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Mummy called him Hudson because his favorite of his family’s homes was there—a castle, he said, on the verdant bank beside the river He’d told her he’d never cared for Charles, his given name; it was a hand-me-down froue

He had refused a planned e since he’d arrived back in New York, he told her in one of the first letters When could he coet her? He would make his father understand…

Muo without her mum Hudson said he would send for Gaowns and a home of her oith stacks of fine china and a mountain of silver

Muside hi—and you would be ive you, dearest”

He rong He couldn’t give th

She didn’t go She urged him to marry as he’d planned, a better wife than she could hope to be, and in an effort to propel him toward that end, she let herself be married to Peter Evans, the last of the island’s capable, unht her a flohen her father died at sea

When she told Hudson what she’d done, his letters halted for five ed and railed Henceforth, he wrote daily, begging her to annul the e if some unknown-to-me bit of information she’d conveyed to him in a previous letter was indeed true

Finally, after a few reat care If you would deliver in Cape Town, I could help with transport For all three of you Anything I am always yours, Isla Always, insensibly always…”

Another year, another creased, ti short of e, “I did it I can’t saymy own heart Soon she’ll be with child If a son, Declan If a daughter, my Isla”

I found the last letter hanging frohtly rolled

My father likely found it shortly before my seventh birthday

“I pray you’re on your way here He’s gone mad! Finley & I must escape There’s no tih the stars I’m always yours, and you are always mine Remember Rumi?”

And there was a poe

I took that letter with ainst e, she was on the telephone, telling soo Finley is not a siirl, but she is broken She has never spoken since it happened No, it’s not In Switzerland?” My Gahed “See if they will learn to read her mind, as I have, Charles In the meantime, send her tutors”

I waited, still, until the call ended, and longer beforea sound Gammy turned to me and s a pie And froined Charles Years later, I looked hiotten, as were all our things of value, by a grant froie Foundation