Lady of the Rose Read Online Free PDF

care
of Father while the rest of the family traipses off to Oxford for
your wedding.”
    Lucas looked quietly at his sister
and shook his head. “My wedding will not be in Oxford, Harriet. It
will be here, and Violet and I will be returning after the
honeymoon. To stay,” he added, unnecessarily.
    She stared blankly at him. She had
heard the words but did not dare to believe them. Lucas had always
been the irresponsible one, in spite of being the only male
Davenport child. After all, he had run off to university the first
chance he got and never come back. And now, he was saying that he
and his new bride were moving to Thornwood Park to stay?
    “Harry,” Lucas hesitated for just a
moment before grabbing both her hands and holding them in his own.
“I know this does not change anything, but I honestly did not know
how hard it has been for you these past months. Mother and Margaret
were always vague but upbeat in their letters; yours were fewer and
farther between. When Violet found out about Father, she asked me
to cancel the honeymoon altogether, so that I could take away the
burden you've been under immediately. Mother talked her out of
that,” he said, smirking. “Still, I plan to make certain everything
is in order before the wedding. I promise, Harry, I will not let
you down.”
    He looked so earnest, eyes staring
directly into her without guile. Harriet felt tears forming, and
she blinked them back, but she did not stop herself from being
pulled into her brother's embrace.
    When she spoke, it was in a quiet,
slightly choked voice. “I have missed you, Lucas.”
    “Please do not become sentimental,
Harry. It doesn't suit you.”
    She laughed and pulled away from
him, wiping her eyes.
    “Now, come, Violet wants to meet
you. I've told her all about you.” Lucas smiled mischievously, and
Harriet guessed that not all his stories were strictly flattering
to her.
    “Wonderful,” she
murmured.
    ~~~
    Harriet could not remember a time
when her sister looked so happy. She was still pale and thin, but
there was such joy in her eyes that it warmed Harriet's
heart.
    “You have truly reconciled?”
Margaret whispered, tears gathering in the corners of her
eyes.
    “I don't know that I would say
that,” Harriet said, “but we will see. I promised I would come meet
his Violet tomorrow.”
    Margaret's smile widened even
further, stretching the limits of her face. “You have
reconciled.”
    Harriet shook her head. There was no
use arguing with her sister when she was in such a mood. She
honestly didn't know if she was ready to forgive Lucas or not. She
had felt so abandoned, so betrayed when he didn't come home after
her father's illness that it was difficult to let go of those
feelings. She realized with a small shock how much they had been
festering inside her over the past months.
    Patting Margaret's hand, she stood
to leave. “I am going for a ride, my dear, but I will come see you
tonight.”
    Harriet asked the stable lad to
saddle her horse, and she went for a ride to clear her head. She
felt at home on a horse, and normally, nothing made her feel more
completely alive than a ride, but today, she could not stop
thinking about Lucas. He seemed truly different than the last time
she had seen him. She would not allow herself to become too hopeful
- he had disappointed her too many times in the past - but she
allowed for the possibility of change. Perhaps this Violet was a
good influence, she thought. Her revery was broken when a sharp
wind blew across the field, chilling her to the bone. The day,
though it had started out pleasant, was turning dark and cold.
Shivering, she gathered her cloak closer around her and turned back
towards the Hall. A lone rider, unnoticed until she turned around,
was riding swiftly towards her.
    “Oh! Sir Whitney. I wasn't expecting
to meet anyone.” Harriet felt a flush creep up her neck into her
cheeks. She hoped the faded light hid it sufficiently, but she
doubted it once she saw the