Joce nodded to the bed beside her and Gemma climbed up, the baby on her lap. “Too much for you downstairs?”
“Oh yes,” Gemma said as she tickled little David and made him laugh. “That woman Tess . . .”
“She takes some getting used to, but I can tell you that if Mike likes you, she will.”
“He gave me a key to his gym.”
“Wow! What did you do to get one of those?”
“I’ve done a little boxing.”
“That would do it,” Joce said, smiling. “Want to hear what I found out about Julian?”
“Definitely.”
“He was the grandson of Shamus and Prudence Frazier, who were—”
“One of the founding seven.”
“You’ve been doing your research. Yes, they were part of the original group who first settled this town. Their eldest son, Ewan, went back to England, reclaimed the title of the earl of Rypton, and bought the Lancaster house back.”
“Wasn’t there a name change somewhere?”
“That’s why I had so much trouble finding Julian. For some reason, the name Frazier was dropped and they reverted back to Lancaster. But then, my ancestors were named McTern in Scotland, but in America they were known as Harcourt. I have no idea why.”
“People change their names for all sorts of reasons. What else?”
“Ewan Frazier married a woman named Julia McBride, and they had a baby, Julian. But she died in childbirth and the next year he married Rose Jones. By the dates, she was already pregnant when they married. She gave birth to Clive.”
“So who was Winnie?”
“I have no idea, but I’ll keep searching.” When little Edilean finished her bottle, Joce put her on her shoulder to burp. “So what’s going on with you and Colin? Luke said you weren’t speaking to him.”
Gemma didn’t want to lie, but neither did she want to tell the truth. “Too much gossip was starting and I don’t want to be labeled a home wrecker.”
“Whose home would you be wrecking?”
“The one Colin plans for him and Jean.”
“Luke’s old house,” Joce said. “He hated selling that place, but Colin wore him down. When Colin wants something, he goes after it and doesn’t give up.”
“That’s what my college adviser said about Mrs. Frazier.”
“Colin is worse,” Joce said. “Would you mind looking after the babies for a minute while I make a trip to the bathroom?”
“Sure. Why don’t you go downstairs and get something to drink and visit with your friends? I’ll look after the babies. I can make raspberries on little bellies for an hour at a time.”
Joce laughed as she got off the bed. “Where’d you learn to do that?”
“My sister has two daughters, and when I’m around, she and her husband take a second honeymoon. I think they’re now on their sixth one.”
“You are my new best friend.”
“You’re the third candidate proposed to me today.”
“Oh?” Joce asked. “Who were the others?”
“Sara for history, Mike for sports, and now you for babysitting.”