In Search of the Past (Stacey and Shane Mcleod, #2) Read Online Free PDF

asked, “Are you a cowboy?”
    “Nope, I’m a cowgirl,” Stacey laughingly said.
    “Do you have a horse?” he asked.
    “Yes, I do, would you like to see her?”
    “Yeah,” the youngster said.
    Shane walked up and Stacey said, “I have to go show my partner here my horse. You wanna’ come along?”
    “Absolutely, I wouldn’t miss it,” he said.
    “No miss, this really isn’t necessary,” the mother said.
    “Oh, yes ma’am, to him it is,” Stacey said.
    They walked around back to where the horses were tied. “Tell me your name and I’ll let you ride, if it’s okay with your mom.”
    “Can I Mum?  My name’s Jamie,” he said.
    “Don’t worry ma’am, he’ll be fine,” Stacey said. “I’ll leave this big fellow with you, just in case I wanna’ make a trade.”
    Shane and Jamie’s mom both laughed as Stacey swung Jamie up into the saddle then smoothly mounted behind him. They trotted down the alley a little way, then slowly walked back.  Stacey wanted him to have a good memory of this ride. When Stacey handed him down to his mother she kissed the top of his red head.  Shane watched all this with his chest tightening. He couldn’t take his eyes off Stacey.  He had never before met a woman like her.  She had a captivating presence about her that intrigued him, to say the least. He wanted to get to know her better. He felt he was being drawn to her. Yes, like a moth to a flame, he thought, to himself:

Chapter 4
    The Quest
    T heir next stop was the periodical. The editor, a Mr. Wilson was happy to help them.  He didn’t know much about the occupants of the old castle, however, he had heard old tales that were passed down saying it was razed during the war of the roses.  Mr. Wilson refilled his coffee cup, got comfortable in his chair and said, “The way the story goes, is the house of York and the house of Lancaster both fancied the throne of England. Edmund of York and John of Gaunt were both sons of Edward III.  It was a few years after the hundred years war. The earl of Dun-Raven and his son were killed sometime around fourteen sixty five or fourteen seventy. The earl of Warwick’s feudal army killed the Duke of York. The Duke of York was liege lord of Dun-Raven.  The earls of Dun-Raven were always loyal to the house of York.
    Montague, the brother of the earl of Warwick massacred the people of Yorkshire. It was a bloody time in England.  I don’t know what happened to the castle folk. Sometime between
    fourteen eighty five and fifteen twenty five there was a monastery built from some of the stones built right around the old Norman church. Henry the VIII destroyed the monasteries and the abbeys when he took over the church in fifteen thirty four. Parliament abolished the pope’s authority in England and declared Henry supreme head of the church of England.  That was when bloody Harry closed the convents and monasteries.  Of course, he did more than just close them.  He took what was valuable and destroyed much of the rest.”
    Mr. Wilson took a sip of his coffee and said, “You know lord Wakefield might be able to help you. I understand his family have some papers that were found over two hundred years ago or so. They were found in the vault of the old church before they demolished it.  I heard Wakefield manor was built with stones from the old castle and monastery. That’s about all I know, wish I could help you more.”
    “You’ve been a big help, Mr. Wilson,” Stacey said, then thanked him for his information. She turned to Doctor McLeod, “I’m gonna’ take a ride over and look at Wakefield manor, do you wanna’ come along?”
    “Of course,” he said.
    It was a good hour ride, as they neared the manor, Stacey said, “This used to be the forest where the hunting lodge was located. We...they used to hunt deer and boar here.”
    When they reached the manor, it had a stone wall about four feet high around it. On top of the stone wall was a five or six foot wrought