For now, Avery was content to step back and let her daughter bond with her uncle. Even thinking those words caused such a weird sensation to course through her. To realize that she’d gone away from America to escape her past life, and instead she’d marched right through a door to the past. And to boot, that there was someone here who wanted to be a part of her daughter’s life and help her in a significant way.

Avery still felt a prickle of doubt about all of it; she wasn’t sure that Mr. Berkwood wouldn’t get bored of the novelty of having a niece and just up and leave. She knew too much about the vices of men to think that this could be anywhere near a permanent situation. But for now, Avery was content to let Marigold giggle at her uncle’s jokes and introduce him to the small animal on their floor.

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