Chapter Thirty-Three 

Lucy touched her hair.

"1307. Twenty years ago. Gosh, I can't believe it's been twenty years. What year was it when you left?"

"2016. I planned to leave sooner, but the man Simon hired tried to kill me."

"No! He said both of you were dead. You don't know how many years I agonized over it. Felt responsible."

Melinda hugged Lady Blackford.

"You are not responsible for what that evil man did. He was already dead, but the wackjob English guy he hired—"

She looked at James. "Sorry. I don't mean all Englishmen are crazy, just a few of them."

He shrugged. "Evil finds a home when men invite it in."

One of the copper curls had come loose from her braid, and James watched as she tucked it behind her ear.

"Anyway, the crazy guy said it didn't matter if Simon was dead. Once a client hired him, he finished the job." Melinda shuddered. "I'm just glad he's dead and I don't have to worry about Charlotte."

Lucy covered her mouth, looking pale again. James stood, ready to catch her.

"She'll be worried to death. Oh, Mellie. We have to figure out a way to tell her we're alive and well." Lucy wiped her eyes. "Finish telling me what happened."

"It was a car crash. He would have killed me, but the cops arrived and shot him first. I was in a coma for five months. Once I woke, Charlotte helped me get out of the hospital. Then I came to England and went to Blackford. It was in February of 2016."

James wondered what life would be like so many years from now. He was imagining what his own home might look like when something Melinda said made him listen to the two women.

"It was in London I found the painting."

"The painting of my family?"

Melinda nodded.

"Come look." Lucy walked over to the far wall. Curious, James followed.

"This is the one. I wonder how it ended up in a museum?"

Lucy looked thoughtful. "I don't know, but I'm glad it helped you find me."

"It wasn't titled. But I would've known your face anywhere. The colors are so much more vibrant now. How old are your children?" Then Melinda laughed. "I still can't believe you have five kids."

"You can't believe it? How about the fact that I'm forty-four and you're still twenty-six? I'm trying to wrap my head around that."

Lucy touched the painting, tracing each face before sitting down. "The kids range in age from thirteen to nineteen." She looked wistful. "None of them live here. You know when they're young they go foster with another family. And then, as they're older and become knights, they go off to make their own fortune. We see them a few times a year."

"I'm sure you've been a wonderful mother."

They talked for a while longer, and James knew they wanted to discuss him. He stood and made a bow.

"Thank you, Lady Blackford, for extending your hospitality. I must see to the men."

He walked over to Melinda, leaned down, and kissed her. When he turned, he saw Lucy smiling at him. Did she think him good enough for her sister? Or did she only see the beast? James turned on his heel and walked through the doors. As he shut them, he heard the sound of giggling and low feminine voices.

He stopped in the passageway and reached into the pouch at his waist. The ring glittered. Mayhap he was not whole, would never be whole again, but the sapphire reminded him of Melinda, so he slipped it on his finger. For the first time since his injuries, the ring slid over the crooked finger on his left hand.