Read Online Hyacinth (Suitors of Seattle) by Kirsten Osbourne - Free Book Online Page B

and Alex. "I'm courting Hyacinth, and she's in the process of investigating me."
    Amaryllis had smiled and nodded happily.  "I think you two make a lovely couple."
    Alex had simply glared at him.
    As soon as Lawrence spotted Hyacinth, he rushed across the room to her side, kissing her cheek lightly.  "Merry Christmas."
    Hyacinth smiled, still clutching his gift to her chest.  "Merry Christmas!"  She thrust the gift at him.  "I didn't know what to get you."
    He carefully removed the string she'd tied around the paper and unwrapped the package.  He smiled down at the scarf as he ran his hand over it.  She'd chosen a sky blue to match the color of his eyes.  The scarf was soft and long, and he knew immediately she had made it with her own hands.  "It's lovely.  I had no idea you could...make things from yarn."
    She laughed.  "It's called knitting."
    "Thank you for spending your time making something special for me."  He looked uncomfortable for a moment, before sticking his hand into his pocket and pulling out a small package, looking like it could hold nothing bigger than a thimble.  "I feel bad that I just purchased something for you."
    She accepted the gift, toying with the string he'd used to tie the paper.  "I didn't expect anything from you."
    "Open it," he urged.
    She slowly unwrapped it, savoring the surprise.  Inside was a tiny purple dragon made of glass, its wings spread wide as if about to take off in flight.  "Oh, it's beautiful!  Where did you find it?"
    "I was in a little glass shop last week, and I saw this.  It made me think of you."
    Her eyes met his in surprise.  "It did?  Why?"
    He shrugged, looking a bit sheepish.  "Well, you're writing a romantic novel, and this looked romantic to me.  It just seemed like something you would like."
    "I do!  I absolutely adore it.  I don't know that I would have looked at it and thought that it suited me, but it does.  It suits me very well."  Hyacinth glanced around the room, making certain no one was watching before she went up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.  "Thank you."
    Lawrence hugged her briefly.  "You're welcome.  I'm glad you like it."  He looked around the room, crowded with laughing people.  "You're going to have to introduce me.  I know Amaryllis and Alex, of course.  I know your parents and Violet and Iris.  I don't know your other two sisters and their husbands, and I haven't met the older couple over there yet, or your uncle."
    Hyacinth took his arm and led him around the room, introducing him.  "This is John Higgins and his wife Mildred.  Higgins is the one who will be investigating you , and Mrs. Higgins is Alex's mother."
    Higgins nodded briefly.  "I've already begun.  I'm just waiting for the reports from the investigator I hired back East."
    Lawrence smiled.  "I'm glad Hyacinth has someone watching out for her."
    "Hyacinth has many people watching out for her.  She's well-loved."
    "She certainly should be."  Lawrence draped an arm around her shoulders before they walked away.  He met her sisters, finding Rose too perfect for his tastes, and Lily too...well, boisterous. 
    He watched the six sisters throughout the meal wondering what it would be like if the missing two were added in.  Probably chaos.  There were many children present, the older ones eating together at a small table, while the younger children sat on their mother's laps and were fed at the table.  It was odd for Lawrence to see Amaryllis as a mother, having gotten used to only seeing her in the library setting.
    He left quickly after lunch, feeling as if he were imposing on family time. He was truly surprised at how close-knit her family seemed.  His own family had consisted of only him and his mother, so he had never been around anything like it.  He found himself more than a little overwhelmed by the whole situation. 
    As he kissed Hyacinth's cheek before leaving, she pressed something into his hand.  "Open it when you're alone," she