“That doesn’t surprise me.” Aware that Hannah hadn’t moved from the doorway, Roen began a slow turn to examine every corner of the room. When he completed the circle, she was still there and still watching him closely. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear what she was thinking, but he prompted her with an arched eyebrow anyway and she snapped at the bait.
“Clay says that it was Ma who didn’t want to kiss after the ceremony.”
Roen was deeply regretting encouraging her. “That’s right.”
“But have you kissed her since?”
“You need to stop reading Felicity Ravenwood adventures.”
“So you haven’t.”
“I’m thinking you are rather more inquisitive than is proper for a girl your age. Any age, actually.”
“Youreallyhaven’t.”
“Ask your mother.”
“She won’t tell me.”
“Neither will I.”
Hannah screwed her mouth to one side as she considered this. “Ma says you’re sleeping upstairs tonight.”
“Your mother didn’t tell you that. Clay did.”
“Yes, but it’s true, isn’t it?” When Roen nodded, she went on. “I didn’t know you stayed down here until I saw the blankets in the morning and Clay told me about Ma’s nightmare. Lizzie and I slept through it. Sometimes we do that. It’s better for Lizzie that way. She doesn’t remember a lot of what was before.”
“Whatwasbefore?”
Hannah dropped her braced arms to her sides and took a step backward into the hallway. There was nothing saucy about her reply. On the contrary, her expression was grave. “Ask my mother.”
•••
After dinner Roen went upstairs to help Lily put Lizzie and Ham to bed while Hannah and Clay washed dishes and tidied the kitchen. He read to Ham fromTreasure Island. Sometimes he could hear Lizzie giggling from her room across the hall, but he was more attuned to Lily’s lilting voice than that of her daughter’s. Ham drifted off before Lizzie, but Roen waited until he heard Lily back out of the room and shut the door before he left Ham’s bedside. He met up with her in the hall.
“You know, I’ve never readTreasure Island. I enjoyed it.”
“This is the third time Clay’s taken it out of the library for him.”
“Ah. That explains why he knew so much about the story. I think he could have read some of it to me. What did you read to Lizzie?”
“Tales of Mother Goose.”
“Yes. The classics.”
She chuckled. “Why? Were you afraid it was Felicity Ravenwood?”
“Mm, no. I’m fairly sure that’s what Hannah reads to her.”
There was still a bubble of laughter on her lips as she indicated he should follow her to her bedroom. “I’ll help you move your instruments down to the workroom now that you’ve said it will do for you.” She pointed to where his tripod leaned unobtrusively in a corner. The black case with his surveying tools was beside it. “What would be better for me to carry?”
“Neither. This is why I have an assistant.”
She was skeptical. “Really?”
He sighed. “No. You can take the case. The tripod is an ungainly armful.” Roen started toward it but stopped when he felt Lily tug on the sleeve of his jacket. He looked down at where she held him back with only the tips of her fingers. It only required him to give attention to her hold for her to jerk her hand away as if scalded. “You’ve changed your mind?”
Lily shook her head. “I want to talk to you about tonight while two pair of ears are sleeping and the other two pair are downstairs.”
