Chapter 7

My heart was filled with a happiness I'd never known before.

I realized I had fallen for him, completely and utterly.

Lola could see right through me.

She leaned in and whispered softly, "Ms. Haley, do you want to marry Mr. Madden?"

I didn't answer. I just kept stitching a silk handkerchief in silence.

On the handkerchief, I embroidered twin lilies sharing a single stem.

It was subtle, yet full of passion.

Nathaniel always treated me with such care.

Whenever I was up late working, he'd silently pass a steaming bowl of midnight snack through the window.

If I wasn't…