Once Upon a Rose by Nora Roberts

Author:Nora Roberts
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, Inc.
Published: 2001-11-07T23:00:00+00:00

Alexa set another stone in place along the top of the wall, then stood back to admire her handiwork. It felt good to be out in the sunlight doing hard physical work. She’d lost track of how long she’d been toiling in this place. At first she had taken on this task as her punishment for living when those she’d loved had been less fortunate. Then, as the work progressed, she had embraced this as her payment to the good sisters, who had nursed so many tormented souls through the suffering caused by this terrible war. Now she had taken a vow, which she’d written on parchment. It had been witnessed by old Father Lazarus. She would remain here, tilling, planting, trimming, until the garden had been completely restored to its former beauty.

The first plot she’d restored was an herb garden, since the sisters had need of herbs for the treatment of so many ills. She tugged at the weeds and loosened the soil around the shallow rows of agrimony, aloe, wood anemone, and angelica. A second flower bed held lady’s mantle, lavender, and myrtle.

She worked slowly, methodically, weeding and working the soil as the sun climbed high overhead.

There was something magical about this place. When she worked here, the fears that plagued her throughout the night were dispelled. The sounds of her loved ones’ voices, calling to her to come to their aid, were silenced. The pain of her loss seemed to melt away. If she could, she would work here day and night, just to avoid the demons that stalked her in sleep.

She paused a moment to catch her breath. As she did she realized she wasn’t alone. She turned to see a hunched figure wrapped all in fur, seated on a chaise.

A warrior. She’d heard the whispers. It was impossible not to hear all the things being said about the one they called the laird of all lairds. But Alexa had no curiosity about this Highlander. To her he was just another warrior, trained to kill.

She felt the trembling begin in her legs, and knew that just thinking about war had brought back the fears. She slumped down in the dirt and waited until the weakness subsided. Then she returned her attention to the task at hand, blotting out every other distraction.

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