Secrets of the Heart by Jillian Kent

Author:Jillian Kent [Jillian Kent]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781616381851
Amazon: B00560GBPM
Barnesnoble: B00560GBPM
Goodreads: 10132245
Publisher: Realms
Published: 2011-05-02T14:00:00+00:00

Once back home Madeline went for a long walk in the gardens and spoke to God. She could make no sense of why the Lord allowed such misery to exist.

“A penny for your thoughts.”

Madeline’s hand flew to her throat as she turned toward her friend. “Oh, Hally. You gave me a fright.”

“Agnes told me you’d gone walking in the gardens.” Hally reached for her friend’s hand and squeezed tight. “You don’t look well, Maddie. I can tell from the circles under your eyes that you are not sleeping.”

Madeline blinked back the tears. “I’m lost, Hally. Mother appears happy with Vale. I do not understand what she sees in him.”

Hally steered her toward a small bench where they sat down. “You are adjusting to your mother’s marriage. It must be so hard for you.”

“Harder than even I imagined,” Madeline said. “I should not be so miserable. My mother is happy. Yet I know Vale is hiding something.” She told Hally everything that had transpired at Ashcroft. “I cannot detect any flagrant sign of evil in him, but neither do I find true compassion. It worries me that Mother could marry someone so skilled at hiding his emotions.”

Hally hugged Madeline to her. “I cannot claim to know how an asylum is to be run, dear Maddie, but I do know that you are full of compassion for all living things. Even the fox that all the farmers hate. Perhaps you need to get away from the asylum now and not return. It only makes you melancholic, and my goal from the beginning was to have you happily ensconced within society once again.”

“It’s not society that I detest, Hally. It’s what they do to each other. So much gossip and slander. You’d think they had nothing more to concern themselves with than the next juicy scandal.”

Hally took Madeline’s hands in her own. “I dare say you are bordering on the brink of a great melancholy. Therefore I plan to distract you with other thoughts if only for a brief while. Did I tell you that Lord Ravensmoore and Mr. Melton are working ridiculously hard? Dr. Langford has them performing surgery or tending the sick night and day. He’s been very demanding ever since Ravensmoore returned late from your adventure to Gretna Green. He has been in touch, has he not?”

“Yes. He’s written me the same things that Mr. Melton has told you.” Madeline fished out her handkerchief and blew her nose. “But that makes no difference. He is unimportant in my life.”

“Have you prayed about this?”

“About what?”

“About your feelings for Ravensmoore?”

“I have no feelings for him. And I do not think God hears my prayers about anything.”

“Rubbish. He hears everyone’s prayers. Perhaps you haven’t been listening to Him. You should take a holiday and get away from Richfield for a while. Why don’t we go somewhere together? Just the two of us.”

Madeline brightened at the prospect. “A holiday? Where?”

“I don’t know. Anywhere. Where would you like to go?”

“The sea. I love the water.” Madeline felt the first burst of hope and the possibility that maybe she would feel better again.

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