A Casualty of the Heart by Rachel Kelley Stones

Author:Rachel Kelley Stones
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-01T17:31:09+00:00

Chapter 18

Clare

His shock of red hair, his disarming smile. My mind readily conjured the man who haunted me every hour. One week had passed since arriving in Norfolk, and Patrick still slipped into my consciousness as easily as the wind now cut through my thin layers of clothing. When I visited tenants, I thought of him surrounded by young girls at the orphanage. In the garden, clipping flowers for a bouquet, the memory of our last meeting in London replayed in my mind. I couldn’t even escape the thought of him in church. He had conquered my heart, and my sanity and happiness were the casualties of his campaign.

Mud caked my boots and the hem of my dress, slowing my tromp through the field. Rain had trapped me indoors over the last few days. Susie was pleasant company, but desperation drove me outdoors today, despite the dismal conditions. I breathed in a lungful of damp, earth-tinted air. I wished for an escape from the reality of my situation, but even my books could not distract me enough to eradicate him from my thoughts.Being outside helped my mood, if only infinitesimally.

I crossed through a copse of trees and onto a deeply rutted path. The narrow way, tight for a large carriage, connected most of the surrounding homes. A sea-scented fog hovered over the route, disguising the frigid pockets of rainwater. Whatever mud the water washed away from my boots only compounded again moments later. It seemed fitting. A sliver of relief from the agonizing pain of love only made the knife of its anguish twist deeper when the memory returned. I let a lone tear ease from the corner of my right eye before I choked back the hard knot in my throat.

The muffled and steady patter of hoofbeats interrupted my spiral into oblivion. I lifted my skirts and stumbled over the divots to stand beside the path. With the shadows of this day, I did not want to risk going unseen by whatever rider came my way. I continued my walk through the long grasses, wetting my dress clear up to my knees. I waited, anticipating the rider to pass me by. Instead, the horse slowed as it approached me from behind.

I glanced back. As if summoned by my thoughts, Patrick Milton pulled on the reins of his mount.

I muttered an unladylike word under my breath in frustration. Why? Why could I not suffer in peace? Patrick had not been back to Norfolk in years. I stopped and eyed him warily. I wanted to fling myself into his arms and beg him to ask me to marry him. The only problem is I would accept him. I would accept a marriage based on friendship in my desperation, and then when a month or two passed, and friendship was all Patrick was willing to invest into our marriage, I would suffer all the more.

“No hello?” Patrick asked. He swung off his horse and landed in a puddle, sending a spray of mud and water into the air.

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