Chapter 40

"There are plenty of fruit trees on the hills next to our villa. You don't need to bring fruit home," Hestia said, assuming Jacob bought the cherries for her. Jacob paused, then put down the bag of cherries. He took one from the bag and offered it to Hestia. Seeing her grandson being so considerate, Hestia graciously accepted and ate the cherry. "Is it sweet?" "It's sweet with a hint of tartness. Is it Bing cherry?" Hestia didn't particularly like cherries, but she knew the cherry varieties well. There were several fruit hills next to their villa, one of which had a dozen cherry trees at its base. During the cherry season, the orchard manager would bring fresh cherries for the family to taste. "These cherries are from Lo's wife's orchards, picked just today. I thought they were quite good." "Lo's wife?" The two women immediately caught onto the key detail. Hestia pressed, "Jacob, tell us. Who is Lo's wife?" Jacob remained silent. Hestia and Joslin were both anxious now, urging