Poppy leaned against the door to Mary's bedroom and took a deep breath. That had been tough. Mary was a pre-teen girl, turning into a woman without a mother. She was lonely, scared and confused. There had been a lot of tears and hugging and then some bonding over chocolate. Poppy hoped she had said and done all the correct things, but she wasn't sure she had.

"Poppy," Peter whispered from the other end of the vast hall and waved her over. He was wearing his pajamas, and it was evident that he had already been put to bed.

With a smile, Poppy joined him, and he invited her into his room to look at all his stuff. The boy was a dinosaur lover with a little superhero action thrown in for good measure. They talked about villains for a few minutes, totally disagreeing, and when Peter paused, she thought she had upset him.

"Is Mary going to be alright?" His voice was soft. "I heard she was bleeding."

Poppy knelt in front of him. "She is going to be alright. What she's going through is something all of us girls go through at her age. I did, my sister did, your mother did. Mary was confused and needed someone to talk to because she was embarrassed."

"And she talked to you?" he asked as his brown eyes, which were so much like his uncle's, met hers.

"She did, and we talked about your mom and dad too. They sound like they were pretty awesome parents."

Peter grinned. "They were." Then he started talking, and as the floodgates opened, Poppy tucked him into bed, letting him remember all he could until his eyes grew heavy, and he drifted off to sleep.

When he was out, Poppy turned out his light and quietly left his room, closing the door behind her. Then, slowly, she made her way down the massive staircase, her mind on Mary and Peter, until she heard a voice coming from one of the massive rooms of the main hall.

"Just ask her. What could it hurt?" Boyd grumbled. "She's the best choice; it might be the only way to keep the children." Poppy's heart lurched at the thought of Isaac losing the children.

"There's no way she would consider it," Isaac's deep voice responded.

"And who's fault is that?" Boyd asked.

Poppy slowly moved toward the voices and stood in the doorway.

"And what would she get out of it that might convince her to do it?" Isaac asked, unaware that she was standing in the doorway to the massive room.

"Who are you trying to convince of what?" Poppy asked as both men swung around and looked at her. Boyd looked guilty, and Isaac's face was a mask.

"How is Mary?" Boyd asked, motioning for her to sit in a massive armchair. "Can I get you a drink?"

"No, thank you. Mary's fine. She's scared, confused, and misses her mom," Poppy said as she sat on the edge of the chair. She couldn't sit all the way back because her feet wouldn't have touched the ground, and that would have embarrassed her.

Boyd nodded his head. "And Peter? I heard you talking with him, too," Boyd asked.

Poppy looked at Isaac, noting that he was watching her closely. 

"He misses his parents and was scared for Mary, so I told him everything was going to be alright, then let him talk about his parents until he fell asleep."

Boyd nodded. "He needs to talk about them often so he remembers them. He's so young that if he doesn't, their memory will fade." Boyd looked at Isaac, and it was apparent that he was remembering when Isaac and his sister had come to him after the death of their parents.

"I hope I said the right thing to Mary. When I went through my first period, it was a family affair. I had my grandmother, six aunts, and my mother all giving me advice." Poppy smiled at the memory. Thankfully, it was the one time her father had tactfully disappeared.

"You have a large family then?" Boyd asked.

"Yes, they're lovely, even if they are sometimes a bit overwhelming." Poppy smiled.

An awkward silence descended, and Boyd cleared his throat. "I'll go check on Mary and make sure she doesn't need anything. Thank you for helping, Poppy. It was only me when Molly, Isaac's sister, went through it."

"I'm sure you did fine," Poppy reassured him. He and Isaac must assume that the locals had filled her in on their family situation and that Boyd had raised Isaac and his sister just as Isaac was raising Mary and Peter.

Boyd left, and another silence descended between her and Isaac.

After a few tense moments, Poppy asked, "Should I start walking, or will you give me a lift home?" She was sure they had been talking about her when she had entered the room.

She hid a smile as she saw Isaac's irritation at her question. 

"Of course, I'll give you a lift home," he said, sitting across from her.

"When?' she asked after another minute of silence.

This irritated him more, and she saw him silently controlling himself from saying something disapproving.

"Mary and Peter's grandparents told me they were going sue for custody when they were here earlier this week." Isaac's voice was matter-of-fact, but a muscle in his jaw was jumping, letting her know he was upset. Whether he was upset about telling her or upset about the circumstances, she couldn't be sure, but she would bet it was both.

"That's very upsetting. I don't like them. I didn't like the way they showed Peter favor over Mary."

Isaac didn't comment on her comment, but he took a deep breath as he continued.

"They assured me that if I married Siobhan, they wouldn't sue."  His voice was dry with a hint of disdain.

