SHADOWS OF THE HEART by Patty G. Henderson

Author:Patty G. Henderson [Henderson, Patty G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blanca Rosa Publishing
Published: 2014-09-17T00:00:00+00:00

Knocking. Again. This time, I opened my eyes with alarm. Lenore lay quietly beside me, wrapped tight in my arms, her mass of golden hair spilling over me. Lovemaking. I remembered. I smiled while quietly disengaging from the frail arms of my Lenore. It had been real. Not a dream. But someone was knocking and calling out for Lenore outside the chamber door. Good thing I had locked it after all before Lenore and I had made passionate love.

“Lady Blackstone? Miss Stewart?” It was Betsy. Again.

Lenore stirred from sleep and looked at me, her blue eyes wide with confusion. I put a finger to my lips and smiled.

“Shh. I’ll take care of Betsy. Dress quickly, love.”

I called out as I picked up the scattered slip and dress from the floor and began to awkwardly button myself as I moved to the door.

“I’ll be right there, Betsy.” I said loud enough so she heard.

I ran to Lenore, my back to her. “Button me, my darling. Hurry.”

When she finished the last button, I turned around and placed a quick kiss upon her lips so soft. “I love you furiously.” I held her for a few seconds longer. “Now, go grab a cloth and put it upon your brow and sit down deep into your chair in your chamber. And don’t say a word. You’ve had a horrid headache and I’ve been…ministering to you.” I couldn’t suppress the smile and a wink.

My poor, sweet Lenore was flustered and a bit frightened, I could tell, but did exactly what I told her to do. I smoothed out one of the many creases in my dress and opened the door.

Betsy stood wringing her hands, a harried look in her eyes.

“Pardon me, Miss, but the Dowager Blackstone is downstairs raising a storm, she is, wondering why no one ever meets her at the door besides the butler.”

“I was tending to Lady Blackstone’s headache this morning and heard nothing.” A white lie like that would surely hurt no one.

Betsy barely cast a look at Lenore who was definitely playing the part.

“The Dowager, Miss, she doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

“Fine, Betsy,” I said, “Go back down and inform the Dowager that Lady Blackstone will be right down.”

I watched her scamper away. With Betsy gone, I wondered what the old woman could possibly want so early in the morning. What if there was an emergency? No, Victoria would have come galloping down on her horse. But what if Victoria was the emergency?

Lenore had removed the rag from her forehead and gotten up.

“Darling, your mother-in-law is downstairs.” I wrapped her into my arms tight. She was such a perfect fit.

“Good heavens, Annalee, what could she want?”

“I haven’t the foggiest, but you’d best get presentable and hurry downstairs or she will come up here to fetch you.”

Before taking off to her bedroom, she kissed me sweetly, softly and took a nibble of my ear. Was it all a dream? I was still dreaming. That was it. I smiled broadly, hardly able to understand the complete joy and light filling my very being.

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