So far Jamie hadn’t said a word and it looked as if she wasn’t going to, at least for the moment, so Kingston continued.
‘I’ve thought about this a lot, Jamie. And I’ve come to realize that what Kit Archer did was selfless and courageous. Whether his cousin, Jeremy Kershaw, was in on it, is impossible to say. But by Kit’s taking it upon himself to surrender, we know he ended up saving the lives of all his comrades, including Ryder. We can debate whether Kit planned this or whether it was an impulsive act. I prefer to think that he thought it through. He knew damned well the risk but saw it as the only possible chance to save their lives. This is the greatest sacrifice a man can make in my eyes, and should be in yours too, Jamie—he should be considered a hero. Ryder certainly came to realize this. He intimated so in his letter.’
A brief pause followed while she thought about his reassuring words.
‘Lawrence, I don’t know how you do it,’ she said, smiling. ‘In less than two minutes you’ve elevated my grandfather from deserter to war hero.’ She paused and grinned. ‘And do you know what? You’ve convinced me that he really was. And for that, I will always be very, very grateful.’
She got up and went over to his chair, kneeled by his side and kissed him on the cheek. ‘I’m so happy you came into my life,’ she said. ‘You’re a good man.’
For one of the rare times in his life, Kingston was at a loss for words.
Jamie stood and faced him, gripping his hand, pulling him out of the chair. ‘Why don’t we forget about all this for now and go out and celebrate. We can talk about roses or those great wines that you and I are going to make one day.’