In Rapture (Destined) Read Online Free PDF

Sir Marcus and raised her nose in the air. “I’m not afraid.” She
grasped that the road in front of her was not the one she would have chosen to
travel, for there was danger at the end of her journey. It may not find her
immediately, but it still loomed over her. This she knew to the very core of
her being, yet this danger was wrapped with an intrigue that piqued her
curiosity. Malinda might be many things in this lifetime, but she had never
been afraid of a challenge.
    “It
is good that you show no fear. Lord Timberlin is a hard man, Malinda. Life has
whittled the ice around him, creating sharp jagged edges. If you play your
cards right, you will melt away the walls and bring him back home to his
people.”
    “You
paint quite a picture.” Malinda’s eyebrows mocked the man sitting in the cart.
She wondered if he could taste the warning filling the air. So, in short, save
the man, bring him back to his people. What about her, though? What was she
supposed to get from this arrangement, a new life? A new life meant nothing,
especially when you were content with the one you left behind.
    Malinda
climbed back up into the cart, knowing that it would not be seemly for her to
walk down the lane to her new home. As she sat there, she reflected on her
sheltered past where she had lived so simply in the small house that she had
called home with her grandparents. She would always be fond of her humble
beginnings, for they had made her who she was today, but the farther they went
down the dirt drive, the easier it was to see that not one single part of
Wickford Manor would ever be as small as her home at Tinley Faire. The closets
were probably just as large. Tinley Faire’s small keep would likely have fit
inside Wickford Manor at least twice. Even when the darkness around her made it
hard for her to see the beauty of the large building, the gentle sway of the
wind across her face alluded to the charm hidden within its bricks. She held
her head high, for she would meet her fate with courage despite the fear that
crept into her heart.
    The
windows were dark. Clearly, the people at Wickford Manor were not used to
receiving guests at this time of night, for it took several minutes for someone
to answer the door. Finally, the door swung open and an older gentleman’s face
appeared around it. “Good eve. May I help you?”
    “Good
sir, I’m Bradford Marcus. Your master sent me on a journey to bring back his
bride.” Bradford gestured toward Malinda, who stood quietly next to him. “Please
allow me to introduce Lady Malinda Timberlin.”
    Malinda
watched as the older gentleman’s eyebrows rose in surprise. A smile crept
slowly across his face, as if he did not believe his good fortune. “My heavens,
do come in! Sarah’s going to birth a cow when she finds out I was the first to
meet the missus. Lord Timberlin is away at the moment, but I am sure he will
return any day now.”
    He
bowed low as he opened the door and Malinda stifled a chuckle, for she could
see the older man had dressed so hastily that he had not donned an actual
shirt. His evening gown was shoved haphazardly into his pants. His grey hair
had been tousled by his sleep, for he had not had a chance to comb it before he
rushed to answer the door. “The pleasure is mine, Mr…?”
    “Hargrove,
my lady. Ethan Hargrove, at your service. Will you be needing anything this
evening? I can have Gertie make you something to eat if you are hungry. She’s a
night creature, that one.”
    “Oh
dear, Hargrove, that is not necessary. Please just show me to my room and have
my belongings brought up. Sir Marcus here will need a place to rest as well.”
    “That’s
quite all right, my dear. Now that you’ve been safely delivered to Wickford
Manor I’ll be on my way.” His smile lit up his face and the twinkle in his aura
grew brighter, but Malinda was the only one who could see it.
    Malinda
reached out a hand to him and smiled politely back at him. She hugged him close
and