turned back to the siblings with her, amused by Jay's answer. "I hardly think you were the one to find me, darling."

"Oh! A woman who knows what she wants," Eliza declared, jumping to conclusions a little bit and assuming Eleanor had pursued him, rather than the other way around. She paused a moment to place her own order in just as fluid French, delighted she did not have to worry about translating for either of them.

"It's true," Ellie agreed with deceptive innocence. "I sought him out within days of arriving in Georgetown. He had such an impressive reputation, you see."

"Did he, now?" Eliza said, brows arching upwards as she regarded her brother with renewed interest.

"Before you get the wrong idea," James interjected, "she was looking to hire a guide."

"Yes, do go on," Eliza urged either or both.

Laughing again, Ellie did just that, entirely honest in her speech as she spun the tale of how business had turned to love in the depths of the Amazon Basin. By the time she was done, she was blushing again, remembering the thrill of those weeks on the boat, sipping a glass of wine in an attempt to calm her shy response to her own thoughts.

By the time Eleanor was through with her story, with Jay adding bits and pieces, the three of them were looking like they'd known each other forever. It didn't hurt that they'd each imbibed of the wine a little, which did wonders to relax jangled nerves. "And now, here you both are!" Eliza declared, smiling fondly at them both, with the merest hint of tears in her eyes. "I really have missed you, Brother," she said, looking from one to the other. "And I really am very happy for you both. Truly, I am."

That hint of tears was not lost on Eleanor, though she was careful not to make it obvious that she had noticed. Her hand squeezed Eliza's gently, half-apology for being happy in her presence, half-concern and an offer to listen if she needed it. "We are hoping to take rooms here in Paris for a while," she told the other woman. "We have many plans to make for the future."

"You do not have rooms?" Eliza asked, looking quizzically and a little worriedly from one to the other. "No matter," she said with another wave of her hand. "I'm sure we can find you something. How long are you planning on staying?" she asked further, trying not to look like she was too eager to have them stay as long as they wanted.

"We're not sure exactly," Jay replied, with a glance Eleanor's way. "We're still working that out."

"I should think we will be here until the new year begins, at the earliest," Ellie suggested. After all, they had an entire lifetime to settle, and that would involve a certain amount of communication and waiting for responses. "My friend, Alex, is currently in the process of taking rooms for us," she added, to reassure Eliza. "We are not homeless, Liza."

"Oh, good!" Eliza said, not quite breathing a sigh of relief. Paris was a fun place to live, but it was also expensive. She had her own fair share of troubles trying to make ends meet here, even with her brother's help. She murmured her thanks to the waiter as their meals arrived, waiting until he left before launching into more questions. "This friend of yours, Alex ....He was with you both in South America?"

"Yes, Alex is ..." Jay started, looking to Eleanor for explanation.

Of course, one of the first things Ellie and Jay had done when they arrived in Paris was pay the next five months' rent on Eliza's apartments, but she wasn't likely to realize that until later. Ellie's smile flickered into view at the curious glance sent her way.

"Alex is my best friend," she told Eliza. "He is also a lawyer - he came with me to officially witness any evidence of my father's fate. I may have bullied him somewhat into taking a holiday here in Paris while we visit with you."

"Is he handsome?" Eliza blurted, before she could stop herself, eyes sparkling with mischief. She was, after all, feeling the effects of the wine on a mostly empty stomach. And this was Paris - arguably, one of the most romantic cities on Earth.

Her new sister-in-law rolled her eyes. "I am hardly the person to ask that," she admitted with a smile. "I have never really seen Alex as a man. He has always been just ....there. Would you say he is handsome, Jay?"

Jay actually snorted at the ridiculousness of the question. "I do not think I am a good judge of that," he said, mostly because he was a man, too, and had no idea what women found attractive. He didn't even really understand what Eleanor found attractive about him.

"Are you particularly against certain accents, Liza?" Ellie asked then, delicately cutting into her meat as she spoke. "Alex has a beautiful Edinburgh Scots accent."

