“You never can tell at Nimway,” she said lightly, although the man probably simply forgot where he put it—whatever it was.
“I thought you might like this.” With a dramatic flourish, he presented a box about the size of a sugar bowl, tied with a blue ribbon.
She took the box and resisted the urge to shake it. “Shall I open it now?”
A knock sounded at the door, and it immediately opened a crack.
“Are you busy?” Aunt Viv called from the other side. “Do you need a moment to, oh, adjust your clothing?”
Robert laughed.
Alex shook her head. “I assure you, Aunt Viv, we’re quite respectable. Do come in.”
“Really?” Her aunt swept into the room. “What a shame.”
“I was just about to open a gift from”—she smiled at Robert—“my husband.”
“There is nothing like a thoughtful gift from a handsome man. Charles, my first husband, would frequently surprise me with little unexpected gifts.” She smiled wistfully. “I did miss that with my second husband, but he made up for it in other ways. Many lovely other ways.” She sighed with the memory then fluttered her fingers at them. “Do open it so we may return to the others, unless you would prefer privacy. Should I leave?”
Alex glanced at Robert, who shrugged. “It seems pointless. You’ll tell her what it is, anyway.”
Alex grinned. “There is that.” She pulled the ribbon free then lifted the lid and handed it to Robert. The faintest glow came from the object inside. Her breath caught, and she glanced at her husband. “You found this in London?”
“I did.” He chuckled. “It wasn’t easy.”
She wrapped her hand around a large oval moonstone, nestled in a gold mounting resembling an eagle’s claw.
Behind her, Aunt Viv sucked in a sharp breath.
“That’s not what I bought,” Robert said slowly. “I bought you a crystal ball. That’s not a crystal ball.”
“This is better,” Alex said softly. “I’ve been waiting to see this for a long time.”
“It’s interesting, but what is it?”
“It’s the orb, Robert,” Aunt Viv said in a shaky voice.
“The orb?” Robert stared in confusion.
Alex glanced at her aunt and frowned. “You’re terribly pale, Aunt Viv. Are you all right?”
Her aunt’s gaze stayed on the orb. “Yes, quite, thank you.”
“What is the orb?” Robert’s gaze shifted between aunt and niece. “Judging by the two of you, this obviously has some significance.”
“It does.” Alex smiled slowly and set the orb on the desk. “Or rather it did.” She took her husband’s arm and led him to the door. “I shall explain it all to you at some other time, although it’s no longer important.”
“It’s one of those magic-of-Nimway stories, isn’t it?” he asked wryly.
She laughed. “You’ll like this one.”
Robert shrugged in surrender. “I like them all.”
He pulled open the door, and the murmur of excited greetings from the entry drifted through the air. Alex glanced back at her aunt. Aunt Viv had moved closer to the orb, staring as if mesmerized. It was to be expected, of course. Unlike Mother, Aunt Viv had never seen it before. Even though she’d always said she’d been quite happy in her two marriages, there had long been the faintest note of regret in her voice when she spoke of the orb. Best to leave her to her own thoughts.
Alex and Robert stepped into the hallway. She started to close the door behind her then stopped. She could have sworn she heard her aunt’s hushed voice in the library, saying, “I’ve seen you before.”
How absurd. Alex shook her head to clear it. She had obviously misheard. No doubt because of the mingle of voices from arriving guests. Aunt Viv had never seen the orb.
Robert offered his arm, and they started toward the entry.
“You were right, you know.”
“I usually am.” He paused. “About what?”
“About magic still being present at Nimway.”
“Oh, I’ve known that since the moment I arrived at Nimway and saw a vision in the front garden—a lovely, somewhat grubby, rather cranky woman surrounded by flowers. A woman they called the Dragon of Nimway Hall. I knew then this was a place of magic.”
“Did you indeed?”
“Absolutely. You see, my dear, darling wife.” He stopped in mid-step and drew her into his arms. “I may be an arrogant American, but I’m smart enough to know that even at Nimway, the greatest magic of all”—he bent close to brush his lips across hers—“is love.”
