Brenn introduced them, laying his hand on the oldest's head first. "Tess, this is Amanda, and here's her sister, Lucy, and, of course, Marigold Faraway. And this," he said, moving toward the doorway where a woman stood, "is Sarah Faraway, the mother of this brood."

Sarah turned out to be a lovely woman with snapping brown eyes, a cupid's mouth the same as herdaughters', and a belly pregnant with another child. A sandy-haired man wearing an innkeeper's ap.r.o.ncome up behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Brenn," the man said good-naturedly. "You didn't spend long in London. You must have..." His voice

trailed off into a low whistle as his gaze lit upon Tess.

"Darryl, this is my wife, Tess. Tess, Darryl is a gentleman who fancies himself an innkeeper," Brenn said with genuine affection.

"We're doing a fine business, thank you very much," Darryl boasted.

Tess heard the conversation over her head as she knelt in front of the older girls. She held out her gloved hand. "I'm pleased to meet you," she said to Amanda.

Amanda shyly took her hand, wiping hers off on her pinafore ap.r.o.n first.

Lucy, however, was braver. She dared to speak. "Are you the wife Uncle Brenn promised to fetch from

London?"

Startled, Tess flashed a look up at her husband. Uncle Brenn?

He wasn't paying attention. He talked to Sarah while bouncing Marigold on his arm.

She said to Lucy, "Did he tell you he was going to fetch a wife?"

"Oh, yes," both girls a.s.sured her.Brenn suddenly claimed Tess's attention. "Lucy will give away the family secrets if we let her.""Is there a touch of nervousness in your voice, Uncle Brenn?" Tess asked archly.He just laughed."I thought you said you didn't have family.""Darryl is one of the sons of the family that took me in," Brenn answered. "And he continues to take me in."

Sarah said, "Come, you both must be tired from traveling."

At that moment, the heavier luggage coach pulled up. Amidst the confusion and the dogs barking, Willa

climbed out. "Merciful heavens, this can't be where we are going to stay? This isn't a decent inn. Mylady doesn't stay in hovels, especially after a day like today. Isn't there something better?"

"Willa," Tess warned. "Mr. and Mrs. Faraway are relations."

Willa covered her mouth with her hand as if she could call back the words. Whirling around, she directed her sharp tongue at supervising the unloading of the coaches.

Tess turned to Sarah and Darryl. "I'm sorry. Willa doesn't always know her place."

Her apology was immediately accepted by the easygoing Darryl but not by Sarah-or by Willa, who huffed a response under her breath.

Marigold interrupted then, begging Brenn to go out to the barn and look at the puppies. Tess was aware

that Sarah was taking in every detail of her appearance. She also sensed she was not meeting with Sarah'

s approval.

"Let me show you to your room," Sarah said, adding stiffly, "my lady."

"Please call me Tess," she said, anxious to be included. "After all, we are like family."

"Yes," Sarah agreed, but there was no acceptance in the word. She showed Tess to an ample room in the back of the rambling house. A few minutes later, Willa led Tim, who was carrying in the luggage for the night, into the room and Sarah excused herself.

Willa started to say something about the furnishings in the room, but Tess quickly warned her, "Not one

word."

The dresser sniffed her opinion then, muttering something about doubting if they had decent accommodations for herself. Tess ignored her.

Instead, she removed her hat and gloves and went in search of Brenn. Outside, a line of baby ducksfollowing their mother marched across her path. Surprisingly, the dogs-a yellow hound and a smallterrier, both of doubtful lineage-let them pa.s.s. Tess watched them waddling, then heard the sound oflaughter. She followed it and found Brenn standing by the side of a good-sized pond, throwing rocks tothe delight of the girls.

Lucy noticed her first. "Come join us, Lady Tess," she shouted with excitement. "We are having a contest to see who can skip a rock the most times."

"Skip a rock?" Tess smiled. "Whatever is that?"

"You've never skipped a rock?" Lucy demanded.

"We can show you how," Amanda offered.

"Like this!" Marigold exclaimed and heaved a rock into the pond where it landed with a plop.

"No," Amanda corrected her. She started telling Tess how to skip a rock and in minutes they had Tess

included in the game. She'd never done anything like this in her life and her rocks sank, but she had a

good time laughing at her own mistakes.

