Wondering what Nic was doing—and if he could drum up an excuse to spend some time with her—he pushed to his feet, then halted at the knock on the library doors. With a sigh for missed opportunities, since Nic wouldn’t have knocked, he bade whoever it was to enter.

To his surprise, his father edged through the doors, hat in hand so his balding pate gleamed in the sunlight from the big windows. GF looked around at the great room, considerably improved since the last time he’d been inside, and whistled low and long. “This place is looking downright elegant,” his father noted. “Hard to believe it was sunk hip deep in marsh water not long ago. And look at you, like a fine lord of the Convocation behind your big fancy desk.”

Though his father didn’t speak the words with recrimination, Gabriel nevertheless felt the bite of them. “Dad,” he said by way of greeting as he came around said big fancy desk, unwilling to let the thing stand between them. “I’m glad you’re here. Care for a glass of brandy?” Gabriel gestured to the chairs by the fire, which remained unlit with the balmy weather.

“In the middle of the day?” His father’s bushy brows rose in disdain. “Eesh, no. I still have work yet to do. We’re clearing the east field.” He nodded to himself. “Getting it ready to plant. Did you see the blood poppies are in bloom?”

“I did.” Gabriel tucked his hands in his trouser pockets, leaning back against the desk and crossing his ankles. He didn’t care for how his father still stood there like another petitioner, but he’d already put his foot in it by suggesting brandy, and he couldn’t think of another excuse for them to sit down. “I took Nic there this morning to see them.”

“Good. They’re your mother’s favorites, too.” GF squinched up his face in thought. “Couldn’t budge her out of the cottage to see them, though.”

Ah, thus the reason for this visit. “I’m sorry to hear she’s in distress,” he replied evenly.

“Are you? Then why haven’t you been by to apologize?”

Gabriel felt his mouth fall open but seemed to be unable to do anything about it in his shock. “Me… apologize?” he sputtered. “She’s the one who—”

“Aye, I know, I know. She said some things she shouldn’t have. She was fair upset at the time, you know.”

“I noticed,” Gabriel bit out.

“She didn’t mean it, son.”

“I think she did.” He raked his hands through his hair. Setting it on fire would’ve been better than this conversation. “I am… aware that I am not the son either of you hoped for.”

“Hoped for?” His father squinted in puzzlement. “You’ll be a father before long, so you’ll see how it is. For your children, you just hope for them to be happy. I’ve been sorry for the wizardry, and that it took you so sudden and hard, with no one to guide you, but only because it made you so miserable. It’s good—we’re both glad to see it—that you have Nic now and that she’s making you happy.”