“ ‘Yes, it’s true. They don’t know why. But I’m constantly ovulating, constantly fertile; I conceive constantly and I lose the offspring, and every time it happens I’m weakened. More calcium is pulled out of my bones. Now, it is extremely possible—totally possible actually—that if they performed a hysterectomy on me, the problem would be solved, but then I’d never have children, and they’re hoping that somehow they can solve the problem without that step.’

“I was frightened by all this, frightened for her. That I had unknowingly hurt her terrified me.

“ ‘If it means your life, Mona, you have to let them do the hysterectomy,’ I said. ‘You can’t keep risking your very life.’

“ ‘I know, Quinn, I think about it constantly,’ she said. ‘And so does everyone else. There will come a moment when they say that it’s time to do it, and that time may be very soon. Think about that, Quinn. Does the Lord of Blackwood Manor want a bride that can never have a child?’

“ ‘I love you, Mona. I don’t need children. In fact, I know of a child we can have.’

“ ‘Just have?’ she said, laughing. ‘You mean just like that?’

“I told her about Pops, about Terry Sue and Tommy. Brilliant little Tommy sitting on the log with the book of paintings in his hand, and the black-and-blue mark on his face.

“ ‘Wow, think of it!’ she said. ‘It would be like Cinderella! You could just change his entire life!’

“ ‘Yep. I intend to do that, no matter what happens. So don’t think about me anymore when you think about this hysterectomy. I’m pretty sure that Terry Sue is open to bargaining where Tommy’s ownership is concerned. I’m going to help Terry Sue with the whole passel of them, that’s a done deal. But there’s one thing I have to ask you.’

“ ‘You already sound like the man of the house,’ she said matter-of-factly. ‘I’ll do my best.’

“ ‘No, I’m serious, Mona.’

“I sat on the bed next to her and I kissed her.

“ ‘Do Rowan and Michael know where your child is?’ I asked.

“ ‘No,’ she said, ‘I don’t think that they do. Sometimes I think that they might—Mayfair Medical is a world unto itself—but no, they couldn’t—. I can’t stand that idea. I can’t stand that they wouldn’t tell me. But let’s not talk about it, Quinn. Rowan is a cold calculating scientist in many respects, but Rowan has a conscience made out of pure gold. Let’s just talk about us.’

“I put my arms around her. Pure gold. The image struck me. Pure gold. I thought of the mausoleum and the mysterious stranger telling me that the mausoleum was made of gold.