Raintree: Sanctuary (Raintree 3)

“Hi, Daddy.”

“Hello, Eve.” Judah glanced at Mercy, as if asking her how they were going to handle this rather awkward situation.

“You’re not going to stay in bed the rest of the day, are you?” Eve looked from one parent to the other.

“No, we…er…uh…” Mercy stammered. “Why don’t you go to your room or back downstairs with Sidonia, and Daddy and I will—”

Sidonia’s voice bellowed, “Eve Raintree, I thought I told you not to disturb your mother. Come here right this min—” Sidonia stopped abruptly in the doorway, her eyes round and her mouth agape as she stared at the threesome in Mercy’s bed. “This won’t do,” she muttered. “This just will not do.” She shook her head disapprovingly.

“Eve, go with Sidonia,” Mercy told her daughter.

Eve eyed her mother from tousled hair to bare shoulders. “Why aren’t you wearing your gown?” She turned her gaze on Judah. “Daddy, are you naked, too?”

Judah cleared his throat but couldn’t disguise the tilt of his lips.

How dare he find this amusing! Mercy glowered at him. He smiled.

“Come along, child.” Sidonia held out her hand. “It’s already summertime weather, and no doubt your mother got hot last night and removed her gown so she could cool off.” If looks alone could kill, Sidonia’s outraged glower would have zapped Judah. Thank goodness her old nanny didn’t have the ability to shoot psychic bolts.

Making no move to leave her parents, Eve asked, “Did you get hot, too, Daddy?”

“Uh, yeah, something like that,” Judah replied.

“Eve, go with Sidonia,” Mercy said. “Now.”

Puckering up as if she were on the verge of tears, Eve scooted back down to the foot of the bed, then slid off and onto her feet. “I woke you up because I needed to tell you that something’s going on. I thought you and Daddy would want to know.”

“Whatever it is, it can wait for a few minutes,” Mercy said.

When Eve dawdled, her shoulders slumped, her head hung low, Sidonia grabbed her hand and marched her toward the door. Dragging her feet at the threshold, Eve balked. Glancing back over her shoulder, she said, “I’m going. But can I ask Daddy one question first?”

“What do you want to ask me?” Judah focused on Eve.

“Well, actually, it’s two questions,” Eve admitted.

When Sidonia jerked on Eve’s hand, she issued her nanny a stern, warning glare.

“Ask your questions,” Judah said.

“Uncle Dante doesn’t have a crown even though he’s a Dranir.” Eve’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. “I was just wondering if you have a crown?”

What? Huh? Mercy’s mind couldn’t quite comprehend her daughter’s comment and question. “Eve, why would your father have a—”

“Actually, I just wanted to know if, since I’m a Raintree princess and an Ansara princess, do I get to wear two crowns? Maybe a solid gold crown and another one that’s all sparkly diamonds. Or maybe just one really big crown.”

Mercy snapped around and stared at Judah, who had gone deadly still. “What’s she talking about?”

Unclenching his jaw,

Judah ignored Mercy and answered his daughter. “I don’t have a crown. But if you want a crown or two crowns or half a dozen, I’ll get them for you.”

Lifting her shoulders, tilting her chin and smiling like the proverbial cat that ate the canary, Eve turned around and all but pulled a stunned Sidonia out of the room.

Mercy got out of bed, found her robe lying on the floor, snatched it up and slipped into it hurriedly. Then she confronted Judah, who had gotten up, found his discarded slacks and was in the process of zipping the fly when Mercy headed toward him. She marched up to him and looked him right in the eyes.

“Why would Eve think you might have a crown, and why would she think she’s an Ansara princess?”

He shrugged. “Who knows what puts ideas in a child’s head?”