“If that scoundrel lied to me…” Jack seethed.
Brandt put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “She’s out for the day with her family, is all. Come on. Let’s get ourselves a room in a hotel, take a walk an’ check back later.”
Childish chatter and shrieks of delight drew Jack from his thoughts, and he looked ahead at two children crouching on the rocks of a shallow tide pool and pointing to whatever sea creature they’d spotted in the water. A woman of petite stature, dressed in a plain brown skirt, white shirt, and a straw hat hovered over them.
Jack stepped off the walking path onto the sand.
“Where are you going?” Brandt asked, but Jack failed to answer. Some familiarity with the woman drew him forward. He stopped a few feet away and watched the children dunk their small buckets into the water.
“Caught it!” The little girl shouted and sprang to her feet.
“No, you haven’t.” The boy jumped up and reached for her bucket. “Let me see.”
“Stop it!” The girl sped forward and leapt onto the sand.
“Do be careful.” The woman spun around, and Jack’s heart sank. Her face revealed her youth, and he estimated her to be no older than nineteen—a full ten years younger than his sister would be today.
“Look, it’s a star.”
Jack dropped his gaze and saw the little girl holding her bucket up for him to see. Her dark brown eyes looked earnestly at him from behind strands of black curls. She reminded him of Frances, his twin, and his heart clenched.
Jack blinked. Was this another of his dreams?
The child jiggled the bucket. Inside, the starfish curled one of its tentacles. Jack dropped to his knees. “Frances?”
She cocked her head. “How do you know my name? Are you Mama’s friend?”
“Yes.” Jack smiled, certain now that this was another of his dreams. During the day, he found it hard to recall the details of Frances’s features, but, in his sleep, she appeared as clearly as if she stood directly before him. Just like now.
“I want to see.” The little boy came up next to the girl and squinted at her bucket. He wore a sailor suit and on top of his honey-colored hair perched a matching sailor hat.
“Here, but don’t touch!” The girl swung the bucket in the boy’s direction.
“Frances, what have I told you about running off like that? You must remember to stay with me.” The young woman, who had not been far behind, came to a rest beside them.
“I had to get away fast,” Frances wailed. “Sebastian tried to grab my bucket!”
Jack’s head jerked toward the boy. “Frances and Sebastian?” Dream or not, these children belonged to Violet. He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. The children remained standing before him.
“Come along,” the woman stretched out her hands for the children to take. “You mustn’t waste any more of this gentleman’s time.”
“But he’s Mama’s friend, and I want to show him my starfish,” Frances said.
“There’s Mama now.” Sebastian pointed.
Jack turned and saw two female figures striding toward them. He blinked. One of the women was Ottilie. The other was Violet.
The two children squealed and waved. Frances bolted forward, and Sebastian followed. Their governess threw her hands in the air, lifted her skirt, and went after them.
Jack watched Violet rush forward, open her arms, and smother their faces in kisses. Ottilie stood behind the trio. His heart contracted as he met her perplexed gaze. A yearning flared within him and his desire to take her in his arms and comfort her was conquered by the army of emotions that stormed him upon seeing Violet.
He tore his eyes from Ottilie and focused on his sister. She was older than he remembered her, of course, but she was still his Violet—the same blond hair, the same porcelain skin…Jack blinked back unexpected tears.
“Mama, that man says he’s your friend. I showed him my starfish.” Frances pointed at Jack. Violet glanced up. Her light blue eyes, that he remembered so well, met his gaze.
“Violet?” He inched forward, his heart racing ahead of his cautious steps.
She stepped back, shaking her head.
