“How clever of you to use that to your advantage when it suits you.” They climbed a short flight of stairs and crossed to the next wing. “You said Gabriella would be here soon. Is the whole family coming today?”

“In force, this afternoon.”

Hannah relaxed a little. It would be easy to transfer the package to Reeve and continue on with the plan. “Has Bennett put his treasure in the vault?”

“Treasure? Oh, his yo-yo.” With her first easy laugh of the day, Eve entered her bedroom. “He adores that child, you know. I’ve never known anyone quite as good with children as Bennett. He puts an enormous amount of time into the Aid for Handicapped Children even though it takes away from his free days with his horses.” She walked into the adjoining dressing room as she spoke. “Another reason I suppose I’ve been moody is that I know Bennett should be on top of the world right now, and he looks as though he rarely closes his eyes.”

“On top of the world?”

“It’s taken him six months and a lot of frustration to get approval for the children’s wing in the museum. He finally pushed it over the top at the board meeting the other night, but not without a lot of work and fast talking. He didn’t mention it to you?”

“No,” she said slowly. “No, he didn’t mention it.”

“It’s been his pet project for a couple of years. It took him months to find the right architect, one who’d mesh practicality with the essence of what Bennett wanted to do. Then, because the board wouldn’t give an inch, he had the plans drawn up at his own expense. They’re wonderful.” Eve came back into the room carrying a long box. “You should ask him to see them sometime. He wanted it open, lots of windows so that the kids wouldn’t feel closed in. The board mumbled and grumbled when he talked of sculptures the children could make contact with and illustrations from storybooks instead of Rubenses and Renoirs and Rodins under glass.”

“I didn’t realize he was so . . . involved.”

“Whatever Bennett does he does with total involvement. His idea was to introduce children to art through media they could understand and enjoy. Then there’s a section that’s reserved for paintings and models the children make themselves.”

Eve set the box on the bed and smiled. “I’m surprised he didn’t tell you about it. Usually no one’s safe. It’s taken him two years of planning and six months of fighting to get this project off the ground.”

“It sounds lovely.” She felt her heart twist and expand and fill with more love. “One often thinks of him as a man only interested in horses and the next party.”