Family In The Making (Matchmakeing Babies 2) by Jo Ann Brown

Author:Jo Ann Brown [Brown, Jo Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Love Inspired Historicals
Published: 2015-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

“Arthur come soon?” asked Lulu as she skidded to a stop next to the sand castle Bertie and her sister were building. As Maris had warned, all the children had begun to use the viscount’s given name. Maybe nobody would pay any attention if she slipped and called him Arthur, too.

She had been disappointed when she had walked with the children into the entry hall before their outing and found it empty. She had hoped Arthur would join them today. She had a few ideas about the meeting scheduled for tomorrow evening. Ideas about how to bring up the topic of the children, and thoughts of how he might be able to get people to talk about what they had seen or heard. Usually she spurned gossip, but some bit of hearsay might contain information that could lead them to answers.

When Baricoat drew her aside, the butler lowered his voice so the children would not hear him. “Are you waiting for Lord Trelawney, Miss Oliver?”

“Yes.”

“He has been called away on critical business.”

“I see.” And she did.

As his injuries healed, she had sensed his impatience to continue his work. Or had he gone in pursuit of another clue about Mr. Cranford’s death? She hoped he would find what he sought.

She understood why he was away, but the children did not. They had chattered about spending time with Arthur. She had looked forward to another pleasant afternoon with him. The hours up at the ancient foundations had been the most carefree she had enjoyed in so long. She could not recall the last time she had been as lighthearted. Even days later, she smiled when she thought of one of Arthur’s amusing comments or when she recalled how safe she had felt as he took her hand in his much larger one and helped her into the carriage.

Lulu tugged on Maris’s coat, intruding on her thoughts. “Arthur come?”

“He is busy, but maybe once he returns he will join us.”

“Tell Arthur come! Tell Arthur come!”

When the other children took up the chant, fishermen along the strand looked in their direction, frowning. Maris calmed the youngsters by piling more sand on the mound they had collected. Telling them it looked like St. Michael’s Mount, she answered their questions about the island in Mount’s Bay. She told them about how it was separated from Cornwall twice every day when the tide was high. She related the ancient legend of how a giant had lived on the island before it was an abbey. A young man built a trap for the giant, and all that remained was a heart-shaped stone on the path up to the house.

By the time she finished the tale, interrupted over and over by the children’s questions, it was time to return to Cothaire. Maybe she should not have told them about the giant, because they kept asking if he would come to Porthlowen. She assured them there were no more giants in Cornwall.

“Bear beat giant!” exclaimed Bertie, holding up his hands like paws and growling.

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