“I know how to hold a baby. Women,” he said to Liam. “They don’t think we can do anything. They all think you’re hot stuff right now, boy -o, but just wait. In a few years they’ll figure your purpose in life is to fix small electrical appliances and kill bugs.”

Since no one was looking, he bent his head to press a light kiss on Liam’s mouth. And watched it curve.

“That’s the way. Why don’t we go in the kitchen, and—”

He broke off at Brianna’s startled exclamation. Shifting Liam more securely in the crook of his arm, he hurried back down the hallway.

Carstairs stood at the threshold, a tan bowler in his hands, a friendly smile on his face. “Grayson, how nice to see you again. I wasn’t certain you’d still be here. And what’s this?”

“It’s a baby,” Gray said shortly.

“Of course it is.” Carstairs tickled Liam’s chin and made foolish noises. “Handsome lad. I must say, he favors you a bit, Brianna. Around the mouth.”

“He’s my sister’s child. And what might you be doing here at Blackthorn, Mr. Carstairs?”

“Just passing through, as it were. I’d told Iris so much about the cottage, and the countryside, she wanted to see it for herself. She’s in the car.” He gestured to the Bentley parked at the garden gate. “Actually, we’d hoped you might have a room for us, for the night.”

She goggled at him. “You want to stay here?”

“I’ve bragged, perhaps unwisely, about your cooking.” He leaned forward confidentially. “I’m afraid Iris was a bit irked at first. She’s quite a cook herself, you know. She wants to see if I was exaggerating.”

“Mr. Carstairs. You’re a shameless man.”

“That may be, my dear,” he said, twinkling. “That may be.”

She huffed, sighed. “Well, don’t leave the poor woman sitting in the car. Bring her in for tea.”

“Can’t wait to meet her,” Gray said, jiggling the baby.

“She says the same of you. She’s quite impressed that you could lift my wallet without me having a clue. I used to be much quicker.” He shook his head in regret. “But then, I used to be much younger. Shall I bring in our luggage, Brianna?”

“I have a room. It’s smaller than what you had last.”

“I’m sure it’s charming. Absolutely charming.” He strolled off to fetch his wife.

“Can you beat it?” Brianna said under her breath. “I don’t know whether to laugh or hide the silver. If I had any silver.”

“He likes you too much to steal from you. So,” Gray mused, “This is the famous Iris.”

The photograph from the pinched wallet had been a good likeness, Brianna discovered. Iris wore a flowered dress that ruffled in the breeze around excellent legs. To Brianna’s eye, Iris had used the time in the car to freshen her hair and makeup and so looked fresh and remarkably pretty as she strolled up the walk beside her grinning husband.

“Oh, Miss Concannon. Brianna, I do hope I can call you Brianna. I think of you as Brianna, of course, after hearing so much about you and your charming inn.”

Her voice was smooth, cultured, despite the fact that her words all but tumbled over each other to get out. Before Brianna could respond, Iris flung out both hands, gripped hers, and barreled on.

“You’re every bit as lovely as Johnny told me. How kind of you, how sweet to find room for us when we’ve dropped so unexpectedly on your doorstep. And your garden, my dear, I must tell you I’m dizzy with admiration. Your dahlias!

I never have a bit of luck with them myself. And your roses, magnificent. You really must tell me your secret. Do you talk to them? I chatter at mine day and night, but I never get blooms like that.”

“Well, I—”

“And you’re Grayson.” Iris simply rolled over Brianna’s response and turned to him. She freed one of Brianna’s hands so that she could grip Gray’s. “What a clever, clever young man you are. And so handsome, too. Why, you look just like a film star. I’ve read all your books, every one. Frighten me to death, they do, but I can’t put them down. Wherever do you come up with such thrilling ideas? I’ve been so anxious to meet both of you,” she continued, holding on to each of them. “Badgering poor Johnny to death, you know. And now, here we are.”

There was a pause while Iris beamed at both of them. “Yes.” Brianna discovered she could find little else to say. “Here you are. Ah, please come in. I hope you had a pleasant trip.”

“Oh, I adore traveling, don’t you? And to think with all the racketing around Johnny and I did in our misspent youth, we never came to this part of the world. It’s pretty as a postcard, isn’t it, Johnny?”

“It is, my sweet. It certainly is.”

“Oh, what a lovely home. Just charming.” Iris kept her hand firmly on Brianna’s as she glanced around. “I’m sure no one could be anything but comfortable here.”

Brianna gave Gray a helpless look, but he only shrugged. “I hope you will be. There’s tea in the parlor if you like, or I can show you your room first.”

“Would you do that? We’ll put our bags away, shall we, Johnny? Then perhaps we can all have a nice chat.”

Iris exclaimed over the stairway as they climbed it, the upstairs hall, the room Brianna escorted them into. Wasn’t the bedspread charming, the lace curtains lovely, the view from the window superb?

In short order Brianna found herself in the kitchen brewing another pot of tea while her new guests sat at the table making themselves at home. Iris happily bounced Liam on her lap.

“Hell of a team, aren’t they?” Gray murmured, helping by getting out cups and plates.

“She makes me dizzy,” Brianna whispered. “But it’s impossible not to like her.”

“Exactly. You’d never believe there was an unscrupulous thought in her head. Everyone’s favorite aunt or amusing neighbor. Maybe you should hide that silver after all.”

“Hush.” Brianna turned away to carry plates to the table. Carstairs immediately helped himself to the bread and jam.

“I do hope you’ll join us,” Iris began, choosing a scone, dipping into the clotted cream. “Johnny, dear, we do want to get business over with, don’t we? So distressing to have business clouding the air.”