A Journey to Love by Emily Murdoch

Author:Emily Murdoch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Emily Murdoch

* * *

This woman was unlike any other he had ever met. Jonathan stared at her; she was keeping her eyes resolutely dry, and she tightened her grip on his hand before releasing it, turning back to the map with a sniff.

“Of course, there are many other places in the area to search – I have often wondered whether a tour of the area would be quicker, rather than sending letters that could easily be mislaid. Indeed, I am considering . . .”

Jonathan watched her babble nervously, and something in his heart twisted painfully. Elizabeth Morrison was perhaps entirely unique, and so much so that she was completely alone.

“. . . but that of course is assuming that she is not moving around herself,” she was saying, “which I suppose would make much of the map pointless. But then, if she were married, she would perhaps want to remain where – ”

“Elizabeth.”

She started and looked up at him, so engrossed in her world. “Yes?”

Jonathan scratched at his beard, attempting to draw attention to it without saying anything, and blushed. Was he a schoolyard boy of twelve? He leaned back in his chair. “You search for your sister, and it is to your credit – but you cannot forget your own life. You are building one here, in Sweet Grove, and . . . well, you should give your own life just as much care and attention as that of your sister’s. I think that you would be happier.”

He looked at her and tried not to notice the tear welling in one eye. He coughed. “Now. It is winter.”

A heavy clump of snow fell from the window, and she giggled, the tear brushed away in a smooth movement that he pretended not to notice.

“Now, the snow probably will not settle -- it never does -- but there is not going to be nearly so much to do now that winter is here. I was thinking that . . .” Why was he hesitating? She was looking at him with such concentration, so willing to listen, that it almost put him off his train of thoughts. He had been sure that she could mention the beard, his hair, his general appearance, and was that now disappointment seeping through his heart that she had not? Had she even noticed? “I thought perhaps that you could take this time to learn. About apple lore. About how to run an orchard. And I could teach you.”

There. He had said it. It had ruminated around his mind for so long now – or was it just these last few days? – that it felt strange to be released.

Her gown rustled as she turned to him. “Learn. From you?”

He nodded. Why on earth had he opened his mouth; there was no chance that she would want to –

“I would love to,” breathed Elizabeth, her face breaking into a smile with such warmth in it that Jonathan could feel the remaining snow in his hair melting. “When do we start? Tonight?”

They did indeed start that night, and every night that followed.

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