Gwen’s lifelong dream had been to become a professor here, but that was reserved for people with doctorates. She once contemplated enrolling at New York University to get her doctorate in botany but had balked at the prospect of living in downtown Manhattan, surrounded by towering skyscrapers, the noise, the traffic. Just . . . no. It wasn’t possible.

“My husband was the head of the biology department,” she said simply.

“Was?”

“He died two years ago.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “You chose to stay on campus?”

“Oh yes, I’ll never leave this place.” Her reply was instinctive. This college was her home, and she had never even considered leaving it. “I teach a class on botany each semester, but mostly I enjoy tending the gardens and looking after the students. They get dreadfully homesick, even though they’d die before admitting it, and I like mothering them.”

His gaze roamed across the ivy-covered buildings and manicured lawns. “This isn’t anything like where I went to college. It’s a good thing your family has money.”

She sent him an amused half smile. “I’m afraid this college is the only investment our family made that reliably loses money every year.”

“Maybe a little less money spent on fancy buildings would have been prudent.”

Like many people, Patrick O’Neill didn’t look beneath the trappings to see the miracles that were the true beating heart of this college.

She gestured to the building directly behind her, a four-story granite masterpiece with windows that sparkled in the sunlight. “Do you think the buildings are where our money goes?”

He looked at her blankly. “I’m sure they cost a pretty penny.”

They could have been built with my father’s pocket change, she silently thought. “Come with me, and I’ll show you the college’s real treasure,” she said. “It has nothing to do with fancy buildings or pretty landscaping. The amount we spend on it dwarfs everything you can see with human eyes. Are you willing to open your mind and heart to learn about it?”

A glint of curiosity sparked behind Mr. O’Neill’s big, strong face. “Lead the way.”

Against his better judgment, Patrick was intrigued. Sparring with the Blackstones was a dangerous undertaking, and he was already powerfully attracted to this woman. Now that he knew she was a widow, he was even more intrigued.

“This is the jewel in our crown,” Mrs. Kellerman said as she led him into the cool interior of the chemistry building, where their footsteps echoed in the hallway. “Our research focuses on diseases like botulism and tetanus. These are rare diseases that only afflict a few people each year, but the victims tend to be poor with little hope for a cure. Most colleges are researching treatments for the big diseases like tuberculosis where there’s far more profit.”