Page 81 of His Christmas Wife

His grandmother’s gesture had evidently meant a lot to him. He traced the owl with its glittering emerald eyes. From his reaction, the time-honored piece—probably crafted from solid gold—meant the world to him.

With reverence, he returned the watch to its resting place and closed the lid, setting the box aside.

“You’re next, Kaylee,” Ophelia said.

Heart pounding with anticipation, she accepted the package from Frost and opened the ribbon, then gasped. Cradled in the box was a gold tiara, adorned with precious gems and embellished with intricate hearts, birds, and ornate scrollwork.

At a loss for words, she looked at Frost who pressed his hands together and regarded his grandmother.

“Mrs. Delaney…” Kaylee’s voice faltered as she looked at the family matriarch, a woman she liked much more than she had expected. “This is… I don’t know what to say.”

“Beautiful, is it not?”

“Beyond.” In shock, she took in the history of the priceless heirloom. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart, but this is too extravagant.”

“Not for my new granddaughter,” Ophelia countered with soft, steely resolve.

The word smacked Kaylee in the face. She wasn’t Ophelia’s granddaughter, and never would be.

“The piece is from the family collection and has great sentimental value. All of our brides have worn this exact tiara.” Obviously unaware of Kaylee’s turmoil, Ophelia went on. “It’s yours to keep now.”

Numb, reeling, Kaylee stared at the keepsake and struggled to find words. “I’m afraid I don’t know what to say.”

“I’m positive the piece will be in good hands, safe for future generations.”

Around her, the room seemed to spin. Ophelia was convinced that Kaylee and Frost were going to be having children. The charade had gone too far—and the consequences were more far-reaching than she could have imagined.

As if sensing her emotional struggle, Frost reassuringly placed his hand on her knee.

“I’m humbled and honored.” Then struggling past the sudden lump in her throat, she added, “Thank you.”

“Perhaps you could wear it to the reception.”

She tried—and failed—to smile.

“That’s an excellent idea, don’t you agree, Evan?”

“Absolutely, Gran.”

At that point, Ophelia instructed her whole house computer to play Christmas jazz. Though the music and conversation flowed around Kaylee, her inner turmoil kept her detached from the holiday cheer.

The moment they left Magnolia Manor she would ensure Frost received the tiara back to give to his real bride.

The thought rocketed anguish through her. But right now, surrounded by the love of a family that wasn’t hers, she was absolutely certain of one thing. She couldn’t do this any longer, even though she’d promised to serve as Frost’s hostess for his New Year’s Eve party.

After another half hour of keeping her emotions in check while pretending to be interested in memories of Christmases past, Ophelia shook her head and offered an apology. “It must be dreadfully boring to you since you don’t know most of the people I’m talking about.”

“Not at all.” It was just another reminder that she was an outsider, and that she didn’t belong in their circle. “I appreciate your sharing the stories with me.”

“Another brandy, Evan?”

He glanced at Kaylee.

She seized the first excuse she could. “I still need to finish making the truffles for tomorrow’s gathering.” Trying to find words that were the truth, but easy to misinterpret, she added, “My family celebrates the holiday on Christmas Day. My mom still likes to do all the cooking, but a couple of years ago, I took over the desserts. I’m afraid I go a little overboard because everyone has different tastes. One likes my chocolate pecan pie. Another is crazy about cheesecake. Of course, no holiday is complete without cookies, candy, or pumpkin pie. But my mom has a weakness for red-wine truffles. And, ah, since it’s our first gathering since my father passed, I want to get there early to help out.”

“Of course. I’m sorry I kept you so long.”

“No, no.” Urgently she shook her head. “Please don’t misunderstand. I’ve enjoyed every moment here, and I hate to leave. I so very much wanted to meet you after all the wonderful things that”—Kaylee had to force herself to use the name Ophelia would expect to hear—“Evan has said about you.”

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