Mail-Order Christmas Baby
Page 27
“But your father forbade it.”
“She told you?”
He nodded. Paul Crowne hadn’t gone to his daughter’s wedding. Ten years had passed without a word from him. Pauline had never given up hope that his heart would soften one day, but he’d shut her out completely. “He didn’t even realize he had grandchildren until he got my letter with the sad news, did he?”
“I told him, but he—” Lavinia toyed with the button on her sleeve. “He rarely mentioned them.”
The admission had cost her. Henry softened his tone. “He has no idea what he missed, but it’s too late.”
“It’s not. He’s going to meet them. Quite soon, in fact.”
His jaw dropped. “Your father is actually going to come out here after all this time?”
She shook her head, dislodging a curl. The spiral drooped over her left eye. “He can’t get away. Business, you know. That’s why I’m here. I’m going to see that the children have a special Christmas celebration, and then we’ll be going home.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You and Gladys?”
She brushed the loose curl aside. “Yes, plus Stuart and—”
“Who’s Stuart?” The question had slipped out before he could stop it.
“Stuart Worthington is one of my father’s competent young managers. He accompanied us all the way to Sutter Creek before returning to San Francisco. He’s there now and will come back here at the end of the year to escort all five of us back to Philadelphia.”
Henry stared at her in disbelief. “You’re not seriously thinking of taking the children, are you?”
“Yes.” Lavinia’s too-sweet smile was at odds with the determination in her eyes. “I am.”
“Let me make myself clear then. You’re not taking them. They’re staying here with me. I’m their legal guardian, as per Jack’s will, and I won’t be relinquishing that right to you, your father or anyone.”
Copyright © 2017 by Keli Gwyn
ISBN-13: 9781488017926
Mail-Order Christmas Baby
Copyright © 2017 by Sherri Shackelford
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