Shocked, Adalyn turned to look at him. “Oh goodness, yes. She was responsible for setting up a chain of orphanages that changed the lives of thousands of children…some years ago now, if I remember correctly.”
“Mary Wallace was a Lady of Wolfbridge, Adalyn. She became Lady Dandridge after she left us.”
“And Lady Panthea?”
“She is currently starting small centres in rural areas where doctors can see patients for very little cost.”
The enormity of what Giles was telling her began to sink in, and she shuddered. “These are very big shoes to fill, Giles.”
“You will. But not alone. And you have yet to realise your full potential here at Wolfbridge. I tell you these things only to reassure you that what you are experiencing in relation to our men is perfectly normal.”
She stared blindly at the glass, trying to put her fears, her worries into words.
“I am becoming very attached to all of them, Giles. And that attachment may well lead to intimacies that would shock people to their boots. I don’t want to be the cause of a scandal, nor do I want to ruin the lives of anyone here at Wolfbridge.”
Embarrassing though her confession was, she felt better after voicing it, for it was nothing but the truth. She knew, in her heart, that she would be making love with one or more of her men before too long. She wanted it and they wanted it. Were there barriers to prevent it? Giles would know.
“You’ve been here for a few months now, Adalyn. And yet it seems as if we’ve known you for much longer than that.” He gently put an arm around her, resting his warm hand on her shoulder. “It is customary for me to say this after a full six months, but in your case I can see the time is now.”
“Say what, Giles?”
“There is a letter. More of a directive, really, that is given to the Lady of Wolfbridge after a six month tenure. I’m going to give it to you today, and I believe it will help you settle your thoughts in relation to the men, and also in relation to Wolfbridge.”
“Oh, I would like that,” she turned to him. “Who wrote it?”
“The original Lady Wolfbridge. The one who arranged this whole situation so long ago.”
“My goodness,” Adalyn’s eyes widened. “A woman of great foresight?”
“Indeed.” He looked down at her. “I wish I had known her, for her words still apply today, and I hope they will continue to do so for generations of Wolfbridge mistresses yet to come.”
“What a lovely thought,” Adalyn smiled briefly. “And perhaps it will give me guidance when it comes to dealing with Trick’s situation,” her voice faltered. “Giles, I already know my answer to that, and it’s tearing me apart.”
His arm tightened. “Tell me?”
She leaned against him. “Trick has a piece of my heart, as much as do Evan, Jeremy and Daniel.” She swallowed the lump that had arisen in her throat. “But I have felt that Wolfbridge is eternal. Especially now that you’ve told me what it stands for. I cannot be a good Lady of Wolfbridge if I bargain away some of the estate for one of my men. I just cannot…”
She fought back a choking sob, knowing she was torn between Trick and Wolfbridge, and unable to reconcile her decision with her need to have her men back with her.
“Hush,” soothed Giles. “That is the right and only decision you could make, Adalyn. It is the brave choice of the woman who has just truly earned the title Lady of Wolfbridge.”
His words registered, but she still wept. “I am condemning him, Giles…”
“You are being courageous, my dear. If you were any less, you would be letting everyone down, and failing Wolfbridge. So stand tall, raise your chin andbethe woman we all love and respect.”
Adalyn promised herself she’d try, but she knew it would not be easy. “Will you tell the others?”
“If you wish. They will understand, I know.”
Moving from Giles’s arms, she rubbed her hand over her face and turned to him. “I think I’d like the letter now, if you please.”
He walked away to a corner of the Rose room and reached up to the top of the bookshelf where he retrieved a slim leather-bound volume. Bringing it to her, he opened it to reveal a hollowed out core containing a folded piece of aged parchment. “This is it, Lady Adalyn.” He put it on her desk with care. “When you’re done, if you would re-fold it and put it back in its place? It must be preserved for future use, as you can understand.”
She nodded. “I will.”
He left and she took a seat, her hand trembling slightly as she reached for the note.
Chapter Nineteen
