Roses in Red Wax (The Darnalay Castle Series Book 1) by Louise Mayberry

Author:Louise Mayberry [Mayberry, Louise]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Louise Mayberry
Published: 2023-03-02T18:30:00+00:00

Fifteen

Grislow Park. 1st May, 1820

MY DEAREST JANE,

They dance the maypole in the village today. My mother adores the custom, and any other year, she would be out in the sunshine with flowers in her hair, and she would insist I come with her, which I would pretend to be loath to do. But instead, we remain cloistered in this depressive house where black mourning and gloom abide. Forgive me for waiting so long to write. I hope you do not interpret my silence as apathy, or begin to think my devotion to you diminished. You are constantly in my thoughts, and my memories of all we shared during our brief time together have sustained me through the interminable weeks since we said goodbye. In truth, I’ve been holding out hope that I might receive a letter from you, and that my first to you would be in reply. But no letter has arrived, and I can wait no more.

I have been constantly preoccupied since my arrival a month ago, first by the funeral arrangements and the hosting of relatives, then the settlement of Father’s will. Anyone who ever called him friend has come to call, and I couldn’t leave my mother and sister to receive them alone, so I’ve endured hours of tedious conversation, drunk gallons of tea, and eaten a hundred pieces of cake in solidarity with them. Mother’s grief is overwhelming. She loved him, more than I ever understood while he lived. I miss him too, Jane, though I never would have thought it possible that it be so. My father was a man of remarkable abilities. I see that now, and I regret that I did not take the initiative to know him better while he lived, or to learn from him how I might bear the great responsibility that has been laid upon me as his heir. I’m certain I don’t have the ability to do half of what he did, but for now, I am pretending for the sake of my mother. In my heart, I simply want to run far away. To you, my Jane. I have visions of escape from this sad house, of rescuing you from that foul city and fleeing together to some Mediterranean clime where we would eat oranges on the shore and then swim together, laughing in the warm sea. Alas, that is not to be, at least not today.

I have an appointment tomorrow to view a house that I hope will prove perfect for you. I won’t say more about it as I don’t want either of us to have inflated hopes, but I will write to you again if it proves to be so. In addition, I’ve given my solicitors instructions for a contract and will have it sent to you as soon as it’s finished. I endured many raised brows and pointed questions when I explained the nature of the document. My man of business could not understand why I would want him to write something so unfavorable to my own interests, but I insisted, and so it shall be.

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