For some reason, Eliza had to think about that a moment before answering. "Does he go about in a skirt?" she asked, knowing full well that it was properly called a kilt.

Eleanor spluttered, choking on a laugh around her mouthful of pork. She had to grope for the water glass to soothe her throat, her face bright red with a mixture of respiratory distress and giggles. "No," she gasped eventually, clearing her throat as delicately as possible. "But please ask him that to his face where I can see the reaction."

Jay was quick to pat her back, albeit gently, a concerned look on his face, before he realized she was going to survive. He eyed his sister, but could not find it in him to scold her. Eliza laughed, either not noticing or simply ignoring her brother's expression. "When am I to meet him?" she asked, smiling.

"At dinner tonight?" Eleanor suggested, still a little breathless. She smiled at Jay, gently taking his hand for a moment. "I am fine," she told him firmly. "I should not have taken so large a bite."

"Brilliant!" Eliza declared, seemingly excited to make a new friend. It didn't hurt that he was of the male persuasion. She just hoped he was handsome, though she knew she probably shouldn't get her hopes up, considering how her last romantic entanglement turned out. "To fresh starts and new friends!" she said, lifting her glass to them both.

"To family and the future," Ellie agreed, raising her own glass with a smile. If nothing else, she predicted that Alex and Eliza should at least amuse each other.

"Cheers!" Eliza declared, clinking her glass first against Ellie's, then Jay's.

"I'll drink to that," Jay said, getting a few words in edgewise at last. "So, tell us, what have you been up to these last few months in Paris?" he asked of his sister, thinking it was only fair to turn the tables on her a little.

Jay blinked, still looking a little confused, despite her explanation. "But I thought ..." he muttered, brows furrowed. "She never said a word of it in all her letters," he argued, feeling a pang of guilt at not having known or done more to take care of her. He had been sending her money for years - what had she been doing with it"

"Of course she didn't," Ellie told him. "She has her pride, and she loves you a great deal. Do not mention this to her, love. When she is ready, she will tell you. But I suggest we shower her in generosity and family feeling."

Jay nodded, not quite sure what to make of it, but trusting Ellie to know, seeing as how she was female. "Of course," he said, still looking a little bewildered by all this. "Whatever she needs."

She squeezed his hand, glancing toward the powder room. "Give me a moment, I will go and check on her," she told him, rising from her seat. She bent to kiss his brow. "Try not to worry so, darling. We are in the perfect position to look after her now."

He nodded again, still looking like he was in a state of shock. Why hadn't he known" Why hadn't she told him' He only hoped things weren't as bad as they seemed. It worried him to know she might be having a hard time and suffering through it alone. He thought she'd been happy here.

By the time Eleanor reached the powder room, she could hear the sound of sniffling from inside one of the stalls.

Ellie let herself into the powder room, gently knocking on the door of the one occupied stall. "Liza?" she called softly. "How can I help you with this?"

Eliza coughed, as if to try and cover up the fact that she was crying. "I'm fine. Really, I am. Just happy to see Jamie again. It's been too long," she said, the threat of tears apparent in her voice.

"Darling, you don't need to pretend," Ellie promised her, her own voice still gentle as she spoke through the door. "I can see that you have been struggling, and I have no intention of allowing you to struggle again. But you need to tell someone before you explode."

Eliza blew her nose gently, dabbing at her eyes to try and make herself look halfway presentable before stepping out of the stall to face her new sister-in-law. "I'm sorry, Ellie," she told the other woman, choosing to shorten Eleanor's name, just as her brother had. It sounded so much more intimate that way. "I didn't mean to get upset. I am happy for you both. Truly, I am. You cannot imagine how much I have missed him."

Eleanor took her hand gently, drawing her over to the plush seats in the powder room proper to sit down and calm down. "Liza, whatever has happened has clearly touched you deeply," she said quietly. "You do not have to make excuses for your own emotions. Feel what you feel. I would just like to help, however I can."

