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The Visitor

Page 26

by Lori Wick


  “Well, maybe someday we will. Shall I read on?”

  “Yes, I shall try to remain quiet.”

  The nights are warm, so warm that you can hear insects moving about all night. I haven’t slept deeply since arriving, but we nap in the afternoons when the heat is at its fiercest.

  Edward and I speak of you often, hoping you’re doing well. We shall be gone for another two months, and then I shall be more than ready to come home. Your Christmas gifts this year will all be quite exotic. Lizzy, maybe you would like a huge beetle of your own.

  Love to both of you. Take care and God bless.

  Warmly,

  Henry

  “How wonderful,” Lizzy said, her voice dreamy.

  Morland set the letter aside and slipped his arms around her.

  “It was wonderful,” he agreed. “But I can’t say that I would switch England right now for Africa.”

  Lizzy snuggled against him and kissed his neck and chin.

  “Why is that?”

  Morland’s eyes lit with little flames.

  “I’ll give you a hint,” he said before his lips found hers. Lizzy had all she could do not to giggle, but her husband was right. His hint gave away the answer.

  Pembroke

  Alexander Tate had misplaced his wife of two months. He was certain she would be enjoying breakfast by now, but she was nowhere downstairs.

  He glanced into the room they shared, Aunt Harriet’s old room, but didn’t see her. A thorough search of the upstairs did not unearth her, and Tate was headed back down the stairs when he remembered.

  “I had a feeling I would find you here,” Tate said, having finally gained the second-story porch from their bedroom. He hadn’t checked earlier because the days had cooled considerably.

  “I did warn you,” Cassandra said with a smile, “that I would want to live out here.”

  “Yes, you did.” Tate put his hands on the arms of her chair and bent to give her a lingering kiss.

  “Are you not cold?”

  “Not anymore.”

  Tate took a seat nearby.

  “What’s this?” Cassandra asked, seeing the paper in his hand.

  “A letter from Ellenborough. A bill actually.”

  “Well worth it, I would imagine.”

  “Yes. Pierrepont is behind bars, and we recover a little more property all the time.”

  “How did he ever imagine he would get away with such a scheme?”

  “I don’t know. I tried to speak to him, but he wouldn’t see me.”

  Cassandra remembered that. At the time, Tate said that his business manager had probably hated him for years. It made them both very sad.

  “Would you like to go riding with me today?” Tate invited.

  Cassandra looked at him.

  “Do you think you should?”

  “Yes.”

  “What brought this about?”

  “I finally feel that it’s time. I haven’t been afraid really, just not willing to risk it again.”

  “So why now?”

  Tate studied her. “I don’t know, except that I want to do everything with you. I don’t want to have a part of our life that you have to enjoy without me while I stand on the side and watch.”

  “Will you mind, Tate, if we go very slowly?”

  “Who’s worrying now?”

  “I am.”

  Tate kissed her again.

  “We won’t move above a walk. We’ll just ride along on this sunny, cool morning, knowing we have all the time in the world.”

  Cassandra liked the sound of that. She leaned and kissed him and then pulled back, getting ready to stand.

  “Shall I go and dress now? Would you like to leave right away?”

  Tate was already pulling her back to him, his arms possessive and strong.

  “Later,” he said softly. “Remember, we have all the time in the world.”

  About the Author

  LORI WICK is a multifaceted author of Christian fiction.

  As comfortable writing period stories as she is penning

  contemporary works, Lori’s books (6 million in print)

  very widely in location and time period.

  Lori’s faithful fans consistentely put her series and

  stand-alone works on the bestseller lists.

  Lori and her husband, Bob, live with their

  swiftly growing family in the Midwest.

  To read about other Lori Wick novels,

  visit www.harvesthousepublishers.com

  Books by Lori Wick

  A Place Called Home Series

  A Place Called Home

  A Song for Silas

  The Long Road Home

  A Gathering of Memories

  The Californians

  Whatever Tomorrow Brings

  As Time Goes By

  Sean Donovan

  Donovan’s Daughter

  Kensington Chronicles

  The Hawk and the Jewel

  Wings of the Morning

  Who Brings Forth the Wind

  The Knight and the Dove

  Rocky Mountain Memories

  Where the Wild Rose Blooms

  Whispers of Moonlight

  To Know Her by Name

  Promise Me Tomorrow

  The Yellow Rose Trilogy

  Every Little Thing About You

  A Texas Sky

  City Girl

  English Garden Series

  The Proposal

  The Rescue

  The Visitor

  The Pursuit

  The Tucker Mills Trilogy

  Moonlight on the Millpond

  Just Above a Whisper

  Leave a Candle Burning

  Big Sky Dreams

  Cassidy

  Sabrina

  Jessie

  Contemporary Fiction

  Sophie’s Heart

  Pretense

  The Princess

  Bamboo & Lace

  Every Storm

  White Chocolate Moments

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

  The English Garden Collingbourne Families

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Books by Lori Wick

 

 

 


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