Page 57 of Bride By Committee

Madison shook her head, fighting for control. “No, you’re wrong. It’s not that. Linc. Dad—” The tears came harder, preventing her from explaining.

Sunny fluttered to her side, wrapping her up in a warm hug. “There, there, precious. Tell your grandmother all about it. What’s happened?”

“I blew it,” she managed to say. “With Harry. Ireally, truly blew it.”

“But he was our birthday present to you,” Rosy complained. Adisgruntled expression crossed her face. “Oh, Iget it. Ishould have left instructions for you instead of him.”

“Quiet, Rosy,” Daniel ordered. “This is important. Could everyone please excuse us? I’d like to handle things from here.”

Sunny looked alarmed. “I don’t know. This might require a woman’s touch.”

Determination settled on his face. “I can do it. Ihaven’t been very good at helping people in the past. But I’m positive I can help Madison. Give me a chance to try.”

For the first time within Madison’s memory, no one argued. Daniel waited while everyone exited the office, dejected balloons, streamers, and party hats trailing in their wake. As soon as they were alone, he shut the door and approached. He tugged a crumpled manila envelope from his back pocket.

Madison glanced at it curiously, wiping tears from her cheeks. “What’s that, Uncle Daniel?”

“It’s your birthday present.” His brows drew together. “I wasn’t sure I should give it to you. I’d hoped I could help get you and Harry together using the principles like everyone else planned to and make that my gift. But I couldn’t figure out how to do it.”

“Trust me, Idon’t mind.”

He smiled. “No, Isuppose not. And I doubt I’d have done a very good job, even if I’d had the opportunity to try.” A frown overtook his smile. “But I really wanted to help.”

“Thank you. It means the world to me that you’ve all been so kind. Not just with Harry.” Tears threatened again. “You all accepted me when I needed you most.”

“No thanks necessary. We were thrilled to have you return home. And you’ve done so much for us over the years that I’ve been racking my brain to come up with some way to show you how grateful we are. So…” He fingered the envelope, finally holding it out. “Here.”

“What is it?”

“It’s the real reason Harry came to Seattle.”

“The real reason?” Madison regarded the envelope as if it were disaster in the making. “Which real reason? As a favor to Sunny? To take a look at our financial situation? Or was it in response to the Sunflowers matchmaking attempts?”

“None of the above.” When she didn’t take the envelope, he set it gently on her desk. “It’s all in there. Why he came. Why he stayed. And why he’s the perfect man for you.”

Curiosity won over hesitation and she picked up the envelope. Breaking the seal, she pulled out the papers. It only took an instant to realize what she held. “Oh, no. Please tell me this isn’t what I think it is.”

“They’re pages from your journal. Rosy sent them to Bartholomew.”

Tears glittered in her eyes once again. “Why would she do such a thing?”

“Because she thought he’d like to have the information for a possible sequel to his book.” He shrugged apologetically. “She was wrong, of course. Wrong to send it. And wrong to think either Bartholomew or Harry would use it for personal gain.”

Her head jerked up as the full significance of his words sank in. “You know about Harry?”

“That he wrote The Principles? Sure. Ifigured it out the second time I read the book. It sounded just like him. How about you?”

“I… I haven’t read it, yet.”

He nodded as though it confirmed his suspicions. “Maybe you should. You might realize that your practical, logical—not to mention intimidating—economist is a romantic at heart. Otherwise what other reason would he have to come rushing out here once he’d read your blueprint for the perfect man?”

She looked down at the copies of her most private thoughts and dreams and shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why would he come in response to this?”

“I haven’t read what you wrote.” He blushed. “Private, you know. But at a guess, there was something he read there that made him think the two of you would be compatible.”

“You’re wrong. You have to be wrong. He came because Sunny asked him. Because Bartholomew—”

Daniel simply fixed her with a gaze of absolute, unquestioning conviction.

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