Grace set the first letter on the table without opening it.She needed a moment. Not long. Just the length of time it took to look at the box, to look at Lily, to look at Aiden who had come to stand behind her left shoulder, and to understand that whatever was in these envelopes would rearrange something she had not finished arranging yet.Then she picked up the letter and opened it.The paper inside was thick, quality stationery, the kind that announced itself. The handwriting was formal and consistent — not typed, written by hand, which told her something immediately. This had been personal enough that someone had chosen not to use an assistant.The letter was addressed to her mother.It was signed by Catherine Hartwell.She read it standing up. Then she read it again sitting down, which she had moved to without noticing.It was dated sixteen months before Grace's wedding. Polite in tone, warm even, the particular warmth of a woman who has learned to use warmth the way a surgeon use
Last Updated : 2026-04-07 Read more