He was almost as round as he was tall, and the buttons on his navy waistcoat looked ready to pop. His white hair was perfectly coifed, and he wore thick gold rings on almost every finger. With boots that shined almost as brightly as the rings, he was the picture of a country squire who enjoyed go...
Beside Caroline, a lamp slid off the table, cracking and spreading oil into the rug. A pair of painted porcelain spaniels bounced across the mantel. One shattered as it hit the hearth, the other remained, hanging precariously, on the very edge of the mantel. Books crashed to the floor. &nbs...
Even though Sammy was almost three, she continued to make his shirts with snaps at the bottom like a boppli’s gown. They kept his shirt from popping out the back of his pants and flapping behind him. “It’s time to go downstairs,” she said to him as she glanced at her mamm,...
All she could recall was that Drake had been in it. She smiled into her pillow, longing to grasp what had faded away; then she realized her happiness was real. Since Drake had kissed her on the beach, everything seemed more splendid. Too bad they had not had time alone sin...
Esther saw two mamms with new bopplin slip back into the room. Little ones seldom could remain quiet for the full three hours of the service. The mamms had to inch through to sit among the other women because the church benches were closer together than usual. It was always a tight squeeze at the...
Arthur inhaled deeply as he sat on the terrace overlooking the garden and the sea spread out to the horizon. Some autumn days could be unforgivingly windy, and today seemed like a special gift, before winter took Cornwall in its unforgiving grip. He savored sitting in the ...