smoothed, Hannah sat and listened.
“We all know your play’s going to be a wonderful success.” Gabriella, with her hand caught loosely in Reeve’s, smiled at Eve. Her rich red hair was styled with casual chic around a face that remained delicate and lovely. “That doesn’t mean we don’t understand you have to worry about it.”
“I’m at the point now where I wish it was over.” Eve drew Marissa into her lap.
“But you’re feeling well?”
“I’m feeling fine.” Eve let Marissa climb down again. “Between Alex’s pampering and Hannah’s eagle eye, I can hardly lift a finger without a doctor’s certificate.”
“It’s so good of you to come.” Gabriella smiled at Hannah before she sipped some sparkling water. “I know firsthand how comforting it is to have a friend nearby. Are we keeping you happy enough so that you’re not homesick?”
“I’m very happy in Cordina.” Hannah kept her back straight against the sofa.
“I hope you’ll come out to the farm while you’re here.”
“I’ve heard a great deal about it.” Gabriella had been kidnapped there while it had still been an overgrown plot of land. “I’d love to see it for myself.”
“Then we’ll arrange it.” Reeve spoke quietly as he lit a cigarette. “You’re enjoying your visit so far?”
“Yes, I am.” Their eyes met and held. “Cordina is a fascinating country. It has a fairy-tale aura perhaps, but it’s very real. I’m particularly interested in visiting the museum.”
“I think you’ll find we have some very unusual exhibits,” Armand put in.
“Yes, sir. I did some research before leaving England. I have no doubt that my time in Cordina will be an education.”
Marissa toddled over, still a bit unsteady on her year-old legs, and held her arms up. Hannah placed the child in her lap.
“Your father is well?” Reeve asked her through a haze of smoke.
Hannah jangled her pearls to entertain the baby. “Yes, thank you. It often seems that the older I get, the younger he gets.”
“Families, no matter how large or how small, are often the focus of our lives,” Reeve said quietly.
“Yes, that’s true,” Hannah murmured as she played with the baby. “It’s a pity that families, and life, aren’t as simple as they seem when we’re children.”
Bennett sat relaxed in his chair and wondered why he thought if he could read between the lines, he’d discover a great deal more than small talk.
“I wasn’t aware you knew Hannah’s father, Reeve.”
“Only casually.” When he leaned back, his smile was easy. “I heard that Dorian stole your yo-yo again.”
“I should have locked it in the safe when I heard he was coming.” Bennett patted the slight bulge in his pocket. “I’d have given the little devil a run for his money, but he had an accomplice.” He turned his head to look at Hannah.
“I’ll have to apologize for my son,” Gabriella’s lips curved as she lifted her glass again. “For drawing you into his crime, Lady Hannah.”
“On the contrary. I enjoyed it. Prince Dorian is charming.”
“We call him other things at home,” Reeve murmured. The woman was a mystery, he thought. The harderhe looked for chinks, the fewer flaws he saw. “With that in mind, I think I’ll go out and look for the bunch of them. Adrienne’s at the age where you can’t be sure she’ll mind them or urge them to wade in the fountain.”
Bennett glanced toward the terrace doors. “God knows what havoc they might have wrought in the last twenty minutes.”
“Wait until you have your own.” Eve rose to take Marissa from Hannah. “You’ll spoil them rotten. If you’ll excuse me, I want to go up and feed Marissa.”
“I’ll go with you.” Gabriella set her glass aside. “I thought we might talk over the plans for the Christmas Ball. You know I want to help as much as I can.”
“Thank God I don’t have to beg. No, Hannah, please, sit and relax,” Eve continued as Hannah started to
“We all know your play’s going to be a wonderful success.” Gabriella, with her hand caught loosely in Reeve’s, smiled at Eve. Her rich red hair was styled with casual chic around a face that remained delicate and lovely. “That doesn’t mean we don’t understand you have to worry about it.”
“I’m at the point now where I wish it was over.” Eve drew Marissa into her lap.
“But you’re feeling well?”
“I’m feeling fine.” Eve let Marissa climb down again. “Between Alex’s pampering and Hannah’s eagle eye, I can hardly lift a finger without a doctor’s certificate.”
“It’s so good of you to come.” Gabriella smiled at Hannah before she sipped some sparkling water. “I know firsthand how comforting it is to have a friend nearby. Are we keeping you happy enough so that you’re not homesick?”
“I’m very happy in Cordina.” Hannah kept her back straight against the sofa.
“I hope you’ll come out to the farm while you’re here.”
“I’ve heard a great deal about it.” Gabriella had been kidnapped there while it had still been an overgrown plot of land. “I’d love to see it for myself.”
“Then we’ll arrange it.” Reeve spoke quietly as he lit a cigarette. “You’re enjoying your visit so far?”
“Yes, I am.” Their eyes met and held. “Cordina is a fascinating country. It has a fairy-tale aura perhaps, but it’s very real. I’m particularly interested in visiting the museum.”
“I think you’ll find we have some very unusual exhibits,” Armand put in.
“Yes, sir. I did some research before leaving England. I have no doubt that my time in Cordina will be an education.”
Marissa toddled over, still a bit unsteady on her year-old legs, and held her arms up. Hannah placed the child in her lap.
“Your father is well?” Reeve asked her through a haze of smoke.
Hannah jangled her pearls to entertain the baby. “Yes, thank you. It often seems that the older I get, the younger he gets.”
“Families, no matter how large or how small, are often the focus of our lives,” Reeve said quietly.
“Yes, that’s true,” Hannah murmured as she played with the baby. “It’s a pity that families, and life, aren’t as simple as they seem when we’re children.”
Bennett sat relaxed in his chair and wondered why he thought if he could read between the lines, he’d discover a great deal more than small talk.
“I wasn’t aware you knew Hannah’s father, Reeve.”
“Only casually.” When he leaned back, his smile was easy. “I heard that Dorian stole your yo-yo again.”
“I should have locked it in the safe when I heard he was coming.” Bennett patted the slight bulge in his pocket. “I’d have given the little devil a run for his money, but he had an accomplice.” He turned his head to look at Hannah.
“I’ll have to apologize for my son,” Gabriella’s lips curved as she lifted her glass again. “For drawing you into his crime, Lady Hannah.”
“On the contrary. I enjoyed it. Prince Dorian is charming.”
“We call him other things at home,” Reeve murmured. The woman was a mystery, he thought. The harderhe looked for chinks, the fewer flaws he saw. “With that in mind, I think I’ll go out and look for the bunch of them. Adrienne’s at the age where you can’t be sure she’ll mind them or urge them to wade in the fountain.”
Bennett glanced toward the terrace doors. “God knows what havoc they might have wrought in the last twenty minutes.”
“Wait until you have your own.” Eve rose to take Marissa from Hannah. “You’ll spoil them rotten. If you’ll excuse me, I want to go up and feed Marissa.”
“I’ll go with you.” Gabriella set her glass aside. “I thought we might talk over the plans for the Christmas Ball. You know I want to help as much as I can.”
“Thank God I don’t have to beg. No, Hannah, please, sit and relax,” Eve continued as Hannah started to
Similar Books
