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Hyacinth nodded She’d never stopped to think how precious that was—to have the love of a parent It was so Gareth had never had Heaven only knehat his childhood had been like He had never spoken of it, and Hyacinth was ashamed to realize that she’d never asked

She’d never even noticed the omission

Maybe, juston her part

He would still have to beg her forgiveness; she wasn’t that full of kindness and charity

But she could try to understand, and she could love hi she had, she could fill that void within him

Whatever it was he needed, maybe she could be it

And maybe that would be all that mattered

But in the y to bring about her happy ending And she had a feeling that a note wasn’t going to be sufficient

It was time to be brazen, time to be bold

Time to beard the lion in his den, to—

“I say, Hyacinth,” caht?”

She shook her head, even as she said, “I’ like a fool, that’s all”

A fool in love

Chapter 18

Later that afternoon, in the small study in Gareth’s very small suite of apartments Our hero has come to the conclusion that he must take action