“Well, maybe someday we will. Shall I read on?”
“Yes, I shall try to remain quiet.”
The nights are warm, so warm that you can hear insects moving about all night. I haven’t slept deeply since arriving, but we nap in the afternoons when the heat is at its fiercest.
Edward and I speak of you often, hoping you’re doing well. We shall be gone for another two months, and then I shall be more than ready to come home. Your Christmas gifts this year will all be quite exotic. Lizzy, maybe you would like a huge beetle of your own.
Love to both of you. Take care and God bless.
Warmly,
Henry
“How wonderful,” Lizzy said, her voice dreamy.
Morland set the letter aside and slipped his arms around her.
“It was wonderful,” he agreed. “But I can’t say that I would switch England right now for Africa.”
Lizzy snuggled against him and kissed his neck and chin.
“Why is that?”
Morland’s eyes lit with little flames.
“I’ll give you a hint,” he said before his lips found hers. Lizzy had all she could do not to giggle, but her husband was right. His hint gave away the answer.
Pembroke
Alexander Tate had misplaced his wife of two months. He was certain she would be enjoying breakfast by now, but she was nowhere downstairs.
He glanced into the room they shared, Aunt Harriet’s old room, but didn’t see her. A thorough search of the upstairs did not unearth her, and Tate was headed back down the stairs when he remembered.
“I had a feeling I would find you here,” Tate said, having finally gained the second-story porch from their bedroom. He hadn’t checked earlier because the days had cooled considerably.
“I did warn you,” Cassandra said with a smile, “that I would want to live out here.”
“Yes, you did.” Tate put his hands on the arms of her chair and bent to give her a lingering kiss.
“Are you not cold?”
“Not anymore.”
Tate took a seat nearby.
“What’s this?” Cassandra asked, seeing the paper in his hand.
“A letter from Ellenborough. A bill actually.”
“Well worth it, I would imagine.”
“Yes. Pierrepont is behind bars, and we recover a little more property all the time.”
“How did he ever imagine he would get away with such a scheme?”
“I don’t know. I tried to speak to him, but he wouldn’t see me.”
Cassandra remembered that. At the time, Tate said that his business manager had probably hated him for years. It made them both very sad.
“Would you like to go riding with me today?” Tate invited.
Cassandra looked at him.
“Do you think you should?”
“Yes.”
“What brought this about?”
“I finally feel that it’s time. I haven’t been afraid really, just not willing to risk it again.”
“So why now?”
Tate studied her. “I don’t know, except that I want to do everything with you. I don’t want to have a part of our life that you have to enjoy without me while I stand on the side and watch.”
“Will you mind, Tate, if we go very slowly?”
“Who’s worrying now?”
“I am.”
Tate kissed her again.
“We won’t move above a walk. We’ll just ride along on this sunny, cool morning, knowing we have all the time in the world.”
Cassandra liked the sound of that. She leaned and kissed him and then pulled back, getting ready to stand.
“Shall I go and dress now? Would you like to leave right away?”
Tate was already pulling her back to him, his arms possessive and strong.
“Later,” he said softly. “Remember, we have all the time in the world.”
About the Author
LORI WICK is a multifaceted author of Christian fiction.
As comfortable writing period stories as she is penning
contemporary works, Lori’s books (6 million in print)
very widely in location and time period.
Lori’s faithful fans consistentely put her series and
stand-alone works on the bestseller lists.
Lori and her husband, Bob, live with their
swiftly growing family in the Midwest.
To read about other Lori Wick novels,
visit www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Books by Lori Wick
A Place Called Home Series
A Place Called Home
A Song for Silas
The Long Road Home
A Gathering of Memories
The Californians
Whatever Tomorrow Brings
As Time Goes By
Sean Donovan
Donovan’s Daughter
Kensington Chronicles
The Hawk and the Jewel
Wings of the Morning
Who Brings Forth the Wind
The Knight and the Dove
Rocky Mountain Memories
Where the Wild Rose Blooms
Whispers of Moonlight
To Know Her by Name
Promise Me Tomorrow
The Yellow Rose Trilogy
Every Little Thing About You
A Texas Sky
City Girl
English Garden Series
The Proposal
The Rescue
The Visitor
The Pursuit
The Tucker Mills Trilogy
Moonlight on the Millpond
Just Above a Whisper
Leave a Candle Burning
Big Sky Dreams
Cassidy
Sabrina
Jessie
Contemporary Fiction
Sophie’s Heart
Pretense
The Princess
Bamboo & Lace
Every Storm
White Chocolate Moments
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
The English Garden Collingbourne Families
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Epilogue
About the Author
Books by Lori Wick