Where Love Dwells by Delia Parr Page B

Mark arrived at Reverend Glenn’s new home within five minutes. The cottage itself was small but boasted four small rooms instead of two, as Reverend Glenn had originally thought. The moment she stepped inside, however, she knew she had been wrong about a number of her assumptions today.
    First, Reverend Glenn and Aunt Frances did not have a single visitor. They had two.
    Second, any hope she had of trying to decide what to do with Wryn without involving Zachary Breckenwith was futile, since he was right there sitting next to Reverend Glenn.
    Third . . .
    She let out a sigh. She was too tired to think anymore. She simply smiled and wondered how unkind it would be to wish that the young lady who was sitting on the settee next to Aunt Frances might simply disappear.

6
    W ITH FIVE PEOPLE and one very large, very ungainly dog cramped together in the small parlor, there was little room for anyone to move about, let alone escape.
    After introducing and reintroducing her son to everyone, Emma settled down in a chair across from the fire, where she could see that the doors to the two tiny bedrooms had been closed shut. Mark sat next to her in the other of the two chairs he had carried in from the kitchen. Fortunately, her son had shown the same quiet self-control as his father by not exploding into a diatribe the moment he saw Wryn. Emma suspected, for now at least, that Mark was more interested in studying the man who was courting his mother than he was in confronting his wayward niece in front of the others.
    Butter, the aged mongrel who had become Reverend Glenn’s constant companion, slept at his master’s feet. Zachary sat in a chair on the other side wearing the closed expression he usually reserved for handling his clients, although the amusement she detected in his gaze was most definitely reserved for her.
    Between them all, Aunt Frances sat with Wryn on a smallsettee. The two, both unusually small and finely boned, offered a striking vision of the opposite ends of the life cycle. Both set of cheeks were also bright pink. Emma assumed Aunt Frances’ cheeks were flushed with the excitement of having so many visitors at one time, but she hoped Wryn’s cheeks were flaming with nervous embarrassment, if only to reassure herself that the young woman possessed any sort of conscience.
    After sharing a few pleasantries, Emma smiled. “What a lovely shawl you’re wearing, Aunt Frances,” she said, anxious to have her suspicions about the source of her shawl confirmed or denied.
    Aunt Frances reached up to touch the exquisite lace and smiled. “It’s a bit more delicate than I’m accustomed to, but I can truthfully say that I’ve never owned anything quite as beautiful. Wryn gave it to me just before you arrived. She’s as sweet and thoughtful as you are.” She patted the girl’s hand.
    Smiling demurely, Wryn turned her hand over to clasp Aunt Frances’ hand. “You’re very kind.”
    â€œApparently, you’ve been very, very busy today,” Mark said calmly to his niece.
    The blush on Wryn’s cheeks flamed red. “But I wasn’t too busy to stop and introduce myself to Reverend and Mrs. Glenn,” she countered, addressing her uncle before turning her attention back to her hosts. “Uncle Mark and Aunt Catherine told me so much about the two of you while we traveled here. I could hardly wait to meet you both.”
    â€œWe’re very, very pleased that you did,” Reverend Glenn noted, pausing for a moment from rubbing his left arm, which had been weakened by his stroke. “You shouldn’t have come bearing so many gifts,” he added, looking down at his contented dog. “Butter here hasn’t had a hunk of beef jerky like you brought for himwithout being chased out of Mercy Garrett’s kitchen for a good, long spell.”
    â€œI put the rest of the jerky away and hid it right behind the crock of butter where