The week following her return had been a quiet one. The kids were out of school for summer break, so they weren't stopping by her cottage to visit in the afternoons, and Isaac hadn't invited her back to the castle for dinner. The only reason she could think for his continued absence was that he had changed his mind about marrying her.

She had hidden away in her little cottage for a week drawing and worrying about her cousin, but finally, it was time to reemerge into the world, so she strolled, with sketchbook in hand, down to the pub to have a drink and get some dinner.

She should have done it sooner because the greeting she received as soon as she entered made her feel human again. As soon as she sat at her favorite corner booth, Ayleen took her order and asked her where she had been.

"I had a family emergency and had to fly back to the U.S.," Poppy said as she smiled at Sally, who walked into the pub and immediately joined her. Someone must have told her she had arrived.

"We know Isaac was very vague about the emergency, but we also know you've been back for a week now," Ayleen chastised.

"I know, I need some downtime." Poppy shook her head.

"Isaac said as much when he informed us that you were back. He said that you were tired and needed to rest. He was very serious in his warning, so we didn't dare visit you," Sally said in a hushed voice.

Isaac had warned them away. Was it because he was trying to provide her with space, or was he trying to keep their breakup quiet for the time being?

"I thought you would be at the castle claiming your space since the children's grandparents are visiting again."

"They do like to visit a lot, don't they?" Poppy mused aloud.

"Yes, good luck with that when you marry. Speaking of which, congratulations, the news broke after you left, but we were all pleased to hear it. We're also pleased to hear about the party. It's about time someone blew the cobwebs out of that place, and you're just the person who can do it!" Ayleen said with a grin.

Poppy forced a grin back. She was so unsure about where things stood that she didn't know what to tell them, so she thought her best bet was to remain silent on the marriage and the potential canceled party.

"I was wondering if you would both be willing to help me plan this party, if I can pull it off?" Poppy looked at both women, who looked pleased to be asked.

"Yes! Of course!" they said at the same time and laughed.

"Thanks, I'm not sure what's going on. I don't think Isaac has told the Glenns yet about our engagement, so we had better see how that news goes down before we get set in on planning a party." There, Poppy had told them that there was a possibility that both the marriage and the party would be canceled.

"He hasn't told them yet?" Sally asked, surprised.

"I don't think so, and I'm worried what kind of fuss they'll make about me being in Mary and Peter's lives. I don't want to cause Isaac more trouble than he has already had with them." Poppy shook her head.

"He has had trouble with them?" Sally looked at Ayleen as Poppy realized she might have said too much in her haste to lay the groundwork of an excuse for them not getting married.

"I think I've said too much," Poppy muttered, mad at herself.

"Nope, you've said just enough," Ayleen said as she patted her hand where it lay on the table. "I'll go get your drink and put in your order. Sally, do you want anything?"

Sally placed her order, and Ayleen wandered off with a thoughtful look on her face.

"I really did want to come and see you, but Isaac was adamant that you be left alone. It is so romantic that you two fell in love," Sally sighed dreamily. "He's very rich and handsome."

"I think the kids and I fell in love first." Poppy smiled.

She and Sally started talking about the party, generating ideas. Poppy told her about the task she had assigned Peter, and Sally assured her that cobwebs would be his job. Their food and drinks arrived, and Ayleen joined them briefly.

Poppy was greeted like an old friend as people came and went from the pub, and it made her feel included and once again like she had found a home.

Poppy had settled in for the night and was a few hours into her visit when Isaac walked in with Boyd, Chester, and Siobhan as Billy sang a ballad, and Poppy drew Sally, looking longingly at the young man. She was considerably older than him, but wasn't Isaac older than her?

Poppy looked up from her drawing and caught Isaac's eyes before she looked past him at the others. She gave a friendly smile as Boyd broke away and came to hug her.

"We've missed you, lass. The children keep asking when you're coming to visit." Boyd's voice was gruff with pleasure at seeing her.

"I'm waiting for Isaac to give me the go-ahead. I'm not sure of the situation with the Glenns." Poppy said softly in his ear.

"It's the same, maybe worse. They keep asking to take the kids back with them for the summer holiday, but Isaac is holding firm so far. Primarily because the children don't want to go." Boyd looked at Sally with a smile and gave her a brief greeting before he wandered toward the table at which the others in his party were sitting.

