Her Secret Past with the Viscount by Laura Martin

Author:Laura Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-07-10T19:31:51+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Those first few days, my mood fluctuated between a deep melancholy at the thought of never seeing home again and a mania of the like I’ve never experienced before. For long hours, I would do nothing but sit on the beach, staring at the horizon. Then it was as though something flipped inside me, and I would be driven to jump up and race about the island, gathering food and scouting out the best spots for a shelter.

Sylvia woke surprisingly refreshed as the light filtered through the curtains. After the talk she’d had with Hugh the evening before on the terrace, her thoughts had been in turmoil. She had fled to her bedroom, hoping for some peace before Miss Willis came to join her. Sylvia had expected to lie awake all night, mulling over her words, dwelling on the past and trying to push away maudlin thoughts about the future. Instead she had dropped into a deep, dreamless sleep, undisturbed by Miss Willis when she had returned some time later that evening.

This morning she felt a flicker of hope inside her. This past year, she had fooled herself into thinking she had moved on, but in reality, she had been waiting for this moment. Part of her had yearned for Hugh and what they once had, and without the conversation they’d shared last night, she probably would have gone on dreaming about him forever.

‘Today is a new day, a fresh start,’ she murmured to herself.

Beside her, Miss Willis shifted in bed, her dark hair fanned out across the pillow. Sylvia rose silently, pleased to see the white dress that had been so crumpled and stained the day before draped over the back of a chair in perfect condition, the only sign it had been laundered a slightly damp hem.

She dressed quickly and fixed her hair in a simple style. Then she slipped from the room, leaving Miss Willis to sleep.

Downstairs the servants were beginning to set the table for breakfast, but it looked to be another twenty minutes until they would be ready to bring the food up from the kitchens.

Opting for a little fresh air, Sylvia stepped outside, her feet crunching on the stony path. The sky was clear and blue, and it promised to be another glorious day after the rain of the night before, but the grass was wet, and there was still a chill bite in the air. Sylvia strolled slowly, enjoying the beautiful blooms in the flowerbeds and the sound of birdsong in the air. The house was still quiet, but she could hear a distant clink of metal on metal. At first she assumed it was coming from the stables, but as she turned her head to listen, she realised it was somewhere out in the gardens, beyond the maze.

Curious as to what could be making the noise, she followed the sound, pausing every now and then as the clinks ceased and then resumed. After a couple of minutes, she rounded a hedge and stopped in surprise.

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