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“Not that we expect you to need those skills for anything other than usual bumps and bruises, mind you.” Frederick added, praying his words were prophetic. “But our previous adventures tended toward mystery solving, which turned a bit dangerous at times, as you can imagine.”

“D–dangerous?” Frederick caught sight of the young woman’s rounded hazel eyes. Clearly, his matter-of-fact wording hadn’t quieted any concerns.

“It is no worry, Miss Cox.” Zahra joined in. “ Sayid and Sayyida are very good at living. They escaped a tomb after it exploded.”

“A tomb?” The young maid’s pitch took an upswing. “Exploded?”

“After one man was poisoned and another stole a pharaoh’s treasure,” Grace clarified with another guileless smile.

“Poisoned?” Miss Cox’s whisper barely made it to Frederick’s ears.

This was not the best way to introduce the woman to becoming a lady’s maid in their home.

“Please don’t worry yourself, Miss Cox.” Frederick sent Grace a look he hoped she would interpret as intervention. “Our visit this time is simply to see family.”

“Yes. Purely to see family.” Grace offered a look of understanding, and his body relaxed.

“Before Lord Astley, I only dreamed of mysteries like murderous mistresses and haunted villas. I never expected to truly encounter them. And I certainly don’t expect to meet thieves or ghosts at my sister’s house. ”

His shoulders tensed again, along with Miss Cox’s gasp.

“Ghosts?”

Grace’s eyes widened at her mistake. “Oh, but not to worry, dear Miss Cox, neither Lillias nor my father have any interest in adventures, so I feel very good about us all being mystery free for a few weeks. In fact, you may very well become bored.”

Grace’s reassurance failed to bring color back into Miss Cox’s cheeks. Frederick sighed. If the young lady was still with them by morning, he’d be surprised.

“Besides, my sister, Lillias Dixon, has only recently had a son, and I feel the adventures in motherhood will be the only real risk she’s interested in taking for the foreseeable future.”

“I am very good at taking care of babies.” Zahra offered, her hands demurely clasped in her lap, though the twinkle in her eyes contradicted the pose. “At the orphanage, I was often tasked with taking care of them.”

Already, Zahra had worked her way into his heart much too deeply, just like his daughter Lily had done. And Zahra’s large, intelligent eyes took in everything, no doubt from her unpredictable early life. Frederick hoped she never knew such fear or uncertainty again. Not if he could help it.

His gaze shifted back to Grace. Of course, the girl may find a great deal of excitement in uncertainty and adventure. And perhaps that’s the very reason God had brought her into their lives.

What other mother would share such similar interests and penchant for the unexpected?

His pulse ramped up just a little bit at the thought.

God, help him. Two of them?

“No doubt you are excellent.” Grace took the little girl’s hand. “And I’d imagine my sister will love your help, for neither she nor I have ever spent much time with babies.”

The conversation turned to Zahra sharing a few of her young exploits, one including saving a baby from a thief and another where Zahra had to swim to save a little girl who’d dropped her doll into the Nile. At one point, Zahra had even evaded a crocodile.

Not to mention the fact that he’d actually witnessed Zahra shimmy up the side of a hotel to find them. For some reason, he could imagine his wife doing the very same thing as a child—or at least attempting it.

The small town of Harrington came into their view.

Certainly larger than Astlynn Commons back home, but much smaller than he’d expected after passing through Richmond.

A few brick townhomes lined the streets, along with varying shops.

Most of the area looked well-tended, but as the driver steered their car farther away from the principal street, the buildings and neighborhoods became much less grand.

After two more turns, the driver stopped their car in front of a neat but surprisingly small townhouse.

Two stories of pale brick with what appeared to be a dormered attic space on top.

This was certainly a much less affluent neighborhood than he’d expected for his sister-in-law and her banker husband. Had Mr. Ferguson’s reduced financial circumstances impacted Lillias too?

“I’ve never been on this side of Harrington.” Grace’s tone failed to hide her own surprise as he assisted her from the car. “But what a charming house. It’s the perfect size for a little family, isn’t it?”

When they’d first met, Frederick doubted Grace would have made such a quick assessment of the situation.

Though quick witted and intelligent, her inexperience and youthfulness had shown through in so many of their interactions, but seven months had matured her.

Perhaps, their particular experiences had sped the development of her already supple mind, but she’d changed.

Held on to her light and imagination, but deepened in maturity and understanding.

And of course, her immense ability to love only appeared to grow broader and deeper, overshadowing his flaws and past.

But that may be because his parched heart had needed her vast depths of love so much when they’d met, and she’d only continued to lavish a ready acceptance and affection upon him that he’d never known.

His gaze dropped to the envelope in her hands, and his chest tightened afresh.

He’d do whatever necessary to protect her. His attention slid to Zahra. To protect everyone in his growing family.

“Perhaps Lady Astley and I should ensure this is the correct house before we all disembark.” Frederick sent a look from Grace back to Miss Cox and Zahra. “We shall be back in a trice, ladies.”

His statement brought out Zahra’s smile but Miss Cox continued to wear a look of mild terror. When he’d taken her on, he’d thought that expression might lessen with familiarity, but for some reason, it only seemed more pronounced the longer she was with them.

“Lillias will be so wonderfully surprised, Frederick.” Grace slipped her arm through his, giving it a little squeeze, her resident optimism rose to the occasion.

“Even if things haven’t turned out as planned about Father.

” Yet the tremor in her voice proved she still wasn’t fully past the shock.

“I know there has to be more to the story than we understand, but for now, I’m going to focus on meeting my new nephew and seeing if Lillias has found such bliss in married life as I have. ”

They’d only taken the first step up to the townhouse door when a scream split the afternoon air.

A woman’s scream. And from the very house they meant to enter.

He and Grace exchanged a look, then his wife dashed up the stairs.

Dash it! He followed, bypassing her to reach the door first.

It stood slightly ajar. Frederick held out his arm to pause Grace’s entry and, with a slow movement, pushed the door open with his foot.

Not even the ominous creak of the opening door could have prepared him for the sight in the entry hall.

His breath seized in his lungs.

A chill congealed to his bones.

In the middle of the foyer lay the unmoving body of Anthony Dixon.

And standing over him, knife in hand, was Dixon’s wife and Grace’s sister, Lillias, screaming.