If she ever wanted proof that Jilly had been paying attention during her lessons, Amelia got it now. But whatever added skill she'd gained, she was also growing more and more desperate.

It wasn't that the urge to paint had become all encompassing. It was close, maybe, but it wasn't there, yet. More terrifying was the knowledge that something was wrong...very, very wrong... and that meant her friends would stop her. They'd take her away from her art, trying to do the best things for her, and they'd keep it from her and she couln't. let that. happen.