Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #1)(81)

“I’ve given her bits and pieces. I’ve been reading the book,” Sonya said to Deuce. “The Poole family history. And I’ve been documenting the … incidents.”

“That shows a practical nature,” Corrine commented, then took another bite of beef. “That would be helpful in a move like this. Poole’s Bay and the manor are a world away from Boston. A good quality for a woman building her own business, I’d think. Honesty would be another key, wouldn’t it?”

“If you’re not honest with a client, you’ll lose the client.”

Corrine nodded as she ate. “Honesty in business, and in personal matters, is essential to building relationships. And yet, you weren’t honest with us.”

“I—I’m sorry?”

“You said you weren’t much of a cook, and I’m finding myself just a little irked that your pot roast is better than mine. It is, isn’t it, Deuce?”

“I take the Fifth.”

“And we all know what that means.” Now she picked up her wine, and those steel-blue eyes shifted to Sonya. “I think false modesty’s just a dangling hook for compliments.”

“I think you just gave me one,” Sonya said as Anna didn’t bother to smother a laugh. “And on my first attempt at pot roast.”

“This is your first? And to think I was disposed to like you. Well, I want your recipe.”

“It’s actually my mother’s but—”

“Check with her. She may not want to share outside of family. But if she will, I’ll trade my pound cake recipe for it, which I don’t offer lightly.”

“She does not,” Deuce confirmed.

“You’ll sample that for dessert, if anyone has room after this meal. Anna made it for tonight. Do you bake?”

“I put frozen pizza in the oven. That’s the height of my baking skills. Wait, I warmed up these rolls without burning them.”

Corrine smiled. “I expect living up here you’ll learn enough to get by.”

“I’m hoping my friend Cleo handles most of that end of things.”

“An illustrator,” Paula said. “It’s so nice to add more artists to the community.”

They talked art and food, local events and impressions. And with conversation, the fire simmering, second helpings, and a fresh bottle of wine, Sonya put her first dinner party at the manor in the success column.

“I thought we’d have coffee and dessert in the music room.”

“What a lovely idea. It’s one of my favorite rooms,” Paula told her.

“Would you play, Grandma?”

She smiled at Anna. “I could be persuaded.”

“Why don’t we let the younger generation deal with that.” Corrine rose. “And I’ll start persuading. We know the way,” she said to Sonya.

Sonya got busy with the coffee. “I wasted a lot of nerves on tonight. You’ve got a great family.”

“We do, and the meal didn’t hurt. It was better than Mom’s, and if you tell her I said that,” Trey added, “I’ll sue you for slander.”

“Lips sealed. Oh God, Anna, that cake’s gorgeous.”

“Tastes even better,” Seth told her. “Do you want me to start on the dishes? I have experience.”

“And I may call on it before we’re done. But let’s leave all that for later, and keep this party rolling.”

As music drifted in, she glanced toward the doorway. “She really can play. It’s the first time I’ve heard the piano when I know someone’s playing it.”

“You hear piano music when there’s not?”

She shrugged at Seth. “Sometimes, late at night.”

A rich baritone joined the piano.

“That’s Ace.” Obviously familiar with the kitchen, the butler’s pantry, Anna got out cake plates, coffee cups, and saucers. “They’re a hell of a pair.”

Together, they loaded up the dessert cart—a first for Sonya.

When they rolled it into the music room, she saw dogs piled together at Deuce’s feet. Ace stood with his hand on his wife’s shoulder, singing “One for My Baby.”

When they finished, she applauded. “You’re hired!”

“Do you play, Sonya?”

Sonya shook her head as Paula played some sort of trill. “My mother plays—not like that, but she plays a little. When she tried to teach me, we both agreed my talents lay elsewhere.”

“Do one more before dessert,” Anna insisted. “Do ‘Embraceable You.’”

“Are you up for a duet, sweets?”

Paula glanced at Ace over her shoulder. “I could be persuaded.”

“I asked them to sing this at my wedding. Our first dance.”

“I’ve still got the moves.” Seth turned Anna into a dance.

“It meant the world to them to sing at Anna’s wedding,” Corrine murmured.

“Their voices just mesh, don’t they?”

“They do. Deuce grew up in a musical household. He can play, and he has a strong voice. I have no musical talent.”

“Yours lay elsewhere. In your photography, your family.”

“They do. Johanna played.”