Beyond the Distant Hills (The Distant Series Book 2) by Annemarie Brear

Author:Annemarie Brear [Brear, Annemarie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: AnneMarie Brear
Published: 2021-09-30T23:00:00+00:00

‘Happy birthday, Mama,’ Bridget crowed, coming into Ellen’s bedroom to wake her up. She carried Lily who smiled showing her little teeth.

‘Thank you, my darling.’ Ellen sat up and kissed them both.

‘Moira is making you a special breakfast.’ Bridget dumped Lily on Ellen’s lap. ‘I have to go and help. Papa is out picking flowers for you.’ She slapped a hand over her mouth. ‘That was meant to be a surprise.’

‘I’ll act surprised.’ Ellen grinned, kissing Lily’s cheeks and tickling her stomach.

Left alone, Ellen rose and dressed as Lily stumbled around the bedroom learning to walk with the aid of the furniture.

She chose a pink and cream striped dress with cream lace at the throat and cuffs. She brushed out her hair and rolled it, holding it in place with combs.

‘You’re up!’ Alistair came into the bedroom. He gathered Lily into his arms. ‘Happy birthday, my dearest.’

‘Thank you.’ She accepted his kiss. ‘I’m hungry!’

‘Breakfast awaits. How does it feel to be thirty-one?’

‘The same as thirty, thankfully!’

In the dining room, flowers adorned every surface in various vases and jugs. It looked like a flower garden brought inside.

‘Oh, it looks incredible.’ Ellen gasped, the scent of roses and other flowers filled the room.

‘I don’t think you have any flowers left in the gardens though. Riona and I went a bit mad,’ Alistair confessed. ‘Mr Fenton says it’ll be fine and encourage new buds so do not worry.’

‘Thank you.’ Her smile encompassed Riona and Bridget as well.

‘What shall we do today? Your choice naturally.’ Alistair filled her plate with bacon and eggs and then his own.

‘I’m not sure. It’s already hot,’ Ellen replied, spooning boiled eggs into Lily’s mouth.

‘A swim!’ Bridget suggested from the sideboard where she filled her plate.

‘You swam yesterday,’ Riona reminded her, pouring a cup of tea. ‘It’s not your choice.’

Ellen greeted Miss Lewis who was last at the table.

‘Many happy returns of the day, Mrs Emmerson,’ Miss Lewis said, taking a seat next to Lily’s highchair.

‘Well,’ Alistair prompted, ‘what do you wish to do?’

Before Ellen could answer, Moira sailed in with a bunch of wildflowers. ‘This is from Mr Thwaite, Ellen.’

‘Oh, that is lovely of him.’

‘He respects you greatly,’ Alistair said.

‘He’s gone into the village to collect any mail from the morning coach when it arrives,’ Moira told them as she tidied the sideboard of empty plates.

Ellen ate some of her breakfast. ‘Perhaps we could walk along the river this morning and later.’ She glanced at Alistair. ‘I’d like to go Louisburgh.’

‘Pardon? Louisburgh?’ He frowned. ‘You are becoming obsessed with that property.’

‘I want to see the improvements on it. I’ve not visited for a month.’ The Goulburn property had soon become her favourite place to be despite lacking the refinements of Emmerson Park. It was raw and unsophisticated, missing the basic comforts, and yet she adored being there.

Perhaps it was the lack of any society nearby. The Goulburn settlement was an hour’s ride away from Louisburgh. She knew no one in Goulburn and didn’t plan to. She liked the space and the freedom of the wide-open plains.

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