“You’re going to have to bring this out a little at a time, I’m thinking. If you hit the market with all this, nothing will be worth anything. Just a little of it at a time should keep the market high. As for what to do with it, I’m sure it will be told to us. Dante, she would have had a plan and a place for this all.” Grandda nodded at him and smiled. “I knew my girl was going to save us all. Didn’t you?”
“I knew too.” He looked for Judith, who was sitting on one of the ugliest chairs he’d ever seen, reading something. Going to her, he took the book she handed him and knew it was his mother’s handwriting. He read only a couple of lines before he cleared his throat to speak. “She said she would like for you all to live here. Not in the castle, she goes on to explain, but here on the land.”
“Dante said she wanted her family here, all of us so that she can rest in peace. It’s her wish too that we take the bounty here in this room and make sure it’s used for goodness. The people who had hoarded this much wealth didn’t use it for anything but taking up space in their castle.” Jude stood up and went to his grandda. “There is a message in the book for you as well. She said to tell you that you and her mom were forever in her heart and that had she been able to, she would have made sure you were forever taken care of. She is sorry from the bottom of her heart that it came to the point you were in before someone could rescue you. But it was more important for her to have you live out your life with her son and her birds than anything else she could have done for you.”
Grandda blew his nose and thanked Jude for that. After he hugged her, Grandda went to stand with Grandma. Duncan was thrilled to be able to have them here with him. Now he just hoped he could convince the others to stay close too.
The things in the lower level were left there for now. He wasn’t sure what they could do with the seeds and saplings she’d left for them at this time of year, so they all agreed it would be the perfect place to keep them. The other things, the trunks from the upper level, would be gone through too after tomorrow. It was exciting to him just to think how much his mother had done for everyone before she passed away. Duncan couldn’t stop wishing she was here with them right now. It would have been the most perfect holiday ever, he thought. Not just for him, but for everyone here.
At dinner, he decided to try and see what the thought was on having everyone move here. There was plenty of room for as much space as any of them wanted. Good schools and he’d been able to put in a landing strip when he’d purchased his jet a few years ago. Everything a family would need was right here. Standing up when they were all seated, he cleared his throat to have his say. Before he was able to even say the first word, Mercy cut him off.
“Yes, we’ll stay if that was what you were working up to ask us. We’ve all been talking it over since we arrived here. We realized from the very first day that we needed to be here where our magic is stronger. We also understand you’ll have to have Jude here, as your mate. All of us decided that we, too, would love to live here with everyone close by.” Mercy winked at him. “Also, you should know we’ve taken a vote, and we’re all right with you being king.”
“Well, thank you so very much.” They all laughed, and so did Duncan. “I’m happy to hear you’ll be staying. It’s been wonderful for me to have you all close to hear about my mom in a way I’d never been privy to before. I thank you for that. My mom was...I miss her every day, but with all of you here, it’s been more bearable, less lonely, and easier to see why she gave up her life so that the six of you could go on and do her work for her. I thank you for that.”
When he sat down, he felt, for the first time, what it was like to have a family. It had only been him and Mary and her son for so long he didn’t know what to expect when the others arrived. Now, having them here, it was as if it was supposed to be like this. Loud. Fun and loving. Yes, Duncan thought, his mother had had the right idea when she’d told them to all live here. They would depend and lean on each other when necessary. But for the most part, they’d be happy.
By the time he was ready for some downtime, having never had to sleep before, Duncan wished all of them a good night as they went to the upper floors to their bedchambers. There were a few things he still wanted to take care of. Mostly it was to plot out the land surrounding the castle. Somehow he knew they’d want to be here, but not close. Privacy was something he depended on as well.
Entering the room, Duncan was surprised to find Judith still in the living room working on a couple
