The Present Read Free

Reggie might have been his favorite niece, but that didn't save her husband. Nicholas was his favorite verbal punching bag, so to speak, and without the presence of his brother James, whom he would just as soon trade barbs with, he'd been sorely missing a convenient target for his satirical wit.

    Molly just managed to refrain from rolling her eyes. She knew Jason's family as well as he did, since he shared everything with her, including all the family secrets, foibles, and scandals.

    So she wasn't the least bit surprised to hear Anthony say to Nicholas as he took the seat across from him, "Good of you to show up, dear boy. My teeth were getting a tad dull."

    "Old age starting to set in, is it?" Nick shot back with a smirk.

    Molly noticed the nudge Anthony's wife gave him before she said, "Remember it's Christmas and be nice for a change."

    Up went Anthony's black brow. "For a change? I'm always nice. There's just nice, and then there's—nice. The latter gets reserved for bounders like Eden, is all."

    Molly sighed. As fond as she was of all of Jason's family, she had a soft spot for Nicholas Eden, because he had befriended her son in their school days, when Derek had had to deal with his public illegitimacy. He and Derek had been close friends ever since. And typically, Derek jumped in now to take Anthony's attention off of Nick.

    "Reggie, you remember that grave we found in the east clearing all those years ago?" Derek said to his cousin. “As I recall, you were going to ask one of the gardeners about it. Did you ever get around to doing that?"

    Reggie gave him an owlish look. "Goodness, what made you think of that old grave? It's been so long since we found it, I'd forgotten all about it."

    "Amy came across it last night and mentioned it. M'father don't even know who it belongs to."

    Reggie peered at her cousin Amy. "What were you doing in that clearing last night?"

    "Don't ask," Amy mumbled.

    And Warren, obviously finding their catastrophes of the day before rather amusing now, after the fact, said, "A little coach trouble."

    "A little!" Amy snorted indelicately. "That coach is cursed, I tell you. Who did you say you bought it from Warren? Because you were definitely swindled."

    He chuckled and patted her hand. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. I'm sure the crew I sent over to dismantle it this morning will make good use of the kindling."

    Amy nodded, then turned back to her cousin. "We ended up having to cross that clearing on foot last night.

    “It just surprised me, to find a grave there, so far from the family plots, yet still on the property."

    "Now that you mention it, it surprised Derek and me, too, when we found it all those years ago," Reggie replied thoughtfully. "But no, Derek, I don't believe I did ever get around to asking the gardeners. It's too far from the gardens, after all. Figured whoever was tending it probably didn't live at Haverston, so it wouldn't do much good to ask around."

    "Unless one of the gardeners was specifically asked to tend it," Anthony pointed out. "Old John Markus was ancient when I still lived here, and he'd worked at Haverston for as long as anyone could remember. If anyone might know about that grave, it would be him. Don't suppose he'd still be around, would he, Jason?"

    Like everyone else, Molly glanced toward Jason to hear his answer, and caught his tender expression on her. Her checks went up in flames. He'd done it! She couldn't believe he'd done it! And with half his family here to see it. But she was panicking for nothing. The look he'd given her had been brief, and no one was turning about to see who he'd been looking at, too interested in his answer, which he gave now.

    "Here at Haverston, no," Jason replied. "He retired about fifteen years ago. But he's still alive, last I heard. Living with a daughter over in Havers Town."

    "Think I'll ride over and pay my respects to Mr. Markus this afternoon," Derek said.

    "I'll go with you," Reggie offered.