“Well, rumor was all it ever was,” Jason pointed out, “since it’s never been proven, one way or the other. The rumor wasn’t completely put to rest, though, or it wouldn’t still be known. But as you say, it hardly matters in this day and age, whether Anna Malory was Gypsy or of Spanish descent, as most assumed. Only she could answer that, but my grandparents died before I was born. I’m sorry I never knew them.”

“I’ve always wished to know the truth about her myself,” Amy said. “I can remember being fascinated by the possibility when I was a child, and before you ask why again, recall that I take after her, or so I’ve been told. I wanted to think she really was a Gypsy—I still wish it was so. That would at least explain where I got such unusually perceptive instincts from, that are never wrong. And it must have been true love.”

“Hell, if it’s true love, I’m glad our ancestor realized it,” Derek put in. “For some men, it takes years . . . and years . . . and—”

Jason didn’t miss the subtle prodding directed his way, but before anyone else noticed, he said pointedly, “Didn’t you say you had a bit of shopping to do while we were in town, Derek?” To which his son just grinned again, unrepentantly.

Jason sighed inwardly. He knew Derek was just teasing him. Actually, Derek was the only one in the family who ever dared tease him. And no one else, being aware of who Molly really was, would guess that he was teasing his father. But then Derek knew that Jason had been after Molly for a long time now to say yes to marrying him.

“Hmmm, wonder why I never thought to do that with Anna Malory,” Amy remarked to herself, drawing everyone’s attention again.

“Do what?” more than one Malory asked in unison.

“Make a bet that we’d learn the truth about her. Anyone care to take up the wager?”

But Jason interrupted with, “I’d prefer this speculation ended here.”

Amy frowned. “You really don’t want to know the truth, Uncle Jason?”

“I didn’t say that, m’dear. I just don’t want to see you break your perfect win record on something that can’t possibly come to light. You would be devastated if that happened, now wouldn’t you?”

Her sigh answered him, but didn’t quite reassure him. After all, he was well aware that horrible odds had never stopped her from following her instincts in the past.

Chapter 4

THE FAMILY WAS SPREAD OUT IN THE LARGE COUNTRY mansion that evening after dinner. Molly had carefully unpacked most of the Christmas paraphernalia from the attic earlier in the week, and it was Molly, just reaching the bottom of the stairs, who heard the horse come to a galloping halt out front and went to see who was visiting this late in the evening. Just as she reached to open the door, it was opened from without and Jason’s brother James nearly knocked her over as he stomped in out of the cold.