The Last Waltz

Chapter 32

Thanksgiving with Poppy's family was relaxing, and she was able to decompress and rest. She stopped off in Savannah for a week and saw Agatha's baby, an adorable, pink-faced, bald cherub. Poppy couldn't help the wistful thoughts of what her and Isaac's baby might look like.

Her parents tagged along with her throughout the trip. They even followed her home to Scotland. They were planning an extended stay with her and Isaac so the trip to Kent for Christmas would be easy. Poppy had talked with Isaac and the children every night, listening to Mary's girl drama and Peter's playground shenanigans. Isaac hadn't expressed anything more than a wish for her safe and speedy return. When she told him her parents would be joining her, there had been a long pause in the conversation.

"Are they not welcome?" she had asked.

"Of course, they are welcome." He had cleared his throat. "I just wish it wasn't at this particular time before we've worked everything out."

"Don't worry. It's a big house. They won't hear us." Poppy had put emphasis on just the right words to let him know that she thought he didn't want her parents in the house when the time came for them to make love for the first time, and it was at that moment that she realized she had spent too much time with her father.

There was another long pause, and Poppy felt apprehension at his lack of response.

"That is where we are headed? Right?" Poppy asked, needing clarity. "We're going to talk about making this a real marriage in every sense of the word.

"Yes," he agreed. She could almost see him clenching the phone in his hand.

Poppy breathed a sigh of relief and ended the call with words of love that he had not returned.

When they reached the castle a few days later, her parents were duly impressed by its grandeur .

"I guess I come from good stock! Better than your father's, anyway. They don't have a castle." Cassie shot Mason a gloating look.

"You don't have a castle; your daughter does, and she happens to be my daughter, too!" Mason reminded her.

"I guess," Cassie said vaguely as they followed Poppy into the massive entrance hall.

"You guess! Don't you know?" Mason blustered, offended in the extreme.

"Sure," Cassie agreed, knowing the answer would irritate him more.

"Not now!" Poppy hissed as she closed the massive door behind them. "You only get one chance to make a good impression. Isaac already knows you're both crazy, but the others don't!" Poppy led the way to the kitchen, where she knew they would be having dinner. When she entered, the lively conversation stopped as all four faces turned to look at Poppy and her parents.

Isaac looked resigned, Boyd and Mary looked stunned, and Peter looked curious.

"Who are you?" Peter asked after a long awkward silence.

"We're your new grandparents!" Mason said jovially. "Otherwise known as Poppy's parents."

"I have more grandparents," Peter said excitedly as he jumped up and ran around to them.

"Yes, you can call me Pa and her Ma!" Mason said as he leaned down to the little boy's level.

"Nope, I will not be called Ma!" Cassie insisted. "We'll think of something better that we can all agree on."

Poppy heard all this, but she only had eyes for Isaac, who was looking at her in return.

"Would one of you lovebirds introduce us?" Mason asked with a lifted brow.