By Winter's Light by Laurens Stephanie

Author:Laurens, Stephanie [Laurens, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Historical Romance
ISBN: 9781848453449
Publisher: Mira Books
Published: 2014-10-15T07:00:00+00:00

* * *

High in one of the manor’s towers, on a truckle bed in Melinda Spotwood’s small room, Claire lay on her back beneath the covers and stared, unseeing, into the darkness.

In the narrow bed on the opposite side of the room, Melinda lay on her side, facing the wall.

Claire had been staring upward since she’d slid between the sheets more than an hour ago.

Suddenly, Melinda sighed. Without turning, she asked, “Why aren’t you sleeping? I can almost hear you thinking.”

Claire glanced across through the gloom. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” After a moment, Melinda said, “Is there anything I can do to help—even if all I can do is listen?”

Claire hesitated. There was one thing. “Did you ever think of marrying—of having a family of your own rather than spending your life helping other families?”

“Oh, yes.” Unexpectedly, Melinda’s tone held the warmth of remembered pleasures. “I was engaged once to my own young man. All I thought about was marrying him and raising a family of our own.” Melinda’s voice softened. “We had a lovely two years of courting, and were all set to name the date when Napoleon escaped Elba and he—my love—marched off to war…” Melinda paused, then said, “Sadly, he didn’t come back. After that…I had other offers, but my love lived on in my heart.”

Melinda glanced over her shoulder at Claire. “But you must know how that goes.”

Claire was grateful for the darkness.

Resettling, Melinda went on, “The important thing was that, despite mourning what I didn’t get to have—a life with my love—I did have that love. I knew what it was like to love and be loved, and to have that hope that somehow shines from within and lifts you up, and to experience the delight of looking forward to a much-desired shared future. I had all that, and not even his death could strip that experience away. So the one thing I learned from that time—and that I teach my girls, every last one—is that when happiness offers, take it. Don’t just accept it. Seize it with both hands, because you never know what the future might hold, but you can decide to fill your present—your here and now—with happiness and, if the offer includes it, with love. If you do that and accept what fate sends you, then no matter what happens, you will at least have memories to warm you into your old age, as I do. But if you refuse, and fate later passes you by and you don’t get another chance at happiness and love, what will you have to cling to through the lonely days and nights?”

Claire let the words sink in. After a moment, she murmured, “Thank you.”

Melinda chuckled softly; the covers rustled as she settled deeper in her bed.

Claire continued to stare upward as—inevitably—she replayed her discussion with Daniel in her head. She’d managed to convey to him the gist of her problem—that she didn’t believe enough, didn’t trust enough to marry again. She hoped he’d understood that it wasn’t him she distrusted but herself.

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