Eliza let herself be led, taking a seat beside Eleanor, only to wring her hands in her lap before dabbing once again at her tears. "You are very kind, Ellie, but I'm afraid no one can help," she said. All the money in the world wouldn't mend a broken heart, but what was troubling her went even deeper than that.

Ellie inched a little closer, pulling her own handkerchief from her pocket and offering it over. "Tell me," she suggested softly. "We are sisters now. Family looks after its own."

"I-I don't want James to know," Eliza confessed, gratefully accepting the handkerchief, as well as the offer of family. She had been even younger than Jay when they'd lost their mother, and though she adored her brother, she had desperately missed having another female with whom to share life's joys and sorrows.

"Then I will not tell him," Ellie promised her with a soft smile. "I do not tell him everything. Your secrets are safe with me, unless you are in danger."

Eliza shook her head to indicate that wasn't in any danger. "It's nothing like that," she said. "I just ....I feel so foolish. I'm ashamed, Ellie, and I don't want James to know what a silly girl I've been."

Rubbing her hand gently over Eliza's back, Eleanor offered up her small smile once again. "There is no one in this world who has not been foolish at least once," she assured her new sister. "I will tell no one, I promise you that. But there is no need for you to suffer in silence."

"Not as foolish as I," Eliza replied, with a hint of self-loathing in her voice. It was not usually like her to be so hard on herself. She was usually the more optimistic of the pair of siblings, but something had obviously happened to shatter her idealistic view of the world around around, and that something involved a man.

"No," Ellie said firmly, catching her hand. "Berating yourself will not improve matters, Liza. Learning and moving on will."

"Oh, Ellie!" Eliza exclaimed, fresh tears springing to her eyes. "James is going to be so disappointed in me. I didn't mean to lose all our money. Really, I didn't! I am no better than Father. He is going to hate me."

Ah. Comprehension began to dawn with this first inkling of what was truly wrong. Ellie pulled the other woman into a gentle embrace. "It is just money, Liza," she murmured gently. "He could never hate you. You are all that has kept him going for years; he adores his sister. And besides, now you both have me. Money will never be a problem again."

Liza let Ellie pull her close, missing the kind of comfort that might have otherwise come from a mother or sister or even a friend. James had obviously not told his wife everything, or at the very least, had not told her what he himself did not yet know. Liza sniffled again, shaking her head at the other woman's suggestion. "Oh, no, Ellie! I could never do that. I could never take your money."

"Darling, believe me, money is all I have," Ellie told her gently. "I have sold my estates, my inheritance in land. My mother left me money, my father left me money, my uncles both laid endowments on me. I have more than anyone could sensibly know what to do with. Let me look after you? You are my family now."

Eliza shook her head again, more in disbelief this time than in denial. Eleanor and Jay had told her their story, but somehow she had not quite realized just how well off her brother's wife really was. "You would do this for me?" she asked, eyes wide. She didn't believe she deserved such kindness, especially from someone who hardly knew her.

"You are my sister," Ellie told her again. "I would do this, and far more, to see you happy and hale. And I must tell you, I have already paid your rent for the next five months. Jay wanted me to be patient, but I am rather stubborn when I decide to do something."

Eliza's mouth dropped open in a gasp of shock. "I think I love you already!" she said, hugging the other woman to her. As much as she adored her brother, she had never had a sister and missed her mother desperately.

Ellie laughed as she was embraced fiercely, hugging back with growing affection. She was unused to having a woman she could talk to and be herself with, and Eliza was proving to be a wonderful surprise. "Now then," she said in her gentle way, "no more worries over such things. Dry your eyes, and let us return to your brother before he begins to panic. We can talk this over another time, in better privacy."

Eliza nodded, sniffling again as she released her sister-in-law from her embrace. "You'd better go before he starts to worry," she said, dabbing the handkerchief at her eyes. It would take a few minutes to make herself look presentable again, and she knew her brother well enough to know how he worried.

