The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley

Author:Lucinda Riley [Riley, Lucinda]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, azw3
Tags: Romance, Contemporary, Historical
ISBN: 9781451655780
Amazon: 664186ab-8e7a-40dc-ae90-732411c20f82
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2010-09-03T07:00:00+00:00

‘I spoke to Elsie today,’ said Julia over supper a couple of weeks later, ‘and she announced that now I’m living at Wharton Park, she’d like very much to visit us. She suggested this coming weekend. Would you mind if she stayed for a couple of nights?’

‘Of course not,’ Kit was quick to reply, ‘you don’t need to ask. This is your home too. Actually, I’ve been asked to play cricket for the village team this weekend, so that’ll keep me out of your hair on Saturday, at least.’

Julia could see Kit was pleased about the cricket invitation. ‘I’d also like to ask Alicia and her family over for Sunday lunch. They haven’t seen Elsie for years.’

‘Good idea,’ agreed Kit. ‘And, actually, if Elsie’s up to divulging the rest of her tale from the past, it’ll be evocative listening to it here. Living in the house makes it even more fascinating to find out what my relatives got up to in days gone by,’ he added.

After supper they went to sit outside on the terrace, in Julia’s favourite corner spot. The old metal furniture set was rusty, but proved that someone before her had also decided this was the best and most sheltered vantage-point from which to view the park.

‘What a glorious evening,’ Kit breathed, enjoying the warm night air. ‘I’ve spent most of my adult life trying to find new vistas to enjoy. Yet here I am, sitting on a terrace that’s part of my roots, thinking there really can’t be a more beautiful spot in the world. I’ve finally stopped running. And I’m happy. I love it here with you. Thank you, sweetheart, for helping me stop.’

‘Kit, as you say often enough to me, it’s you that’s made the decision.’ Julia took a sip of the vintage Armagnac Kit had found on a dusty rack in the cellar. ‘Actually, I wanted to … discuss something with you.’

He frowned and looked at her. ‘Sounds serious. Is it?’

‘I need to go back to France,’ Julia replied quietly.

There was a silence as Kit digested this information. ‘Right. I knew you’d have to go at some point.’

‘I don’t want to,’ she sighed, ‘but I have things I need to do there. And, if I’m going to resolve the past and finally put it where it belongs, I must go back.’

‘Yes,’ Kit replied. ‘Do you want me to come with you?’

‘No. I think it’s something I have to do alone. Besides, I know how busy you’re going to be here in the next few weeks, what with the harvest.’

‘Yes, I will be.’ Kit raised his eyebrows. ‘Never thought for a second I’d be learning to drive a combine, but it’s all hands to the pump, we’re so short-staffed. How long will you be away?’

Julia shrugged. ‘I really don’t know. For as long as it takes to do what I need to, and make some decisions.’

‘Yes.’ Kit was quiet for a while as he stared out into the blackness, then he reached for her hand.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.