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Authors: Kaitlin O'Riley
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harvest moon glowed golden in the night sky. As Declan escorted her to Devon House, Paulette’s heart filled with a completely unfamiliar emotion. An excitement bubbled within her at the thought of being with this man. This man who seemed to genuinely like her. The novelty of the experience buoyed her spirits in a new way.
“You grew up in this neighborhood?” he asked.
“Yes, we lived above the bookshop.”
“You and your sisters?”
“Yes, but we almost lost the shop when my father passed away. My sister Colette, whom you met this morning, she’s the oldest. She and I worked the hardest to reorganize and improve the store. When she married Lucien Sinclair, we all moved in to Devon House with her, because our mother moved down to Brighton then. My sister Juliette is the second oldest, and is married to a sea captain and lives in America. She has a daughter about Mara’s age. My sister Lisette lives here in London with her husband, Quinton Roxbury. He’s a renowned architect and may be running for parliament next year. Now there’s just my younger sister, Yvette, and myself, living at Devon House with Colette and Lucien and their two sons.”
“You’re the fourth sister, I gather.”
“Yes. Three older, one younger. I’m stuck in the middle.”
“I don’t know that that’s such a bad place to be,” he said thoughtfully. “It seems you have a wonderful family and you’re lucky to have a family that loves you. I haven’t any siblings, although I always wished for a brother to play with when I was younger. I do have my cousin Gerald whom I’m close with, but it’s not the same.”
“I can’t even imagine what being an only child is like.”
“There’s good and bad to it, just as I’m sure there is with being in a large family.”
“My family is very important to me.”
“I can tell that about you.”
Paulette smiled at him. “Well, here we are.” They had reached the massively grand, white house that was her home. “Thank you for walking with me.”
“You are most welcome.”
“Would you like to come in and meet the rest of my family? My sister Lisette is visiting tonight.”
“Perhaps another time.” He shook his head. “I should get back home to Mara. She gets anxious if I’ve been away from her for too long.”
“Yes, of course. I understand.”
They stood on the street in front of Devon House and looked at each other, neither one quite knowing what to say or do next. Declan reached out and took her hand in his and Paulette’s heart skipped a beat as she looked up at him. How had she ever thought he seemed old and forbidding? Now he only looked incredibly handsome. She wished he would kiss her again. Even though doing so outside on the street would not be wise.
“I really should go,” he said, but he did not let go of her hand.
“Yes.”
“It’s been an interesting day, Paulette.”
“Interesting is a bit of an understatement.”
He chuckled. “I suppose you are right, at that. In either case thank you for a most understated day.”
Smiling at him, she could not help but ask, “Will we see each other again?”
Declan paused briefly. “Would you like to meet me in Green Park at noon on Sunday? I promised Mara I would take her.”
Without a second thought, Paulette accepted his invitation. “That would be lovely.”
As he did in the bookshop, Declan lifted her hand to his lips and placed a kiss on her hand. “I’ll see you then. Good night, Paulette.”
“Good night.” Paulette watched as he walked from her, his tall form making long even strides down the sidewalk. She watched until she could no longer see him in the darkening night.
Chapter 7
Silence
Papa was late and she was growing weary of waiting for him.
Mara Reeves sat on the wide, cushioned window seat in the nursery, tracing the patterns of the big cabbage roses on the chintz fabric with her fingers. The large pink rose swirled perfectly into the smaller red rose, the waves of color
“You grew up in this neighborhood?” he asked.
“Yes, we lived above the bookshop.”
“You and your sisters?”
“Yes, but we almost lost the shop when my father passed away. My sister Colette, whom you met this morning, she’s the oldest. She and I worked the hardest to reorganize and improve the store. When she married Lucien Sinclair, we all moved in to Devon House with her, because our mother moved down to Brighton then. My sister Juliette is the second oldest, and is married to a sea captain and lives in America. She has a daughter about Mara’s age. My sister Lisette lives here in London with her husband, Quinton Roxbury. He’s a renowned architect and may be running for parliament next year. Now there’s just my younger sister, Yvette, and myself, living at Devon House with Colette and Lucien and their two sons.”
“You’re the fourth sister, I gather.”
“Yes. Three older, one younger. I’m stuck in the middle.”
“I don’t know that that’s such a bad place to be,” he said thoughtfully. “It seems you have a wonderful family and you’re lucky to have a family that loves you. I haven’t any siblings, although I always wished for a brother to play with when I was younger. I do have my cousin Gerald whom I’m close with, but it’s not the same.”
“I can’t even imagine what being an only child is like.”
“There’s good and bad to it, just as I’m sure there is with being in a large family.”
“My family is very important to me.”
“I can tell that about you.”
Paulette smiled at him. “Well, here we are.” They had reached the massively grand, white house that was her home. “Thank you for walking with me.”
“You are most welcome.”
“Would you like to come in and meet the rest of my family? My sister Lisette is visiting tonight.”
“Perhaps another time.” He shook his head. “I should get back home to Mara. She gets anxious if I’ve been away from her for too long.”
“Yes, of course. I understand.”
They stood on the street in front of Devon House and looked at each other, neither one quite knowing what to say or do next. Declan reached out and took her hand in his and Paulette’s heart skipped a beat as she looked up at him. How had she ever thought he seemed old and forbidding? Now he only looked incredibly handsome. She wished he would kiss her again. Even though doing so outside on the street would not be wise.
“I really should go,” he said, but he did not let go of her hand.
“Yes.”
“It’s been an interesting day, Paulette.”
“Interesting is a bit of an understatement.”
He chuckled. “I suppose you are right, at that. In either case thank you for a most understated day.”
Smiling at him, she could not help but ask, “Will we see each other again?”
Declan paused briefly. “Would you like to meet me in Green Park at noon on Sunday? I promised Mara I would take her.”
Without a second thought, Paulette accepted his invitation. “That would be lovely.”
As he did in the bookshop, Declan lifted her hand to his lips and placed a kiss on her hand. “I’ll see you then. Good night, Paulette.”
“Good night.” Paulette watched as he walked from her, his tall form making long even strides down the sidewalk. She watched until she could no longer see him in the darkening night.
Chapter 7
Silence
Papa was late and she was growing weary of waiting for him.
Mara Reeves sat on the wide, cushioned window seat in the nursery, tracing the patterns of the big cabbage roses on the chintz fabric with her fingers. The large pink rose swirled perfectly into the smaller red rose, the waves of color
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