Eleanor cradled Eliza's face in her hands for a moment, holding her gaze. "You are not alone, dear one," she promised softly. "You never will be again. We are family now, and I look after my own." She leaned close, kissing the tip of Liza's nose with a smile. "Do remember to wash your face, darling, you look dreadful," she added with a teasing flicker to her smile, rising to her feet.

Eliza reached for the bottle of wine, frowning to find it was empty. "Oh, Jamie, you didn't!" she complained, tipping the bottle to see if there was anything left at the bottom.

"Sorry," Jay apologized, looking guilty as charged. "It's just ....You were taking so long in the loo - I mean, powder room - that I got bored," he explained with a shrug.

It was the work of a minute to catch the waiter's eye and silently request another bottle, which Ellie was already doing when Eliza noticed the current one was empty. "His ladies did abandon him, rather," she pointed out with a faint smile. "And this is the most he has drunk since we met."

Jay arched a brow, unsure if he agreed with Ellie in her assessment. Had she forgotten the first time they'd met, when he'd had a pretty good start on a bottle of amber liquid before they said their first words to each other. But in a way, she was right; he hadn't really had much to drink since then, until now.

"Yes, poor James," Eliza commisserated, affectionately patting her brother's cheek. "But we're back now. And you never need be lonely again," she assured him, with a look that was more serious than witty.

Eleanor smiled to herself at the warm way Liza spoke to Jay, turning her own attention to the menu in front of her. A moment of psuedo-privacy for the siblings was all she could give them right now, but she would make sure they had time just for themselves in the days and weeks to come.

Jay smiled, taking his sister's hand between his own. He was astute enough to notice that her makeup was slightly different than it had been a little while ago, as if the shades were just slightly off, but he said nothing of it. It wasn't hard to figure out what had happened in the powder room, but it only made him love them both all the more to know they had bonded in ways he could never understand.

"How could I ever be lonely with the two of you around?" he countered.

"Ah, I see how it is," Eleanor pronounced in a drawling, teasing tone. "We are going to have to give you plenty of activities to keep you entertained whenever we have business that does not involve you, I see. Like a small child." She flashed her husband a wicked little smirk.

Jay laughed. "I would like to think I can take care of myself for at least a little while," he pointed out, with a smirk.

"Well said, Brother," Eliza saluted her brother with a glass of wine that was only half full. "What decadent dessert have you decided on, Sister?" she asked, turning her attention to Ellie.

"I must admit, I am rather intrigued by the chouquettes," Ellie admitted. "I do not believe I have ever had them. But I am also tempted by the crème brûlée ....However shall I choose?"

"Ah," Eliza murmured with a grin. "Tres bien! Both very good choices, but I am a little biased toward the crème brûlée. C'est magnifique!" she declared, touching the tips of her fingers to her lips as if she'd just had a taste.

Ellie laughed softly. "Then I shall bow to your recommendation, sister," she said easily, setting the menu aside. "And, of course, coffee is a must."

"Of course!" Eliza replied with a satisfied smile, all her earlier sadness replaced with a happy smile. She even sighed. "It is so good to have you both here, you cannot imagine," she told them both, not for the first or probably the last time.

"Oh, I am delighted to be included," Ellie teased her gently. "Especially since you did not know I existed until two hours ago." Her gaze flickered to Jay in amusement, appreciating now why he had chosen to keep it as a surprise.

Eliza cackled with laughter, as if nothing in the world could possibly go wrong now that her brother and his wife were there with her. And why shouldn't she think that' In her eyes, Jay had never let her down, and Eleanor seemed determined to help her get back on her feet. If Eliza hadn't believed in miracles before, she most certainly did now.

It had been a long few years for all of them, struggling alone in their own ways. Together, who knew what they might achieve" And all because of one stubborn meeting on the other side of the world.