Read Online Always Have Hope (Emerson Book 3) by Maureen Driscoll - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Maureen Driscoll
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Letty’s presence
by his side, as she leaned into him.
Then the silence was broken by an ecstatic Anna, who
was still in Irene’s arms.
“Papa!” she said. “I missed you so much.”
James crossed the distance between them in an instant,
taking her into his arms. “I’m so happy to see you, love. I’ve missed you
so.”
Perhaps it was that emotional reunion which set in
motion another one. For in the next instant, Colin, Nick and Rose all swarmed
Win, gently hugging her and trying unsuccessfully not to cry.
Only Letty held back, clinging to Ava’s skirts.
James put Anna on her feet, though he still held her
hand. “Win, may I introduce Anna to you? Anna, this is your Aunt Win.” He
also motioned for Letty to join them. She did, but it was obvious she was scared
to go closer.
Letty had been just two years old when Win had been
married off. It was only natural she would be nervous. Colin just hoped Win
wouldn’t take offense.
“Letty, I am so happy to see you again,” said Win
carefully. “And Anna, I cannot believe I’m finally meeting you.”
There was a moment of awkward silence until Anna said,
“I had a chicken pox in my mouth.”
That made Win laugh through her tears.
Letty stepped forward. “She did! I saw it!”
“Well, that must have been awful for both of you,”
said Win. “Would you like to sit next to me and tell me about it?”
The girls went to her, then proceeded to tell the tale
of Anna’s illness and recovery, punctuated by comments from everyone who’d
witnessed the events. The girls lost all their reticence as Win drew them
out. Colin didn’t think it was possible to laugh under such circumstances, but
it was a welcome respite.
“Will you come back to Wiltshire with us?” asked
Letty. “You can meet Jasper, our cat.”
“I hope so,” said Win, with a glance at Colin. “But
there are a few things I must clear up here first.”
“I want you to come,” said Letty shyly.
Win pulled her close and hugged her.
“I want you to come to Wiltshire, too,” said Anna.
“I think it would be lovely if everyone came back to
Wiltshire,” said Colin with a meaningful look at James.
His brother sighed. “Anna,” he said. “I have some
bad news.”
Anna sat up and looked at her father nervously. She
bit her lip. “Are you sick?” she asked softly.
“Oh, love, no,” said James as he reached for his daughter.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have scared you that way.” Anna’s mother had died only
a little more than six months earlier. “My bad news is that we’re not going
back to America. I lost our farm.”
This time James looked at Colin meaningfully.
“I am sorry to hear that,” said Colin sincerely, for
he knew how much his brother’s dream had meant to him.
“Where will we live?” Anna asked.
“Well, if it’s all right with everyone here, I was
thinking we could move to Wiltshire.”
Letty’s high-pitched shriek of joy nearly deafened
everyone. But there was no mistaking the happiness in the room.
“Would you like that, Anna?” James asked, once the din
had died down.
“Yes,” she said with a big smile. Then she leaned toward
him and whispered, “Will Irene come, too?”
“Well, that is a conversation I was hoping we’d have
in private.”
“Just pretend we’re not here,” said Colin with a grin.
James shot him a look which said he’d pay for that
later. “Anna, what would you think if Irene and I got married?”
Anna nodded her head solemnly. “I would like that.”
After a moment, she added, “Where will I be?”
“Where will you be?” asked James. “You’ll always be
by my side. Only now you’ll have Irene on your other side.”
“Really?” There was no mistaking Anna’s joy.
“Truly,” said James.
“Anna,” said Irene carefully. “I know I can never
replace your mother. She loved you very much. But I was hoping you’d consider
letting me be your English mama. You don’t have to call me that, of course.
by his side, as she leaned into him.
Then the silence was broken by an ecstatic Anna, who
was still in Irene’s arms.
“Papa!” she said. “I missed you so much.”
James crossed the distance between them in an instant,
taking her into his arms. “I’m so happy to see you, love. I’ve missed you
so.”
Perhaps it was that emotional reunion which set in
motion another one. For in the next instant, Colin, Nick and Rose all swarmed
Win, gently hugging her and trying unsuccessfully not to cry.
Only Letty held back, clinging to Ava’s skirts.
James put Anna on her feet, though he still held her
hand. “Win, may I introduce Anna to you? Anna, this is your Aunt Win.” He
also motioned for Letty to join them. She did, but it was obvious she was scared
to go closer.
Letty had been just two years old when Win had been
married off. It was only natural she would be nervous. Colin just hoped Win
wouldn’t take offense.
“Letty, I am so happy to see you again,” said Win
carefully. “And Anna, I cannot believe I’m finally meeting you.”
There was a moment of awkward silence until Anna said,
“I had a chicken pox in my mouth.”
That made Win laugh through her tears.
Letty stepped forward. “She did! I saw it!”
“Well, that must have been awful for both of you,”
said Win. “Would you like to sit next to me and tell me about it?”
The girls went to her, then proceeded to tell the tale
of Anna’s illness and recovery, punctuated by comments from everyone who’d
witnessed the events. The girls lost all their reticence as Win drew them
out. Colin didn’t think it was possible to laugh under such circumstances, but
it was a welcome respite.
“Will you come back to Wiltshire with us?” asked
Letty. “You can meet Jasper, our cat.”
“I hope so,” said Win, with a glance at Colin. “But
there are a few things I must clear up here first.”
“I want you to come,” said Letty shyly.
Win pulled her close and hugged her.
“I want you to come to Wiltshire, too,” said Anna.
“I think it would be lovely if everyone came back to
Wiltshire,” said Colin with a meaningful look at James.
His brother sighed. “Anna,” he said. “I have some
bad news.”
Anna sat up and looked at her father nervously. She
bit her lip. “Are you sick?” she asked softly.
“Oh, love, no,” said James as he reached for his daughter.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have scared you that way.” Anna’s mother had died only
a little more than six months earlier. “My bad news is that we’re not going
back to America. I lost our farm.”
This time James looked at Colin meaningfully.
“I am sorry to hear that,” said Colin sincerely, for
he knew how much his brother’s dream had meant to him.
“Where will we live?” Anna asked.
“Well, if it’s all right with everyone here, I was
thinking we could move to Wiltshire.”
Letty’s high-pitched shriek of joy nearly deafened
everyone. But there was no mistaking the happiness in the room.
“Would you like that, Anna?” James asked, once the din
had died down.
“Yes,” she said with a big smile. Then she leaned toward
him and whispered, “Will Irene come, too?”
“Well, that is a conversation I was hoping we’d have
in private.”
“Just pretend we’re not here,” said Colin with a grin.
James shot him a look which said he’d pay for that
later. “Anna, what would you think if Irene and I got married?”
Anna nodded her head solemnly. “I would like that.”
After a moment, she added, “Where will I be?”
“Where will you be?” asked James. “You’ll always be
by my side. Only now you’ll have Irene on your other side.”
“Really?” There was no mistaking Anna’s joy.
“Truly,” said James.
“Anna,” said Irene carefully. “I know I can never
replace your mother. She loved you very much. But I was hoping you’d consider
letting me be your English mama. You don’t have to call me that, of course.
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