A British Governess in America
Page 19
“Adam has decided to stay in the loft over the smithy shop,” Patterson declared. “He’s fifteen and enjoys working with Hawk, so it’s a good fit.”
Eleanor’s eyes smarted with tears. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to let him be on his own?”
“Now that the war’s drawn to a close and there’s no chance of him running off to join a battle, I have no problem with it. Hawk will keep an eye on him, while allowing him to become a man.”
“We have been through so much together, though, I hate to see him leave home.” Eleanor cuddled her baby, stroking his cheek to encourage him to suckle at her breast.
Patterson cradled them for a moment, then captured Eleanor’s lips. “We’ll have more children, never fear. And in a few short years, Adam may find a woman to marry and start his own family. We will have done our job.”
“Yes, if he becomes an upstanding citizen, we have done an admirable job of raising him, but still, we share an unbreakable bond.” Eleanor wiped her eyes. “He saved me more than once.”
Patterson’s lips met hers again. “No, darling, you saved yourself. And my children. You were always strong. You just didn’t know it.”
Eleanor leaned back into his embrace. He was right. She’d embarked on this journey a frightened, timid, soul, but in a few short months, she grew into someone fearless. From the moment she and Adam successfully disposed of Billy Buford’s body, she’d gained momentum. Things would never be the same again in her life, and she couldn’t be more pleased with her new life trajectory.
If she’d stayed in England, she would have gone from one family to another as her charges grew to the stage where they no longer needed her. She would have loved the children as if they were her own, but she would never have experienced raising them to adulthood. Despite his foreboding, and his nervousness when she’d first become pregnant with Faith, Patterson had provided her with her own children, as well as allowing her to love and raise his children with Margaret as her own. Adam may be at the point where he no longer needed her, but he’d always be a part of her life. Just because things had dramatically changed in her life, it didn’t mean they couldn’t be good. Better than good, actually. Sometimes, love was enough.
About the Author
Amazon best-selling author Becky Lower has traveled the United States in search of great settings for her novels. She loves to write about two people finding each other and falling in love amid the backdrop of a great historical setting. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s Happy Ever After section on nine separate occasions. Becky loves to hear from her readers at beckylowerauthor@gmail.com. Visit her website at www.beckylowerauthor.com.