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marchioness was a favorite of the doctor's, despite her very exasperating habit of ignoring his sound advice. With dark hair and violet eyes, she was as unusually pretty as the mysterious Miss Hill. He could not help noticing that standing side by side, the two women made quite a remarkable picture. "Lady Darfield, I was just about to say—"
    "I think your idea is simply wonderful. My name is Abbey Ingram, and I should very much like to help."
    Miss Hill smiled gratefully. "I am Lauren Hill. Are you familiar with Rosewood? It's a small estate, just a few miles from here, and I have been thinking how to make it a bit more self-sustaining. The children who live there—Well, I think they should learn as much responsibility as they can. But they cannot learn if no one trades with them, and unfortunately, no one comes to Rosewood. That is, with the exception of the
apothecary
, but
he
can hardly be counted on to take so many vegetables in trade, and—"
    "Miss Hill! If you please, I was
trying
to say what you have done for those two boys is quite remarkable, and I would be more than happy to help you in any way that I can, including taking
tomatoes
as big as
hams
in trade!" Dr. Stephens bellowed.
    The two women looked at him as if he were mad. Lady Darfield lifted a censorious brow and muttered in a soft aside, "I was quite certain he would agree."
    "Really? I was not at all certain, but I had rather hoped he would. Unfortunately, we are rather short of funds," Miss Hill responded.
    "Oh, you mustn't worry about that!" Lady Darfield said cheerfully. "Dr. Stephens should hardly be concerned about payment; he does quite nicely for himself. He will gladly look after your wards!"
    Miss Hill beamed at him. "I rather suspected he was not as crabby as he would have me believe. So you think he could be counted on to help?"
    "Absolutely!" Lady Darfield nodded enthusiastically.
    Incredulous, Dr. Stephens looked from one woman to the next, both wearing alluring smiles that would have sent a lesser man to his knees. Without a word, he turned abruptly and marched back to his desk.
    By the time Lauren Hill finally left—with
two
bottles of delight in exchange for a crate of tomatoes to be delivered the next morning—the women had agreed to meet at Rosewood the following day to discuss further what could be done. As with everything, Abbey Ingram had jumped in with both feet.
    She beamed happily at Dr. Stephens as he examined a cut on Alexa's knee, insisting that she, too, knew all along that he was not nearly as "crabby" as he would have her believe.
    Over the next few weeks, Lauren established a trade of produce for medicine, flour, and twice weekly help with the sewing. Barren wheat fields were given over to pumpkins and gourds, and tomatoes and berries flourished along every fence. Each morning after completing their lessons, Lauren and the children would weed and water their little vegetable fields.
    The children delighted in their work. They measured the growth of the melons each day, searched for cucumbers hidden among the leafy vines, and arranged the pumpkins to their satisfaction. Their little kitchen garden was soon large enough to support a few more kitchens, and with the help of Abbey, who made a point of engaging in the trade herself, the townsfolk of Pemberheath slowly began to soften toward the children and their "trade."
    As late summer turned to fall, Rosewood began to show signs of resembling the modest country home it had once been. Lauren managed this despite having to care for her slovenly uncle while intermittently arguing with him about her future. Paul was very silent about what
he
thought she should do, but at his request, she had bargained for two books on investments. He was very mysterious about his plans, but every once in a while he would look up from his books, run a hand through his dark brown hair, and smile. His light blue eyes twinkling with excitement, he would assure her that all at Rosewood would soon be