Billy finished his song, and Poppy ripped out the drawing and passed it across the table to Sally. "Ask him out."

Sally blushed when she looked at the drawing. "Was I honestly looking at him like that?" she whispered as she looked around. "He's so much younger than me." She shook her head.

"So, Isaac is fourteen years older than me, and no one seems to mind. I think you and Billy would make a great couple, plus he can sing you to sleep." Poppy waggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Sally blushed even more.

"Sing another, Billy. Sing one for Sally!" Poppy called across the pub as Sally stared hard at the drawing before her.

"You're embarrassing me!" she hissed.

"Yes, but Billy's blushing too, and everyone is giving you both knowing smiles right now. I think he would be willing to accept a date." Poppy urged as he began to sing again.

Sally peeked at him, and Billy gave her a tentative smile as he sang.

"Do you have a moment to talk?" Isaac said at her shoulder, causing Poppy to jump in surprise. She had been so wrapped up in Sally and Billy that she hadn't been watching him.

"Sure," she set the sketch pad on the table and stood, following him out of the pub to an empty table in front of the building. Poppy could feel Siobhan's eyes on her the entire time.

"If looks could kill," Poppy said as she stepped into the fresh night air and sat at the table.

"Yes, there have been fewer hints and more direct statements about a marriage between me and Siobhan for the sake of the children." Isaac's face was grim. "Siobahn is getting less subtle in her hints, too. I'm trying not to be rude-"

Poppy snorted at his comment. When wasn't he rude? It wasn't something he worried about with her. 

"I'm trying not to be rude," he continued, "to keep the peace, but it's not a game I'm enjoying."

"I don't imagine it is," Poppy soothed.

"Are you still willing to go through with the marriage?" he asked.

Poppy's heart stopped.

"Yes," she cleared her throat. "I thought you wouldn't want to after our last discussion."

He shook his head. "They're as much at risk with me as with you. Money is money, and greed is greed."

"They don't think it was about money with my cousin. They think it was about her fame." Poppy crossed her arms, suddenly cold.

"No one around here is famous, so that won't jeopardize anything. It's a small town, and anyone unusual would be noticed in a minute. You should have seen how fast the news traveled when the pretty little redhead blew into town a few months ago. Everyone was talking about it." Isaac almost smiled.

"If you're sure, yes, I'm still open to marriage." Poppy agreed. Her excited heart beating faster.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box containing a small antique diamond. It was perfect—not at all showy. "It was my mother's," his voice was gruff as he said the words.

He took her hand and slid the ring onto it, and a cheer went up from inside the pub.

The door opened, and Boyd's white-haired head popped out. "Kiss the girl and seal the deal!" he crowed, and another cheer rose in the pub.

"I told you the time for a kiss would come," Poppy said, looking at the ring and then back at him. She hadn't expected a ring. "Thank you. If anything happens, I'll give it back, I promise."

He nodded, then took her chin in his hand and tilted her head back to look at her face, hair, eyes, and lips. It was as if he was drinking her in. Poppy knew it was all for show, but it felt real.

"Here's to us," he said.

"And the children," she added.

"Yes, let's not forget them," he looked grim. It was not exactly the face she wanted to see before he kissed her.

"I guess this means the Glenn's know about our engagement." She said more for something to say than because she cared.

"I know that everyone now knows about our engagement," Isaac insisted as his lips claimed Poppy's in a devastating kiss. It was everything she had hoped it would be, but it ended before it even began, and she sat with her eyes closed, wanting more.

"We should go back in. Will you join us?" he asked.

"No, thank you. I already ate. I'm going to head home. I think Sally has plans." Poppy placed her hand in his hand as he led her back into the pub, knowing that letting it go would be a hard thing to do.

When they entered, a chorus of cheers greeted them, with hugs for Poppy and slaps on the back for Isaac. Poppy looked around for Sally, but she couldn't find her or Billy, for that matter.

"I see Sally left," Poppy said to Ayleen as she hugged Poppy.

Ayleen smiled. "So did Billy. They didn't leave together, but it seems a coincidence since Billy usually closes the place down."

Poppy nodded and moved to pick up her stuff from where she had been sitting. "Goodnight, everyone!" she called, and they called back the same.

"I'll walk you home," Isaac said.

Poppy didn't fight him on it because they both knew it would be odd if he didn't.

Poppy had hopped for another goodnight kiss, but there was none, and it was something she had better get used to.