She’d drudged througheach day for the next fortnight. What had been her haunted haven was now just a cottage. No new words appeared in the diary and nothing creaked open when she needed it. The only vestige of Orinda that remained were thedreams, and they had turned frustrating, never allowing her any satisfaction even in sleep.
And Noah had not returned. He’d sent friends to escort her to Silver Meadows, which made the cold ride even colder. She constantly fought tears and she missed him terribly, the cottage now a reminder of the joy she’d shared with him.
Today, she had planned to tell Lady Northwick she would move to the school since there was nothing left for her at Brambling Cottage.
But last night changed everything. She was going to find Noah.
After buttoning her blue spencer, she tied on her hat then pulled on her gloves. She looked out the window, waiting for the strange man who was saddling her horse to finish. Her heart raced, and a feeling of dread filled her.
Her dreams changed last night. Noah lay in her bed, not moving, barely breathing. She’d held his cold hand, desperately trying to encourage him to live, but the physician shook his head. She held out hope as Noah squeezed her hand, but then Orinda, floating nearby, held her hand out to him and he took it.
His hand went limp in hers and her heart broke apart, waking her up to find herself crying. In that moment, she knew. She loved Noah and she had to see him, to tell him, and convince him to live. She didn’t doubt her dream. She just hoped it was a warning of what might be and was not what had already occurred.
Finally, the man came out from the stables, and she left the cottage.
“Good morning, my lady. I’ve come to escort you to Silver Meadows.” The gray-haired man had to be as old as her grandmother before she died.
“I’m not going to Silver Meadows today. Would you be so good as to escort me to Noah Kingman’s house?”
The man lifted his cap and scratched his head. “Well, I don’t know about that, my lady. I had very particular instructions. I don’t think Mr. Kingman would be happy with me.”
She wanted to rail at the man that Mr. Kingman was not in any condition to be unhappy with him, but she bit her tongue. Every moment that was wasted could be better spent caring for Noah. “Then if you would be so kind as to help me mount.”
“Yes, my lady.”
The man gave her a lift, and she settled in her sidesaddle. “Now, if I’m not mistaken, Mr. Kingman’s house is down that path, correct?” She pointed to the narrow, wooded path opposite her gate. Only Noah took that path while all her escorts had come by the road.
The old man frowned. “I don’t rightly know, my lady.”
Frustrated and not a little peeved at the man constantly referring to her as “my lady,” she simply nodded. “I do believe that’s the way. Let us find out.” Without another word, she set her horse in that direction. Once on the path, she could see it was well worn and urged her horse on faster, not knowing or caring where her escort was.
The ride through the dark wood was not long, but she had a bit of a chill by the time she emerged onto a great lawn on the side of a house the size of her late husband’s. Could this be where Noah labored? No doubt her errand would be looked upon as odd by whichever lord owned the place, but she no longer cared.
Though it was very early, she rode up to the front steps and managed to dismount onto the middle one. Quickly, she tied her horse’s reins around a concrete knob at the bottom, picked up her skirts, and ascended the five steps. She knocked on the door. If Noah used the path to this estate, then someone was bound to know where he was. She heard a male voice before the door opened.
A young man who looked very much like Noah stood there gaping at her, his skin growing disturbingly pale. But he wasn’t Noah, as he was a bit shorter, thinner, his hair lighter, and his eyes were hazel.
“I’m looking for Mr. Noah Kingman. Could you tell me where he is? I believe he lives nearby?”
“Orinda?” The man’s voice came out in a choked whisper.
Wanting to stamp her foot in frustration, she settled for tapping it. “No, I’m not Orinda. I’m Lady Juliet Finch.” She used her aunt’s name, wanting the man to know she was a neighbor. “Now can you help me?”
“Who is it, Jacob?”
At the sound of Noah’s voice, her heart leapt. She brushed by the stunned man and crossed into what was a large parlor. At the other end, striding toward her through an archway was Noah.
Tears of relief filled her eyes as she ran to him. She grasped him about the waist, manners be damned. This was the man she loved, and he was alive!
*
Noah wrapped hisarms around Juliet. No matter how hurt he was, he couldn’t resist. His younger brother closed the door and arched a brow at him. He lifted his shoulders. He had no idea why Juliet was at Royalwood or why she was crying. As much as he didn’t want to care, his heart squeezed at her need for him.
Moving his hands up to her shoulders, he gently pushed her back to look at her. “Why have you come here?”
She sniffed. “I was so worried, I couldn’t arrive fast enough.”
“Would you like to sit and explain?”
