Jewel of Gresham Green (43 page)

“Yes.”

“Truly?”

Happy tears pricking her eyes, she raised her head to smile at him. “I will.”

His voice thickened. “I prayed for a wife.”

“And I prayed for a miracle.”

“I love you, Jewel.”

“I love you, Gabriel.”

Planning a future took a long time when interrupted by kisses. When they walked out into the garden, hand-in-hand, an hour later, Miss Hollis stopped pacing and advanced.

“I thought you’d never come out! And I didn’t want to spoil the moment by going indoors.”

Gabriel opened his arm. She took a step closer, to be gently pulled into a sideways embrace. “The fifteenth of August.”

She stepped back. “Three months?”

“If your father would be so kind as to perform the ceremony. We want to give Becky time to get used to the idea. And Jewel insists on giving you time to find a replacement for her.”

“A replacement?” Miss Hollis smiled at Jewel. “You don’t look for people like Jewel. God drops them into your world.”

“Will I go to another school?” Becky asked in Jewel’s arms that night. The framed photograph from the zoo was barely visible atop the chest of drawers in the dim light.

“You will. And there will be nice little girls there, too, just like your school here.”

“Will you have to clean Mr. Patterson’s home?”

Jewel held her tighter. “It will be our home, too, mite. And no, the maids will continue to do that.”

“And he really said I could get a kitten?”

“No, he said you could get two kittens.”

Becky sighed contentedly. “What will I call Mr. Patterson?” “You’ll call him Father.”

“Father.”

A space of silence followed. Jewel assumed Becky had dropped off to sleep, until her small voice said, “May I call him Papa?”

Jewel smiled. “I think he would like that.”

She could imagine, somewhere in heaven, Norman smiled, too.

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