Discover More in the Nimway Hall Series
1750 - Jacqueline by Stephanie Laurens
1794 - Charlotte by Karen Hawkins
1818 - Isabel by Suzanne Enoch
1940 - Josie by Linda Needham
1940 - Josie and Gideon’s Wedding
Discover More by Victoria Alexander
The Lady Travelers Society
The Proper Way to Ruin a Wedding in 7 Days or Less
The Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels and Other Gentlemen
The Rise and Fall of Reginald Everheart
The Lady Travelers Guide to Larceny with a Dashing Stranger
The Dance Before Christmas
The Lady Travelers Guide to Deception with an Unlikely Earl
The Lady Travelers Guide to Happily Ever After
* * *
What Happens at Millworth Manor
What Happens at Christmas
Lord Stillwell's Excellent Engagements (novella)
The Importance of Being Wicked (crossover with Wicked Family Secrets)
The Shocking Secret of a Guest at the Wedding
The Scandalous Adventures of the Sister of the Bride
The Daring Exploits of a Runaway Heiress
* * *
Sinful Family Secrets, the Hadley-Atwater Family
The Perfect Mistress
His Mistress by Christmas
My Wicked Little Lies
The Importance of Being Wicked
Same Time, Next Christmas
* * *
Lost City Series (Descendants of characters in The Perfect Wife)
The Virgin’s Secret
Desires of a Perfect Lady
* * *
Effington Family & Friends
The Wedding Bargain
The Husband List
The Marriage Lesson
The Prince’s Bride
Her Highness, My Wife
Love with the Proper Husband
The Lady in Question
The Pursuit of Marriage
When We Meet Again
The Trouble with Charlotte (in The One that Got Away anthology)
Victorian (2nd Generation)
A Visit from Sir Nicholas
Let It Be Love
* * *
Last Man Standing Series (spinoff from Effington Family & Friends)
A Little Bit Wicked
What a Lady Wants
Secrets of a Proper Lady
The Seduction of a Proper Gentleman
Lady Amelia’s Secret Lover (ebook spinoff from What a Lady Wants)
* * *
Stand Alone Books & Novellas
Yesterday and Forever (time travel)
The Princess and the Pea (historical)
The Perfect Wife (historical)
Promises to Keep (second chance romance / time travel)
The Emperor’s New Clothes (historical)
Shakespeare and the Three Kings (historical novella)
Believe
Paradise Bay (contemporary)
The Last Love Letter, Secrets of a Perfect Night Anthology (historical novella)
About the Author
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander was an award winning television reporter until she discovered fiction was much more fun than real life. She turned to writing full time and is still shocked it worked out.
Since the publication of h
er first book in 1995, she has written forty-nine published works. The Perfect Wife—originally released in 1996 and reissued in March 2008—hit #1 on the New York Times list. The best-selling, award winning author has books translated into more than a dozen different languages and has readers around the world. Victoria credits much of her writing success to her experiences as a reporter.
Her years as a broadcast journalist were spent in two radically different areas: Nebraska and West Virginia. In West Virginia, she covered both natural and manmade disasters. She was on the scene when a power plant construction accident in a small town left 52 men dead. She once spent the night on a mountain waiting to learn of the fate of coal miners trapped in a mine collapse. Victoria was producing a newscast when her husband (who worked at the same television station) and several other journalists were held hostage by a disturbed Vietnam veteran. In Nebraska, she reported on the farm crisis and watched people lose land that had been in their families for generations. She covered the story that was the basis of the movie BOYS DON’T CRY and once acted as the link between police and a gunman who had barricaded himself in his home. Her investigative work exposed the trucking of New York City garbage to a small town dump in rural Nebraska.
During her journalism career, Victoria covered every president from Ford to Clinton. She knows firsthand what it feels like to be surrounded by rising floodwaters and inside a burning building. She’s interviewed movie stars including Kevin Costner, ridden an elephant and flown in a governor’s helicopter. She’s covered a national political convention and Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Denver as well as small town festivals celebrating everything from walnuts to Glen Miller. Her work was honored by numerous organizations including the Associated Press who called a feature about a firefighter’s school "story telling genius". It was the encouragement she needed to turn from news to fiction. She’s never looked back.
Victoria credits her love of romance and journalism to the influence of her favorite comic book character: Lois Lane, a terrific reporter and a great heroine who pursued Superman with an unwavering determination. And why not? He was extremely well drawn.
Victoria grew up traveling the world as an Air Force brat. Today, she lives in Omaha, Nebraska with her husband and two bearded collies—Louie and Reggie. They all live happily ever after in a house under constant renovation and the accompanying parade of men in tool belts. And never ending chaos. Victoria laughs a great deal—she has to.
* * *
Click here for Victoria Alexander’s website.
THE LEGEND OF NIMWAY HALL: 1888 - ALEXANDRA Page 22
