Love and Triumph: The Coltrane Saga, Book 8 Read Online Free PDF

you.”
    Marilee felt awkward and she started to rise, but her aunt held up a hand for her to remain seated. “I could come back later, Aunt Jade,” she suggested.
    “Don’t go, please.”
    Marilee sank back onto the divan.
    “The truth is, this is a very emotional time for me,” Jade admitted. “With the world in such turmoil, there’s no telling when, or if, we’ll all ever be together again. So I wanted to give each of you something meaningful, as a symbol of my love for you.”
    She reached into the pouch once more, then held her hand out to Marilee.
    “Oh, my God!” For a moment, Marilee could only stare at the stunning gold, garnet, and ruby pendant, for it was the most exquisite piece she had ever seen. Then she touched it ever so cautiously, as though it might burn her flesh. Incredulous, she whispered, “You’re actually giving this…to me ?”
    “Yes. It was a special gift to me from Nicholas on my wedding day. He had it fashioned by the Imperial Court jeweler, Peter Carl Fabergé. Now it’s yours, as a token of my affection for you, Marilee.”
    Marilee stood to walk around the table and embrace her aunt. She felt deep, abiding gratitude…and guilt for the way she had been regarding the Coltranes.
    “I’ll treasure this forever,” she fervently vowed.
    Suddenly, there was a sharp knock on the door, and Jade frowned, for she’d left word they not be disturbed. “Yes, what is it?” she called irritably.
    The door opened with an apologetic hesitancy. Kit’s head housekeeper, Lowinda, appeared, looking quite agitated herself. “I am sorry, señora ,” she cried, wringing her hands. “I know you requested not to be disturbed, but there is an early guest downstairs who demands to see the señorita at once.” She nodded almost accusingly at Marilee, as though it were her fault this was all happening.
    Marilee blinked, bewildered. “But I’m not expecting anyone. Who—”
    Lowinda sniffed with disdain, still blaming her for the chastisement she was surely to get from her mistress. She walked to where Marilee was standing, held out a small white card with stiff fingers.
    Marilee, completely baffled, took it, then gasped as the name leaped out at her: Herr Rudolf of Hapsburg .

Chapter Five
    In her efforts to give her brother and his bride a wedding that they would never forget, Kit Coltrane Tanner’s imagination had soared to superb heights.
    Kurt Tanner had lovingly gone along with his wife’s every whim and wish, surprising even himself by consenting to her most astonishing request. Large spiders were brought in from China and set free in the trees lining the driveway to the castle. For weeks great webs had been spun, and on the morning of the wedding, workers had been given bags of gold and silver dust and, with bellows, coated the webs. This created a fantastic canopy, aerial and metallic, that billowed in the moving air, quivering and glinting in the morning light.
    Gallons of imported and expensive French perfume had been sprayed into the air so that the entire area was fogged in sweet fragrance.
    The wedding party was taken by carriage from the rear of the castle so they would have full benefit of the startling view that awaited them when they reached the great webbed canopy.
    Travis and Colt, his best man, led the procession, both awed by the wonderland that had been created.
    Then came Jade, riding with Kit, little Joseph, and Natasia in a gold-and-white horse-drawn carriage.
    Jade could only stare in astonishment, while Joseph clapped his hands in delight. Natasia did not understand the beauty nature had created, and merely looked around with wide, almost frightened eyes as she sucked her thumb.
    Marilee rode alone in a small blue carnage, the skirt of her peach-colored silk gown billowing about her on the leather seat. She was only dimly aware of the gold-and silver-dusted webs, did not even notice the overwhelming sweetness of the air, and smiled vaguely, absently, at the strange