They spent so many hours together that, in time, Verity learned to understand his birdsong, and he seemed to understand her silence. They spoke without words, he conveying to her the names and traits of her would-be brothers, and she conveying to him the solitude of her own upbringing. In his way, he expressed his fondness of Hermione, and Verity allowed him to see her thoughts about her mother. After many years of daily visits, she knew she loved Benjamin. There was nobody else in the world who understood her thoughts without the luxury of language, and very soon she realized she could not conceal her adoration. After all, he could read her thoughts.
Together, they counted down the days until Verity would be wed to the prince for whom she held no affection. “It is you I love,” she told
