Page 87 of A Lady's Touch of Sin

“What on earth did you do to these poor boys?” she asked him.

Ewan shrugged. “They know you’re the better one of the two of us.”

Laura turned her blue eyes back to the boys. “You know you were my first friends in England,” she told them. “You both recognised that I was a human, rather than just a maid. Because of you boys, I felt that I belonged. I will never forget that. Not as long as I live.”

Malcolm and Walter rushed forward, drew their arms around her neck, and huddled against her. Everyone in the ballroom roared with joy. When the cheering ended, Uncle Everett again clacked his fork against his glass. The crowd died down, whilst Laura led the boys back to the table.

But before Uncle Everett could speak, Aunt Margaret shot up from the table and cleared her throat. Again, Uncle Everett cast his eyes towards her in confusion.

Aunt Margaret didn’t notice. Instead, she began to speak.

“I want to announce to everyone just how thrilled I am to welcome Laura and her mother to our family,” she said. “I know that I can be a troublesome woman. But, darling Laura, I couldn’t have envisioned a better life for my son, Ewan, nor for my grandchildren, Malcolm and Walter. Thank you. Danke. Danke, forever.”

Everyone toasted to Laura and Ewan. Right there, in front of everyone, they kissed. Marta’s heart felt squeezed. At that moment, Baldwin rushed towards her and kissed her, as well, an act that nobody noticed beyond the two of them.

She couldn’t wait to officially join together with him. She couldn’t wait to live out the rest of her life with Baldwin and Laura and Ewan by her side.

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