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been wiser to tell you when, perhaps, you were sixteen or eighteen even?”
    “That’s another question I don’t have the answer to, but I aim to find out.” Holly got up and decided to dress while chatting with her sister. She walked behind the dressing wall and removed her nightgown.
    “I cannot imagine what it would be like to learn this. What are you going to do? Marry Bryce and run away to Venice?”
    Holly popped her head around the partition. “Were you listening last night?”
    Tiffany blushed. “A little. So, are you and Bryce going to Venice?”
    “No.”
    “Are you going to marry him?”
    “Did you go to the barn last night, too?”
    Tiffany giggled. “No. What happened in the barn?”
    “Nothing.” Holly felt the heat of her own blush. Not looking into the mirror, she suspected her blush to be about three times darker than Tiffany’s.
    “Did you kiss him? He likes you, you know. When you’re not looking he’s always staring at you.”
    “He is?” Holly paused buttoning her blue blouse.
    “Uh-huh. I heard him ask Papa to court you a couple of years ago.”
    “You are a little eavesdropper, aren’t you?” Her hands shook as she buttoned the next button.
    “Maybe. I just hear things. People don’t always look when they are speaking. Last night I was listening, though.”
    Holly decided not to ask any further questions regarding Bryce. “How are Father and the boys today?”
    “I think we are all still overwhelmed by Momma being gone. Mrs. Jarvis has been cooking and cleaning all morning. But I saw her wiping away tears, too. She and Momma were good friends.”
    “Yes, they were.” Holly finished dressing then stood in front of her mirror and brushed out her hair.
    Tiffany came up behind her. “Sit and allow me.”
    Holly handed the hairbrush to her sister and sat. “Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome. So, you didn’t sleep well?”
    “No, too much on my mind.”
    “Me, neither. I kept crying and thinking about Momma and how much I was going to miss her.”
    “Me, too.” Holly closed her eyes and remembered her mother’s hands going through her hair. She smiled and opened her eyes, looking into the mirror and into her sister’s deep brown eyes. “You have Momma’s touch. You brush my hair the same way Momma did.”
    Tiffany smiled. “I loved the way she brushed my hair.”
    “Me, too.”
    The sisters continued brushing and losing themselves to the memories of their mother. Holly felt closer to Mother having Tiffany’s fingers combing through her hair. “Marvelous job, Tiff.”
    “Thank you. It’s all in the wrists.” They giggled together. Holly rose and wrapped her arm around her sister’s shoulders. “It’s time for us both to go and meet my father.”
    “How strange is that?” Tiffany said and followed in step with her sister. “Even though you’ve told me, I still cannot believe you aren’t Papa’s daughter.”
    “Oh, I am his daughter. He raised me. He’ll always be my father. I just have two now.”
    Tiffany laughed. “Some people have all the luck.”
    Unable to stop herself, Holly laughed all the way down the stairs. Seeing her two fathers standing at the front door smothered the gaiety.
    “Good morning, Fathers. I apologize for sleeping late.”
    John Graham’s mouth gaped open.
    Holly held down a dangerous smile. “I told Tiffany this morning.” Her stepfather nodded. Emmett Landers nodded with a slight turn of the head. Does my father have the same willful spirit? “Is there any breakfast left?”
    “Mrs. Jarvis saved a plate for you in the kitchen. We were about to take a walk around the property. Would you like to join us?” John offered.
    “No, thank you. I will visit with Father Landers... With...Mr. Landers later. It will give Bryce and me a chance to go over the other letters.”
    “Letters?” Tiffany inquired.
    “We will talk later, Tiffany. Right now I need to eat.”
    Tiffany smiled. “I look forward to it. I don’t have to go