Esmeralda Sparrow knelt beside her hope chest and placed the gold chain beside the pistol, the badge, and the polished brass nameplate. Delgatto had seemed to understand why it was important for her to have the chain, and he had no difficulty getting Emily to agree to give it up.
However, it had taken him a while to accept the fact that Emily did not want to sell the stone. He understood her sense of attachment to it, even if her father didn’t. But Esmeralda knew how hard it was for him to look at it and be reminded of the life of crime it had fueled.
She wasn’t sure what brought about his change in thought until Emily confided that when the two of them began to discuss the idea of having children, he realized he had a chance to bring his family’s honor to fruition. His child, be it a daughter or a son, would eventually inherit the token of honor that his family had held so dear.
The circle was complete for the House of Bendavia, even if there was a slight hundred year or so setback in one of the branches of the family tree.
It would be a boy. Esmeralda knew that already, even if the child hadn’t been conceived yet. He would be. And he, too, would help complete another very important circle.
And she hoped the Heart of Saharanpur would help him find his true love, just as it had helped his parents.
And would someday help Esmeralda herself.
She closed the lid of her hope chest.
One more to go.