She also found she enjoyed being in the presence of children. At first, she was a bit stiff. Children had never been a part of her circle. But these girls were delightful and she became more at ease with them.

And she liked watching Brenn handle them. He listened to what each girl told him, helping Marigold when she needed it, answering Lucy's endless questions, and drawing Amanda into the conversation. This was how her father had been with her. No matter what he was doing, he always had time for her.

Too soon, Sarah called them to supper. Picking his jacket up off the ground, Brenn took Tess's hand.The girls ran ahead of them."Darryl and Sarah want to make this house into a successful inn," he said."Have they been innkeepers long?""A year or two."Inside, the Duck Pond Inn had a small common room that was empty at present."Don't have trade until later in the evening," Darryl told them."But it is coming along?" Brenn asked."Aye, slow but steady," Sarah answered for her husband. "We will make a success of it."The word "we" was not lost on Tess."I have your dinner set up in here," Sarah said, directing them to a room off the main hall.

Brenn stopped. "What is wrong with the family's quarters? That's where I've always eaten before.""I thought it would be best to be more formal. You're a lord now." Sarah didn't look at Tess but Tessknew she was the reason behind this change of tradition.

"Don't be a goose, Sarah," Brenn said. "I was a lord three weeks ago, too, and you fed me in thekitchen. Besides, Tess wants to eat with the family too. Don't you, Tess?"

"Of course," she agreed quickly.

The expression on Sarah's face said that she didn't believe her, but Sarah did as Brenn directed. She carried their plates back into the kitchen, where she practically threw them onto the table already set for the rest of the family.

Brenn and Darryl exchanged glances. Darryl shrugged. "She's pregnant," he whispered.

"It may be me," Tess said in a low undervoice to her husband.

Brenn rested his hand against the small of her back. "Or me. Since Sarah married Darryl, she treats me

like a brother. Which means she can get as angry as if I were her brother too. This won't be the first timeI've upset Sarah's plans.""You should have invited all of them to the wedding."He shrugged. "Since I've come into the t.i.tle, she's been somewhat distant.""Willa's comment didn't help.""Don't let it bother you," he advised her.But it did. Brenn's affection for the whole family was plain and Tess understood why. The girls were charming and Darryl's teasing made her feel at ease.Tess had never eaten in a kitchen before. But surrounded by the Faraways' three daughters, with the smell of freshly baked bread and cooked meats in the air, she decided she rather liked it. It became important to her to earn Sarah's goodwill.

For that reason, when they had finished eating and Sarah and the older girls got up from the table to clear

the dishes, Tess rose with them. She picked up a plate."You don't have to do that," Sarah said. "You're a guest.""I'm family," Tess gently reiterated.For a second, Sarah studied her skeptically. Then she said, "I'd wager you've never cleaned a table before."

"Can it be that hard?" Tess countered.

Sarah's mouth twitched into what could almost have been a smile. "Suit yourself. Come, girls." Even

Marigold did her share.

Doing dishes wasn't difficult, and it was pleasant to be included. The girls chattered happily and the ch.o.r.e

was done in little time. When Sarah disappeared, Tess caught sight of her in an alcove off the kitchen talking to her husband. He was kneading her back.

She paused, watching. Neil and Stella rarely touched in affection, nor did most of the couples Tess had

known. As Darryl finished easing the tension in his wife's neck, his hand followed the line of her arm.

Their fingers brushed, then hooked, and a slight squeeze pa.s.sed between them.

That was it, a little squeeze, and yet Tess had never witnessed such an honest display of affection.

She wondered if Sarah had brought a dowry to her marriage. Or did Darryl love her just for who she was?

Tess had known women far more lovely and certainly richer, but in that moment, she envied Sarah

Faraway.

The family quarters were comprised of two bedrooms and a sitting room and were located just beyond the kitchen. Sarah led them to the sitting room. "Darryl has gone to work in the taproom," she told Tess.

"We have a good spot of business late in the evening."

Brenn sat in a winged back chair of front of the cold hearth. Marigold climbed into his lap. "Now you tell a story," she demanded of him. "You promised."

"Yes, a story," Lucy said. Even, Amanda hurried to Brenn's side.

Sarah offered Tess the chair next to his, which was obviously hers but Tess waved for her to sit in it. She was comfortable on a footstool and Sarah looked like she needed a moment or two off her feet. After lighting a candle, Sarah reached for a basket of sewing.