60

Arabella was curious to know more about that family, but contented herself with the information Dora was willing to provide.

"It was good for Damon too," Dorothy murmured.

The matriarch seemed to drift off as she slid her fingers across the glass of the dining table. Those words were more for herself than for Arabella. She was glad to have a listener, as her husband and son were men of few words, and Arabella was polite enough to be interested in all subjects.

"I am sure he missed you."

"He had to deal with a lot of problems," Dora looked at Arabella with a faint smile. However, her eyes could not deny the weight her heart felt.

"Problems?"

"Yes. George and I traveled and left a huge mess for him to sort out."

The lovely lady did not want to use Dora's moment of vulnerability to interrogate her, but it was impossible to control her curiosity. "You had your reasons."

"Nothing justifies it. We did not have the right to run away from our responsibilities."

"He handled the mess well. You