The Earl She Left Behind (The Noble Hearts Series; Common Elements #1) by Anna St. Claire

Author:Anna St. Claire [Claire, Anna St.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Christian Romance Fiction, The Noble Hearts Series; Common Elements, Historical Romance, Women's Fiction, Victorian Era, 19th Century, Forever Love, Bachelor, Single Woman, Love Possibility, Hearts Desire, Clean & Wholesome, Christian Stories, Faith Based, Inspirational Reads, Love Inspired, Life-Changes, Second Chance Reunion, Honesty & Trust, Home & Family, Lifetime Love, Romantic Schemes, Love-Family & Forever, Action & Adventure, Small Town & Rural Area, Beautiful & Feisty
Publisher: Anna St. Claire
Published: 2020-01-21T05:00:00+00:00

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Max was happy to see Meg looking more herself. She was still bruised, but the bruises had yellowed, and some had faded. The small cuts had healed, and her cheeks were once again rosy, drawing attention to her plump lips. He shook his head slightly, needing to clear it of these thoughts. He was here to help her, not take advantage of her. The brisk air may have had a bit to do with it. He was leery of what they might find, but with Mr. Nizal’s men blanketing the area, he felt better. He and Harlow had traversed his own lands, and neither of them had come upon men they would have recognized as undercover runners—at least, not until they came in to eat; even then, they raised no suspicions. They took food to his hunting cabin and left it for the men. Only key members of his household knew of them. The less they knew, the better. He had to protect Meg.

The short distance to her home gave him a few moments to relax and contemplate things. What if Meg was right about her uncle and her parents’ deaths? How could he determine that? There would have had to be witnesses. There was a mountain of circumstantial evidence that surrounded it; he could see why she had concluded what she had, but without direct evidence, it would not hold up against a peer.

Max glanced over at Meg. Her face was nearly pressed to the glass of her family’s parlor window, staring outside. He could not imagine the thoughts going through her head. How did he get here? The last person he had expected to see when he returned home was Meg, and despite his best efforts, her presence had awakened the feelings he had worked to hide. Could there be a future for him and Meg? He had not thought it possible. He wondered.

The discussion about her mother’s ghost gave him a bit of pause. Max had never liked ghost stories as a child and preferred to deal with what and whom he could see. Meg believed, so he would keep an open mind. So many people over the past years had claimed to have seen the ghost—even in the daytime—there could be something to it. His mother’s attitude toward the possibility of a ghost startled him. She was very matter-of-fact, not easily scared at all.

“Please stay close to me,” he whispered tenderly. He wondered when he had dismissed his own caution regarding Meg. Perhaps it was the moment he had heard about the baby. They had once spoken of having children together—so much so, he could still summon his mind’s image of what their babies might look like—a blonde girl and a dark-headed boy, both with green eyes like their mother. To find out she had lost a baby girl, both broke his heart and angered him at the same time. A child of Meg’s had died. He could not imagine the callous disregard she had endured.

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