"They used to be in the service together," Briony sighed, pressing her lips

together. "Let's not worry about them. I'll go upstairs and change out the linens in the guest room. Can you stay with the kids?"

"Of course."

Carol was always quick on her feet and attentive to details. While Briony was upstairs swapping the sheets, Carol cleared the dinner table without being asked.

By the time Briony came back down, Carol was already in the kitchen, washing up the dishes.

Briony tried to insist that she stop, but Carol just shook her head and kept going. Seeing there was no persuading her, and that it was getting late, Briony gathered little Mario and Little Nina and headed upstairs to get them ready for bed.

Little Mario was just starting to recover from his illness, so Briony didn't dare give him a full bath.

Instead, she warmed up a soft towel and gently wiped him down, then helped him change into a set of Little Nina's pajamas.

The pajamas hung off little Mario's small frame, the sleeves and legs a bit too long.

When Briony was cleaning him up, his ribs stood out starkly beneath his pale skin, and it made her heart ache.

No mother could stand to see such a sweet little boy looking so fragile.

She tucked little Mario into bed, then handed him one of Little Nina's favorite picture books.

He loved picture books, his head bent over the pages, completely absorbed. Briony slipped into the bathroom to give Little Nina a quick bath.

By the time Carol came upstairs, the two little ones were already snuggled up in Briony's bed, yawning and rubbing their eyes.

"I changed the linens, and put fresh toiletries in the bathroom," Briony told Carol quietly. "Little Mario wants to sleep with Little Nina tonight-let's just let him join us."

be too much to handle

"And the guest room doesn't have a bed rail, but mine does. I'm not worried about them falling out in the night. It's safer

still looked a little

guest room, and Briony closed the door

would read Little Nina a story before

James or even Gwendolyn

suddenly, "can you sleep in the

cuddle with you-and so does

at little

eyes as a flush

but smile at how adorable he

climbed into bed between the two kids,

no story tonight. How

yes!" Little Nina cheered. "You sing the prettiest lullabies! Little Mario, you're in for a

at Briony,

light and began to

voice drifted through the dim

nestled close, rubbing their eyes and yawning.

their breathing

bodies in her arms relax as

away, and she hugged little Mario just

these children, she found herself mourning the baby she'd never had

the old town,

a stately townhouse, beneath the spreading branches of an ancient oak,

air with the

for the two men

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