Chapter Twenty-Four
RICHARD HEARD THE beautiful music and felt all of his muscles relax. As he stepped into his house, the tension of dealing with ten wild young boys and attempting to teach them proper manners slipped from his shoulders.
The scent from the bouquet of lavender and roses, which graced the hall table, added to his sense of well-being as he stopped and listened.
The recently waxed wood floor reflected the sunlight that streamed in through a window overhead. Richard placed his hat on the table next to the flowers, and couldn’t resist running his fingers delicately over one of the feathery fronds of the lavender, releasing even more of its lovely scent.
There was not a more beautiful sound in the world to Richard than Beethoven’s fourteenth sonata. The soft lilting melody,
