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“Then I’ll get him fed while you and Miss Lucas-”
“Millie, if you would,” I pleaded.
He nodded. “If Millie and you would care to go into the house, my wife’s bound to have something to feed you.”
Ben’s eyebrows shot up. “Perhaps maybe some of her delicious cookies?”
Lambert grinned. “She’s never short of them, especially when you’re expected.”
Lambert walked away toward the large stable with Ferox happily trotting by his side. Ben offered me his arm and a big smile. “You’re in for a treat. Mrs. Lambert’s cookies are legendary along the entire coast for their sweet softness.”
I accepted his arm and grinned. “I can’t wait.”
We walked arm-in-arm to the stately home. The front doors were open, but I quickly realized they didn’t lead directly into the building. Rather, we strolled into an open courtyard with a small garden. The plants must have been herbs because the scent of many spices invaded my nostrils.
“Mrs. Lambert grows nearly all their food here,” Ben explained as we followed a stone path through the plants. “Including the spices.”
A covered walkway wrapped around the entirety of the courtyard, and we walked under it to enter the house proper through a large open door. I was presented with a tall entrance hall with a wide assortment of seaman decor. Nets hung from the walls, and paintings of the ocean and seas were intertwined in those thick strands. Bottles, cans, and seashells lay on shelves made from weathered boards and driftwood. Even the smooth floor matched the ensemble, with stone inlaid with shells and pearls, and a thick glaze of sealant protected the delicate objects from our feet.
There was even a giant ship’s wheel complete with spokes. It hung in the place of honor above the hallway opening just in front of us.
“Wow,” I breathed.
Ben swept his eyes over the collection and nodded. “Even after all these years, I still completely agree with you.”
“Your Excellency!”
The shout came from a hallway to our left as a short and plump woman hurried out of the corridor. She wore a white apron over her wide front and her brown hair was tied into a bun so tight it almost made me wince. David followed behind her with a half-eaten cookie in his hand.
Ben opened his arms and welcomed the woman’s tight hug. “It’s good to see you, as well, Hannah!”
She drew him to arm’s length and looked him over. “My goodness, how thin you are! Does that cousin of mine not feed you?”
My eyes widened. “Cousin? You mean Tully?”
Hannah nodded. “By marriage, of course, but still my cousin.” It was my turn to be inspected, and I stiffened as she swooped over to me and grasped my upper arms. She could hardly go any higher as she was a good head shorter than me. Hannah bobbed her head as she studied every inch of me. “Yes. Very good. A strong chin.” She released me and turned to face the count. “A good match, Your Excellency. She will give you healthy babies.”
I sputtered out some spittle while Ben was hard put to stifle a laugh. David wrinkled his nose. “Does that mean they have to kiss?”
His grandma spun around and he shrank beneath her look of irritation. She put her hands on her hips and tapped a foot on the floor. “What are you doing with that cookie, David?”
David’s bulging eyes showed his fear and he stuffed the tell-tale confection into his mouth. When he spoke little bits of cookie crumbled out of his lips. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She stabbed a finger in the direction of the hallway from which they’d arrived. “Go into the kitchen and stir the soup before it burns, and don’t let me catch you in the cookies again!” David scurried off to obey.
Ben chuckled. “I remember you giving me the same order when I was his age.”
Hannah turned back to us and she wagged a finger at him. “You were trouble, too. Great trouble because you were sneakier.”
Ben clucked his tongue and shook his head. “What a pity. I’ll have to teach him the finer points of thieving.”
“He already has enough ideas in his head,” Hannah countered as she looked between us. “But you look hungry. Perhaps some soup and bread?”
“We’ll need a larger spread than that for our trio of guests who should arrive within the hour,” Ben told her.
Hanna’s hand flew to her mouth. “But I have nothing special to offer them!”
I laughed. “It’s okay, these guys are used to the simpler things in life, if their sandwiches are anything to go by.”