"No doubt they want the money and this house. Are they going to kill you and Boyd off so that you can't pro-create and ruin their devious master plan for Peter to inherit?" Poppy crossed her arms and scooted back into the chair, her legs swinging under her as anger filled her at the audacity of it.

Isaac looked at her, and his lips twitched at her comment. Their eyes met in one of those long stares they had shared a few times, but this time, they were on the same wavelength; she could sense it.

"Is this what you and Boyd were talking about? Is this where I come in? Do you want to ask me to be a nanny or something? That way, you can show the court that the kids have adequate care."

"Or something, Molly had her own money, which went to Peter and Mary when she died. Whoever is their guardian has access to the money, so they don't need me to get the money. My guess is that they also think that Molly had a share in the castle and that Peter and Mary will inherit their share of that as well." Isaac broke eye contact as he spoke, looking down at her swinging feet with a frown.

"But they don't?" Poppy stopped swinging her feet.

"You're so small," he growled in irritation.

"And, you're sizeist," Poppy said with a roll of her eyes. "It's not like I can help it." She started to swing her feet again to annoy him. "What does 'or something' mean?"

He stood up and walked toward the empty fireplace.

"Or something means marriage. A marriage of convenience," he blurted as she crossed his arms.

"I get how it would be convenient for you. You would have a wife and a home to give Mary and Peter, which would be advantageous in a court battle, but how would it be convenient for me?" Poppy frowned, amazed that she hadn't dismissed the idea immediately, a fact which was not lost on her. "How do you know I'm not the person you thought I was when I met you? How do you know I'm not after your money? Maybe I'll be cruel to the kids."

He shrugged, "The kids are naturally drawn to you and you to them. I believe that they're better judges of character than most people I know. My uncle was the one who suggested that we ask you, he says he knows your family and your great grand-father grew up around here, and he believes that you can be trusted too.The lack convenience for you was the argument I raised with Uncle Boyd when you entered. Other than living here with me and the children and being supported by me, there's not much in it for you."

"You don't even like me?" Poppy reminded him.

"It's not that I don't like you..." he trailed off.

Poppy looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm calm and methodical; you're all chaotic energy, and I don't know what to do with that. It's out of my comfort zone," he admitted.

At least he was introspective, Poppy thought.

"I don't need your money." She shook her head.

"I can't give you the castle." He looked around.

"I wouldn't want it. I know the money and effort that goes into a place like this." She too, looked around as she spoke, thinking of her family home in Kent. It was just as big and a nightmare to maintain.

"Does that mean you're considering it?" Isaac looked at her, his voice growing gruff.

Her family always married for love, and she would be the first that didn't. What would they think if she decided to do this and they found out why?

Poppy thought of Mary and Peter. If she did it for anyone, it would be for them, but she would be altering her life on a whim.

"What about the folly? Would you give me that?" It was a sudden thought that popped into her head. He couldn't fathom that she wouldn't want something in return, and she had already said she didn't want his money or the castle. He wouldn't believe she was doing it out of the kindness of her heart if she decided to do it.

"The folly?" he asked, confused.

Poppy stood. "You consider giving me the folly to do with as I see fit, and I'll consider marrying you. Now, I can't make a grand exit because you have to drive me home, but it's late, and I would like to go home, so would you please take me?"

He nodded in a distracted way as he looked at her.

"Sooner would be good," her lips twitched as she waited for him to move.

"Oh, one more thing?" she said, following him down the long hall and the massive front steps to the car.

At her words, he stopped and turned abruptly, a suspicious look on his face.

"You would have to pretend to like me, maybe even love me, especially with my family. There might even be touching. Oh, and how long are we talking?"

"That's two things," his voice was low. "I can't say for sure about the time. Maybe until one of us wanted out, or we knew the timing was right to end it, and there would have to be a prenup."

Poppy nodded, expecting it, but it would protect her, too. "And the touching?"

Isaac stepped into her space and pulled her against him, burying his hand in her hair and tilting her head back. "You're a pretty girl. Touching is agreeable."

At his full body connecting with hers, she felt weak and energized simultaneously, and she did, indeed, feel small.

"Lucky me," she breathed, wanting him to kiss her.

She looked at his lips as he looked at hers, and then abruptly, he pushed her away, and she had to catch herself on the car.

"I'll think about it," she said weakly as he opened her door and waited for her to buckle her seatbelt. It was a short drive to her cottage, and he exited the car to open her door.

"I'll call you in a few days to get your answer."

"Out of curiosity, if I say no, what will you do?" Poppy opened her cottage door and looked at him as he paused by his car door.

"I'll most likely marry Siobhan, so I have some control over Mary and Peter's life."

That wouldn't do at all, Poppy thought as she watched him drive away.