The King (The Original Sinners: White Years, #2)(2)

mind. He’s an editor, though, not a writer. He thinks all writers are a bit mad.”

“I might have to agree with him,” Kingsley said. “You have

my congratulations on the book.”

She shuff led her pages, capped her pen. “Thank you, Kingsley. But I don’t believe you crossed an ocean simply to talk

about my poetry.”

“Even if it was inspired by a mutual friend of ours?” Kingsley said.

“Even so,” she admitted without shame. Good. Kingsley

might have despised her if she’d had any regrets, any shame for

what had happened. Instead, she’d come with an open heart

to their world, an open mind, and had returned home carrying a blessing inside her. “It’s back to school in a few months,

and I’m trying not to think about having to leave Fionn.” “He taught at our high school after he graduated. Did you

know that?”

She held her glass steady on the coffee table between them

as Kingsley poured the wine.

“He told me he used to teach. Said he liked it. I didn’t expect that from him.”

Kingsley picked up a framed photograph that sat on the

coffee table between them—a black-and-white picture of a

newborn infant boy sleeping on a white pillow.

“That’s one thing you can say for him,” Kingsley said, turning the photograph toward Grace. “He’s full of surprises.” She blushed beautifully and laughed quietly, and Kingsley

couldn’t help but join in her laugh.

“Is he why you’re here? Are you checking on Fionn for

him?”

“No,” Kingsley said. “Although he’ll never forgive me if I

don’t look in on him while I’m here.” Kingsley ached to see

the boy, but he had learned the hard way to never disturb a

sleeping baby.

“I’m only asking why you’re here out of curiosity. You never

need a reason to visit us. I assume everyone is well?” Grace

asked. “Juliette? Your daughter? Nora?”

“Juliette and Céleste are perfect as usual,” he said. “But

Nora, she lost her mother recently. A month ago, I believe.” “I had no idea. Zachary never said a word about it.” “She didn’t tell anyone until afterward. She disappeared on

us for two weeks.”

“Nora.” Grace sighed and shook her head. “Well, if she behaved like a normal person, she wouldn’t be Nora, would she?” “No. No, she wouldn’t be.” Kingsley laughed to himself.

“But she and her mother…they had a difficult relationship.” “Because of him?”

“Her mother hated him. I don’t use the word hate lightly,”

Kingsley said. “I think it was a peace offering to her mother

for Nora to go alone. And she couldn’t tell him. Nora ran

away to her mother’s once before, and he hunted her down

like the hound of hell.”

“I didn’t know that. But I can imagine he’s…persistent where

she’s concerned?”

“That is one way to put it.” Kingsley took a sip of his wine.

“She and her mother, they had unfinished business.” “That’s the worst-case scenario then, isn’t it? If you’re close

to your parents, you have no regrets when they pass away. If

you have no relationship, you have no grief. If you want to

be close, but you can’t be…”

“She took it very hard,” Kingsley said, knowing Nora well

enough to say that in good faith.

“I’ll call her tomorrow,” Grace said. “Maybe she should

come stay with us a few days. She loves being around Fionn.

And she and Zachary fight so much, she’ll forget all her sorrows, I promise.”

Kingsley wanted to laugh. Only Grace Easton would call

the woman who had slept—more than once—with her husband, offer her condolences on the loss of her mother and then invite her to stay in her home with Grace, her husband and

their infant son who was fathered by Nora’s lover. Did Grace have any idea what an extraordinarily odd woman

she was?

Then again, what room did Kingsley have to talk? “Apart from that, we’re all well. He’s well,” Kingsley said,

saving Grace the embarrassment of asking about him. “Good,” Grace said with a smile. “I never know… He’s the

easiest man in the world to talk to…and the most difficult man

to read. Rather amazes me that Nora’s been with him over

twenty years and is as sane as she is. Zachary was my professor when we fell in love, and I thought I’d go insane trying

to keep that secret from my friends, my family, the school. To

be with a priest for twenty years…”

“No one is more amazed than I that they’ve lasted. The

sanity part is up for debate, but you can’t question the love.

Not anymore. And he hasn’t made it easy for her, and she…

Well, I don’t have to tell you anything about Nora, do I?” Grace grinned broadly.