HYACINTH AND ALEXANDER’S LAUGHTER, as they chased each other in the gardens, rose up to the open windows. They adored Doyle’s Grange and could not wait to make the acquaintance of Lord Northword’s grandchildren and some of the younger children from Beauregard’s Farm.
Upstairs there were boxes and more boxes. As Ralston helped put up Isabelle’s photographs on the mantel of the sitting room, he suddenly remembered her ancestress. “Where is that miniature portrait of yours, darling?”
“I sent it to a cousin of mine—she just gave birth to a sickly baby and needs the luck more than I do.”
“So the portrait is supposed to bring good luck?”
“Of course.” She kissed him on his lips as she passed him, headed for yet another box. “That was the belonging I had come back to Doyle’s Grange to retrieve. And it led me directly to you.”
He knelt down next to her at the new box, which contained framed photographs of Hyacinth and Alexander at various points in their young lives. Together they cooed over the pictures, which were adorable indeed.
She was on her way to the mantel with a handful of the photographs when she stopped and looked back at him. “By the way, you never did let me know what Mrs. Fitzwilliam said about the Three Bears’ house.”
“Ah, that.” He smiled a little at the memory. “She wrote, ‘Once in a while Goldilocks finds something just right. So have I, by the way.’”
“How interesting.” Isabelle beamed at him. “I would say that also describes exactly how I feel about you.”
With a framed photograph in each hand, he rose and stole a kiss from her. “And I shall only love you more when you are a silver-haired lady, stomping your cane about how I will make you late for church again.”
More about Sherry’s other books, and an excerpt from Fitz and Millie’s story, Ravishing the Heiress, can be found at the back of this book. Click here for a shortcut.