“No, my lady. I would be happy to see her with her father.”
“I don’t understand,” John replied. His eyes watered. “How can you accept my illegitimate child with such grace and pardon?”
I smiled at him warmly. Now that I knew the truth, I loved him even more. “I told you once that I have much to offer if you will only open your heart and take it.” My eyes searched his. For the first time since we married, I witnessed his resistance to my love fade.
“Ann,” he said, drawing close to me. “I’m sorry for having treated you unkindly.” He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “My loving regard for you has been restrained by fear of rejection because of the secret I held.”
“For Melanie’s sake,” I replied, “let us bring her into our home and give this little girl the life she deserves.” John’s eyes watered as he gazed at me in astonishment.
“Your willingness to embrace Abagail is more than I deserve,” he said. He encircled us with his arms and whispered in my ear. “You have given me a gift of love, and it is love that I give you in return.”
My heart felt as if it would burst upon hearing his words. An unspeakable tragedy had brought us to this moment. I determined then to keep Melanie’s memory alive in Abigail’s heart so that she would not forget her mother.
“Let’s return to Blythe Court,” I said, overcome with emotion.
John smiled. “Can you gather her things, Mrs. Wright?”
“Yes, your lordship. I’m pleased to do so.”
She scurried down the hallway. Abigail reached out for her father, and he took her in his arms again. John’s pride-filled gaze toward his daughter warmed my heart, and I found it endearing how he incessantly kissed her cheeks.
We had lost Melanie, and I felt grief-stricken. There had been times I treated her cruelly in my attempt to win John’s heart. Even my distrust of John throughout our marriage weighed as a grievous offense upon my soul.
In retrospect, I had not won John’s heart by being conniving. In the end, he gave his love to me willingly, and I accepted it with humble gratitude.
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About the Author
With Russian blood on my father’s side and English on my mother’s, I blame my ancestors for the lethal combination in my DNA that influence my stories. Tragedy and drama might be found between the pages, but I eventually give readers a happy ending.
I live in the beautiful, but rainy, Pacific Northwest with a pesky cat who refuses to let me sleep. My hobbies include researching my English ancestry and expanding my family tree.
My usual genre is historical fiction with romantic elements and historical romance set in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. I am an award-winning and best-selling author under another pen name, having written six full-length novels. Visit my website at Vicki Hopkins.
About the Novellas
Thorncroft Manor is first of six planned novellas focused on stately homes, mysterious characters, and suspenseful romance. Whitefield Hall is the second. Blythe Court the third.
In future stories, each heroine will bear the name of one of my English ancestors. I cannot think of a better way to honor my heritage than by remembering women of the past who actually lived during this time period.
Future releases of Romance with a Kiss of Suspense are as follow:
Blackshire Castle
Ravenswood Abbey
Hardwick Tower
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Websites
Official Website – NoraCovington.com
Facebook Page – Nora Covington Facebook
Twitter - @Nora_Covington
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