Page 109 of The Seven Rings
“Was he a Poole?” Corrine wondered.
“Yes,” Sonya told her. “He died when he was nine. A fever tookhim. When I first got here, he played tricks on me. I’d come into the kitchen, and all the cabinet doors would be open, the stools lying on the floor. And yes,” she said to Seth, “it did creep me out.”
“Finally!”
“But then I got Yoda, and, well, a boy and a dog. Most days when I’m working, I can hear them playing fetch down in the hall.”
“We got used to each other,” Cleo put in. “And built up trust. Sonya bought him an art kit.”
“Nobody finds that weird?” Seth looked around the table. “Nobody?”
“It’s life at the manor,” Sonya said. “And the trust is important. He let Cleo and me see him in the yard with Yoda. Just a little boy in those short pants with the…” She gestured.
“Suspenders,” Deuce murmured.
“Yes. I caught a glimpse once before, but he ran from me. This time, he turned, grinned, waved. It…” She pressed a hand to her heart.
“Misty moment,” Cleo finished.
“I’ll say again, Collin chose well.” Ace lifted his glass. “Here’s to the ladies of Lost Bride Manor.”
“I’ll drink to that.” Seth lifted his, then looked at his wife. “But I’ll tell you, honey, we’re never moving from our unhaunted house.”
“You’ll be dealing with cries in the night soon enough.” Ace added a wink. “From my great-granddaughter.”
“Oh, that reminds me.” Paula shifted. “I saw the mural in the nursery. Cleo, Sonya, it’s just magical.”
“That was the goal. But Cleo’s got the lion’s share there, too. I’m the designated assistant. It’s like chopping.”
“Sonya minimizes her artistic talents.”
“My fine art talents.”
“Which she has.”
“She’s got a painting she did of the tree out front in the, what is it?” Trey had to think. “The gift-wrapping room.”
“Where once again we hauled furniture in and out,” Owen remembered. “We’re the designated muscle around here.”
“You have a gift-wrapping room?” Anna looked back at the manor with delight. “I have to see it.”
“We’ll show you. And Cleo’s using Collin’s office, so a few changes there. We’ve found so many treasures, big ones, small ones, in storage. We’re making use of them where it makes sense.”
“Which involves hauling furniture.”
“Strong and strapping,” Cleo purred so Owen just shook his head.
“What’s this I hear about a Poole family gallery? Corrine brought me and my own darling a few pictures to identify when she and Deuce couldn’t.”
“Poole Family and Friends Gallery. We’re going to— Not to scare Seth again.”
“No.” He looked at Sonya with a plea. “Let’s not scare Seth again.”
“So I’ll just say, when we have control of the Gold Room again on the third floor, we’ll make it a kind of Poole history gallery. And since we’re finding so many of those treasures stored away—hair combs, a kid glove, an old yo-yo, invitations, and more—we’re going to display them.”
Deuce looked down at his plate a moment, then lifted those blue eyes to Sonya.
“I didn’t know what to expect or hope for that day I knocked on your door in Boston. A part of me still grieved the loss of my oldest and closest friend. I wanted, so much, to honor his wishes, and wanted to persuade you to at least consider coming here.”
