there are still some of my brother’s old toys in
there. Then we can send for some sandwiches.”
Shannah looked like she wanted to protest, so
he shook his head at her. With a sigh she picked up Royce and
followed him and Kora and Matthew to the nursery which was upstairs
and—thankfully—in the opposite direction as his mother’s room.
Brendan opened the door to the nursery and was gratified to find
that it was still regularly cleaned. He ushered them inside and
then called one of the upstairs maids over to request sandwiches
from the kitchen.
Shannah sidled over to him as he watched the
children pull toys off the shelves. “You seem awfully happy,” she
said, or rather accused.
“I am,” he replied. He reached over and
tweaked Royce’s nose. The baby laughed. “It’s turning out to be a
good day, indeed. I had my doubts this morning.”
Her blush stated that she knew he referred to
her kidnapping. Royce had begun to struggle in earnest to be let
down, and she finally gave in. “I’m a bundle of nerves, waiting to
see what’s going to happen next, and you’re as happy as a priest
with a full church. Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
“Hello, what’s this?” Christopher poked his
head in the open door. “Are we having company, Bren?”
Brendan noted Shannah had gone still as a
statue. He turned to his brother and gestured him in. “Shannah’s
family is visiting us, Chris. Come in and meet them.”
He didn’t know why he’d said it that way, so
casually, when the next few moments would likely redefine his
brother’s life forever. But instead of holding up the baby and
telling Chris all about Garnette’s secret, it suddenly became
important that Chris figure it out on his own—as he had. So he took
hold of Shannah’s shoulders and anchored her to his side. They
would watch and see whether Chris was as astute as he claimed.
Chris, for his part, seemed a bit confused.
He introduced himself to Matt and Kora easily enough, but Royce
ignored him utterly, completely fascinated by a wooden horse. Chris
glanced at Brendan, who shrugged, and then back at the baby.
He squatted down to eye level. “Hello,” he
said softly. “And who are you?”
Royce turned his unmistakable eyes to his
father, grinned, and held up two fingers.
Brendan heard Shannah stifle a sob. He
glanced down to see tears streaming down her cheeks.
“My, what a handsome boy you are!” Chris
said. “And you’re two years old? Such a sweet lad.” He glanced at
Shannah and frowned. “You know, he looks a lot like Garnette, more
than what I’d suspect from a sib . . . .”
Brendan was gratified by his brother’s
shocked expression as Chris turned back to look at the babe.
Chris reached a trembling hand to touch
Royce’s curly head. “His eyes. But how?”
“I think you’re old enough that I don’t have
to answer that question,” Brendan told him.
Tears formed in Christopher’s eyes. “She
never said a word. Why wouldn’t she tell me?”
“I’m sure she tried,” Brendan said. “The
letters were intercepted.”
But Chris couldn’t stop staring at his son.
He reached out to him again. Royce, sensing something had changed,
lowered the toy and watched Chris. He didn’t squirm away, or cry,
but just seemed to wait.
“We’ll talk later, Chris,” Brendan said. “For
now, just get to know your son.”
Chris sat on the floor next to Royce. “My
son.” He breathed the words with reverence.
Brendan took Shannah’s hand and pulled her
from the room. She tried to protest but he proved stronger.
“My lord,” she said when he’d closed the
door. “I think I should be in there. The children don’t know your
brother, and Royce could become frightened.”
“It’s time they get to know each other, don’t
you think?” he asked, towing her down the hall.
“I only think I should be there in case they
need me.”
Brendan stopped and looked at her. She
withdrew her hand from his grasp and
there. Then we can send for some sandwiches.”
Shannah looked like she wanted to protest, so
he shook his head at her. With a sigh she picked up Royce and
followed him and Kora and Matthew to the nursery which was upstairs
and—thankfully—in the opposite direction as his mother’s room.
Brendan opened the door to the nursery and was gratified to find
that it was still regularly cleaned. He ushered them inside and
then called one of the upstairs maids over to request sandwiches
from the kitchen.
Shannah sidled over to him as he watched the
children pull toys off the shelves. “You seem awfully happy,” she
said, or rather accused.
“I am,” he replied. He reached over and
tweaked Royce’s nose. The baby laughed. “It’s turning out to be a
good day, indeed. I had my doubts this morning.”
Her blush stated that she knew he referred to
her kidnapping. Royce had begun to struggle in earnest to be let
down, and she finally gave in. “I’m a bundle of nerves, waiting to
see what’s going to happen next, and you’re as happy as a priest
with a full church. Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
“Hello, what’s this?” Christopher poked his
head in the open door. “Are we having company, Bren?”
Brendan noted Shannah had gone still as a
statue. He turned to his brother and gestured him in. “Shannah’s
family is visiting us, Chris. Come in and meet them.”
He didn’t know why he’d said it that way, so
casually, when the next few moments would likely redefine his
brother’s life forever. But instead of holding up the baby and
telling Chris all about Garnette’s secret, it suddenly became
important that Chris figure it out on his own—as he had. So he took
hold of Shannah’s shoulders and anchored her to his side. They
would watch and see whether Chris was as astute as he claimed.
Chris, for his part, seemed a bit confused.
He introduced himself to Matt and Kora easily enough, but Royce
ignored him utterly, completely fascinated by a wooden horse. Chris
glanced at Brendan, who shrugged, and then back at the baby.
He squatted down to eye level. “Hello,” he
said softly. “And who are you?”
Royce turned his unmistakable eyes to his
father, grinned, and held up two fingers.
Brendan heard Shannah stifle a sob. He
glanced down to see tears streaming down her cheeks.
“My, what a handsome boy you are!” Chris
said. “And you’re two years old? Such a sweet lad.” He glanced at
Shannah and frowned. “You know, he looks a lot like Garnette, more
than what I’d suspect from a sib . . . .”
Brendan was gratified by his brother’s
shocked expression as Chris turned back to look at the babe.
Chris reached a trembling hand to touch
Royce’s curly head. “His eyes. But how?”
“I think you’re old enough that I don’t have
to answer that question,” Brendan told him.
Tears formed in Christopher’s eyes. “She
never said a word. Why wouldn’t she tell me?”
“I’m sure she tried,” Brendan said. “The
letters were intercepted.”
But Chris couldn’t stop staring at his son.
He reached out to him again. Royce, sensing something had changed,
lowered the toy and watched Chris. He didn’t squirm away, or cry,
but just seemed to wait.
“We’ll talk later, Chris,” Brendan said. “For
now, just get to know your son.”
Chris sat on the floor next to Royce. “My
son.” He breathed the words with reverence.
Brendan took Shannah’s hand and pulled her
from the room. She tried to protest but he proved stronger.
“My lord,” she said when he’d closed the
door. “I think I should be in there. The children don’t know your
brother, and Royce could become frightened.”
“It’s time they get to know each other, don’t
you think?” he asked, towing her down the hall.
“I only think I should be there in case they
need me.”
Brendan stopped and looked at her. She
withdrew her hand from his grasp and
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