Page 107 of Charming Artemis

Artemis had butted heads with her brother-in-law so often and so entirely that she’d not allowed herself to think too deeply on the role he had played in the life of her family. In the time since his heartfelt confession to her, she had reflected on it again and again. Life in their family these past thirteen years had been just what Mater had described. Adam was their unlikely but unwavering father figure. Persephone was the glue that held them all together.

“I am sorry I kept my distance for so long,” Adam said.

“I knew you would come back to me when you were ready. I’d hoped at the house party, but the time was not yet right.” Mater took his hand once more. “Lucas left you a letter with the final portion of his will that we only just unsealed.”

“He did?” Emotion rendered the response quiet and uncertain.

“You were the first child to be part of our home, Adam. Of course he left you a letter. I was instructed to safeguard it until I thought the time was right to give it to you. I will do so before you leave, then you can read it when you are ready.”

“Thank you, Mother Julia.”

Apparently suddenly remembering their audience, Adam pulled his sternness around himself once more. Jaw set and expression unreadable, he crossed with Mater back to the chairs they had occupied.

Persephone linked her arm through his. Mater patted his hand precisely as a mother would do. How shocked Society would be to see the infamous Duke of Kielder unshaken by such personal gestures. Artemis would have been as well only a few days earlier. Everything between them was different since their walk on the grounds. He would likely never be openly affectionate. She certainly had no expectation of him becoming sentimental or publicly emotional. But she saw the subtle softness in him that was so easy to miss. She began to understand why Persephone insisted he was tenderhearted when that seemed so ridiculous a contradiction.

Stanley was called up next, and rather than accept a question or command from Catherine, he chose to share a memory of Charlie. “When Charlie was first born, we all called him Charles, that being his proper given name. But I never once heard Father call him anything but Charlie. He never wavered from that. Over time, we all adopted it as well.”

Which explained why Charlie was so adamant about the name she used for him. It, like so many other things, was tied to his father.

Sorrel and Philip were next. Philip requested he be permitted to accept the commandandtake the forfeit. Sorrel shook her head at his antics but obliged.

After accepting his forfeited kiss, Sorrel made her command. “Present our newest family member with the gift we’ve chosen for her.”

Philip dipped his head. “It would be my pleasure.” He turned to Artemis and pulled a wrapped parcel from his pocket. “We”—he motioned to all the other Jonquils—“wish you to have this.”

She accepted it. The hand-decorated paper was beautiful, and the ribbon it was wrapped in matched perfectly. It seemed almost a shame to open it.

Careful not to tear the paper, she untied the ribbon and unrolled the wrapping. Inside was a miniature, a little larger than her hand. The painting was of a gentleman who looked a little like Charlie and a lot like Philip and bore a tremendous resemblance to all the Jonquil brothers.

She knew him on the instant. “Papa,” she whispered.

“He is younger in that portrait than he was when you knew him,” Philip said, “but the mischievous expression in his eyes is one we all remember well. It is the one he wore most of the time. We want you to have the miniature so you can remember what he looked like and how happy he always was.”

She looked from Philip to Charlie. “I don’t know that I can accept this. It should stay with his family.”

“You are his family,” Mater said. “You were long before now, and we are all in agreement that you should have it.”

Emotion cracking in her words, Artemis said, “I can’t. I really can’t.”

It wasn’t a Jonquil who crossed to her but Persephone. She knelt in front of Artemis and took her empty hand. “I have come to know your Papa through Adam and through your Papa’s sons. I can say with certainty he would want you to have this remembrance of him. He would want you to have whatever you need to remember him and remember that he loved you.”

“But I am not actually one of his children.” How she ached admitting out loud the truth of her role in her beloved Papa’s life.

“You are not actually one ofmychildren, Artemis,” Persephone said, “but I raised you as my own. I love you as more than my sister. You have been in my care and keeping from the moment you were born, and I have loved you fully and entirely.”

“Youarethe best mama I ever had,” she said quietly.

Persephone pulled her into an embrace. “How well I remember you saying that at Falstone Castle.”

“My heart broke that day,” Artemis said. “I felt so alone.”

“You aren’t alone now, my little Artemis. You will always have your Lancaster family, and you now have your Jonquil family. And”—Persephone pulled back enough to look her in the eye—“you will always havehim.” She nudged the hand holding Papa’s portrait. “Keep this reminder of him. Keep it and him close to your heart.”

Artemis dropped her gaze to the miniature. She looked into those beloved eyes. How long she had struggled to remember what her Papa looked like. Having studied the large portrait over the fireplace and now holding this small portrait of him, she could hardly believe she’d ever forgotten. His face had grown so familiar once more.

“He loved me,” she whispered.

“He did.” Persephone rose once more. “And you are loved now. Do not forget that.”

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