A Flight To Heaven Read Online Free PDF Page B

she bear to go away?
    But she could see that her mother was still full of grief and pain and had no strength to comfort her daughter. So she stopped crying.
    Somehow Chiara got through both the long empty Christmas Day and the painful ritual of the funeral a few days later with perfect composure.
    Then she had come here to Ely to be with her best friend, Elizabeth.
    They were almost home now and were walking up the steep cobbled street that led to Elizabeth’s house.
    Suddenly Chiara heard the wild strange creaking noise that she had heard that morning, as she walked out over the Fens.
    Above their heads, five swans were flying, their white feathers glowing pink in the light of the setting sun.
    Chiara felt a glow of joy as she watched them.
    Her stay here in Ely had already brought her some moments of happiness and maybe Elizabeth was right after all and perhaps everything would turn out well.
    She squeezed her friend’s arm.
    “Shall we toast muffins again, when we get in?” she suggested.
    “How delicious! I think we should. And thank you so much, Chiara, for helping me to choose such a lovely dress.”
    The swans had flown past now and were gone, but a little bit of the joyful feeling stayed with Chiara, as the two girls climbed up the front steps and went in through the blue door for tea.

CHAPTER THREE
    “Chiara, the postman has brought a letter for you.”
    Elizabeth came running into the parlour with an envelope in her hand.
    Chiara was attaching some pretty striped feathers to a little brown velvet hat that matched Elizabeth’s new coat.
    Outside the parlour windows, the bare branches of the trees were tossing about in the strong wind that often blew in across the Fens.
    But the sun was shining on this bright February day and Chiara knew that spring would be coming soon.
    “The postmark is Norfolk,” Elizabeth said, as she handed Chiara the envelope.
    “It will be from Mama.”
    Lady Fairfax had written a short note to her every week of the month that she had been away, sending her love and hoping that Chiara was enjoying herself in Ely.
    As she unfolded the letter, Chiara was expecting to read a similar message to those her mother had already sent and she ran her eyes over the familiar elegant handwriting.
    “My darling daughter,” she read,
    “ I hope that this letter finds you well and happy. I understand that you have been a great help to Elizabeth, as her Mama wrote to me last week and told me how hard you have been working to help her get ready for her wedding and what a joy it is to have you to stay with them .
    As soon as I read her words, I realised how much I have missed my lovely daughter all through these sad and painful weeks .
    It was very hard to send you away, but I knew that I would not be good company for you, my darling, and I so wanted you to have fun and not to dwell upon the sadness that hangs over our home .
    I should love to have you home again, Chiara, if you can bear to leave the endless excitement of Elizabeth’s engagement .
    I am feeling very much better and people have been so very kind and thoughtful – not a day goes past without many callers coming to Rensham Hall. I have not yet received any of them, but I am quite inundated with their calling cards .
    The time has come, I think, for me to face the world again. Don’t you think it would be a good idea if we gave some dinner parties for these kind people?
    And of course, I will need my lovely daughter at my side if I am going to start entertaining once more .”
    Chiara read no further, for her head was spinning with shock. Her Mama wanted her to go home!
    She had been at Ely now for almost a month and she had become quite used to spending each and every day in Elizabeth’s company, shopping and sewing, taking tea and going for long walks.
    The Dean and his wife had treated her so kindly, almost as if she was a second daughter to them.
    “What is it?” Elizabeth asked.
    “Mama wants me to go back to Rensham