What the False Heart Doth Know by Elizabeth Ellen Carter

Author:Elizabeth Ellen Carter [Carter, Elizabeth Ellen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2023-12-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

“Let every man be master of his time.”

Sapphira picked up the note. “Who is this from?”

Alice set out a dress for dinner. “I don’t know, my lady. I found it slipped under your door.”

Sapphira unfolded it and recognized the handwriting immediately. She had a small chest full of notes and letters from this hand, tied together with a blue velvet ribbon.

“What does he say?”

Sapphira turned to Alice. “You mean you haven’t read it?”

The maid returned a look of disdain.

“I wouldn’t do anything like that. Besides, there was no need to, I knew it would be from him. Here, let me pretend to be one of those witches in Macbeth and tell the future…”

Alice closed her eyes and put three fingers to her forehead. “Mmm… He wants to meet you tonight to pledge his undying love.”

Sapphira pulled a face and returned to the note. Her eyes fell on the words. The paper shook in her hands.

“You may go,” she said. “Attend to the girls.”

The maid sobered. “I’m so sorry, miss, I was joking. I didn’t mean to cause offense.”

Sapphira shook her head. “None taken. Just leave me be.”

Alone, she unfolded the note.

My dearest Sapphira,

Seeing you today has only reinforced what, in my heart, I already knew. I still love you. I’ve never stopped loving you.

So much has occurred since our parting, and I beg a moment of your time, alone, to learn if your heart has so much changed from six months ago.

If it has, then so be it. My life will have been the richer for once having your love and so much the poorer for having lost it. But be at liberty to burn this note, and I shall say nothing more to cause you discomfort.

But dare I hope for Love and its precious twin, Trust?

Should there be reason to hope, I beg you to give me some small sign.

The death of my father has changed my course and fate has led me to your door. I stand at a crossroads and only you can give the direction.

My love and my heart always,

Anthony.

The note shook in her hand. She lowered it to the dressing table and stared back at her reflection, pale and wide-eyed. All the scars on her heart which had begun to heal were ripped open once more.

Of course, she loved him. But hope once extinguished was not so easily rekindled.

She took in a steadying breath and read his words once more.

The surprise of his arrival at Greybridge Castle was no less shocking for her as it was for him. Still, he was a man engaged to another, although in the brief time she had seen him and Lady Elizabeth together there had been no obvious signs of affection between them.

What to do? What to do…

The cheery cracking fire beckoned. It would be so easy to toss the note in the fire and pretend its contents never existed. Their party would be gone within a week or two, and she would be back where she was before soon enough.

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