“I think so,” he said. “Your mother, she was restless. It was probably hard for her. Emily sparkled. Once she found a fancy necklace of her mother’s and she snuck it out of the house and showed it to me. She was so excited. She imagined her mother was a princess—a runaway princess, living in the woods. And you know, I have to wonder about it. It was like nothing I’d ever seen.”
The idea of his mother wearing jewels didn’t surprise Beau in the least. Some of his clearest memories of her was her wearing her jewels. He got Hollis to describe it, but nothing caught in his memory. He would have to ask Aunt Vee about it when this was all over.
Beau asked Hollis more questions, but this time about Daniel’s mother, and about his family. The niece who lived in Avonford, that he hadn’t yet met.
Teddy bounded into the living room followed by Annie and Madeline.
“Supper is ready,” Annie announced, giving Beau a little wink.
* * *
Something was amiss. Maddy could feel it in her bones. It wasn’t a bad something, but a something nonetheless. She could tell by the twitchiness in Teddy’s body language. The way Annie, who was normally as calm as a soft summer morning, nearly lunged at her when she offered to take a basket of freshly sliced bread out to the dining room. And now, she saw a spark of something in Beau’s eyes that bordered on mischief.
The ease of the three men with each other brought a smile to Maddy’s face. She’d gone with Annie to give Beau the time and privacy to have conversations with Hollis and Daniel without her hovering about. Normally she should have been happy to have the break from him, having been her near constant companion for over a fortnight. But as she helped Annie in the kitchen, tossing salad greens and generally making conversation, she found herself distracted by Beau’s absence. It was utterly ridiculous, given he was under the same roof. But she found herself missing his presence. He somehow steadied her, filled her up while turning her world upside down at the same time.
“I’m starving,” Daniel said, rubbing his hands, signalling his hunger and eagerness for the feast Annie had been cooking. And it was a feast, as far as Maddy could tell. This was a family reunion of sorts. The Chandlers, reunited. A missing piece of the puzzle, now back into place.
Where did that leave her?
She wasn’t lonely—not entirely. Part of her had been lonely for so long the sensation had become familiar. She had her Everwell Spinsters, of course, and she did miss them. Her birthday was tomorrow, and if she were home, they would have had a little party for her. Rimple would have made a cake, and she would have been presented with a new book. And another year of her life would have come and gone. But tonight, and indeed, this entire adventure, was not about Maddy. It was about Beau, and it was about helping Everwell. Phillipa had promised her funds from this job to help build a new greenhouse. That was a present, that for years, Maddy could only dream about.
“Shall we?” Beau said, walking to Maddy and offering his arm, which felt so good. So right.
And she took it.
They walked down the short hallway to the dining room. Maddy’s breath caught in her throat as her heart filled with an emotion she was coming to recognize as joy.
The room was beautifully lit, sparkling in the warmth of a fading sun glinting from a single stained-glass window to the west. Garlands made from paper flowers in the shapes of peonies and cabbage roses were strung from the ceiling. It created a lush sort of fairy garden hanging above her.
She turned to Beau, about to gush about how wonderful it was for them to go through all this to make it special for him, when she spied a beautifully decorated chocolate cake sitting on a side board, and above it, on a sign that it looked like Teddy had made himself, read the words: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS MURRaY.
She blinked, and kept blinking, trying to keep the tears at bay. Maddy didn’t cry. She certainly never cried publicly.
“Beau told us about your birthday, and the cake your friends make for you,” Annie said. “I’m sorry you are missing your friends.”
“Thank you,” she said, turning to Annie and smiling through blurry eyes. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble just for me.”
“Don’t you worry, Maddy,” she said, looking at Beau and smiling conspiratorially before turning back to her. “I get to decide what trouble I want to get into.”
“I think my sign is pretty good too,” Teddy pipped up. “Though I almost forgot the ‘a’. I hope you don’t mind.”
“It’s perfect,” she said. “Honestly, I have never seen anything so perfect in my life.”
“Well, that is somewhat disappointing,” Beau said, cocking an eyebrow and looking so devilishly handsome she wanted to kiss him right there. “I assumed the moment you first met me you’d already crossed that threshold.”
“Hey,” Daniel pipped up, “I think I got the looks in this family. Eh, Annie?”
“Well you got them both from me,” Hollis said, looking for all the world like a man at peace with himself.
“I think that is enough Chandler bravado for one evening,” Annie said. “Come and sit, before it gets cold.”
They all took their seats. The table was lavishly set, and Maddy was certain every bowl and plate in the house had been put on display just for her benefit. At her place setting, there was a small posy of wild rugosa roses in a small glass cup.
It was, compared even to the faded elegance of Everwell Manor, humble in size. But there was no less joy around that table. Beau sat beside her and all felt incredibly right. Plates were passed, toasts were made, and the cake was served. And though she would rather die than admit it to Rimple, Annie’s chocolate cake may have been the best she’d ever had.
Throughout the evening, she felt Beau staring at her, and a warm tingly sensation spread through her body. She yearned to reach under the table and brush her hand up against the hard muscle in his legs. They had only made love a few hours ago, but her body wanted more of his. She wanted the comfort of his warmth, the elixir of his touch, and the way his smile lit up her insides like nothing she’d ever experienced.
As the tea was poured, and the last of Annie’s dandelion wine was drunk, Maddy was content to listen to the stories around the table. Stories about how Daniel and Annie met, stories about Daniel’s mother, that Hollis told with the bittersweet melody of a man still missing the love of his life. And every once in a while, she looked up to see Beau smiling at her as if she was a brilliant shining light in the darkness. Part of her realized that maybe, just maybe, there was nothing she enjoyed more in the world than the way he looked at her. Nothing more wonderful than the way he made her feel.
