by Sherry Ewing
“I knew that my heart would forever and always be yours, Jenna. You and I were destined for the other, no matter that time kept us centuries apart. A love this deep is worth whatever cost must be paid so that it may endure. I would gladly pay it over and over again as long as you would be mine in the end.”
“We have quite the journey ahead of us.”
“Aye, we do. If it takes the rest of my days, I will keep my vow to your mother and never go long without showing and telling you how much I love you.”
“I love you, too, Fletcher, until my last dying breath will I love only you, and, even then, will I love you throughout all eternity.”
Whatever he may have said in reply to her heartfelt words, were left unsaid, as she wrapped herself in his arms and kissed him. The love he felt for this woman burst forth throughout his body in a showering display of that strange thing she called electricity. He had been to Jenna’s future world, and he could do without all of that technology. Fletcher knew he had a bright new future to look forward to. His life began, and would end, with the woman he now held in his arms.
Epilogue
Lancashire Castle
Six Months Later
Jenna put her hand along the stones of the turret as she made her way carefully down the stairs. Her heart felt like it was in her throat as she maneuvered the uneven steps. She wondered when she would ever be able to go down them feeling comfortable. One would think, after all these months, this would be normal to her.
Normal…would anything ever feel normal to her again? Jenna felt like she was living out her every fantasy. How could she not, when her husband was the very essence of the knight of her dreams? Really…who would have thought she’d be living happily eight hundred years in the past?
“Careful now. Watch this last step.”
With a sense of having those exact words said to her, but in a different castle, she looked down into the cautious eyes of her sister-in-law. Clearly, the girl was concerned for her welfare.
“I’m fine, Mary. There’s no need to worry over me.”
“’Tis my job to worry over my newfound sister, so you best let me be about it. I was charged with seeing you to the great hall, and I will not be taken to task for failing my brother and sire,” Mary said, holding her hand toward her.
Jenna took hold of it then pulled the girl into her arms and hugged her. Mary seemed startled at this open sign of affection. “I don’t know why everyone let me nap so long. I should have been up seeing to the evening meal at least an hour ago.”
“’Tis Fletcher’s fault. He said you needed your rest. The servants have seen to everything, so there is no need to fret that the meal will not be to your liking,” Mary replied happily.
“Thank you, Mary. You’re such a gem.”
“There is no need to offer me your thanks, at least for this meal. ’Tis your friend Amy who made use of the kitchen, like a commanding captain of the guard. Truly, the woman was amazing whilst she took over the staff, who rushed through the chores she assigned them just to please her.”
“I’m glad she found something to make her feel useful,” Jenna responded while making her way through the hall.
Her gaze traveled to her husband, who casually leaned an arm upon the massive fireplace and held a tankard of ale in his hand. His father sat in a chair, and the two of them must have shared some joke, since they both began to laugh. Amy stood close by, and Taegan was hanging on to her every word. Jenna smiled, knowing that her friend had found love just as surely as she herself had done.
Her eyes returned to Fletcher, who had been watching her. That same roguish grin that always made her heart soar lit his face. My God, he was just so breathtakingly handsome, and he was all hers. How did she ever get so lucky?
Fletcher didn’t waste any time as he made up the distance which separated them and came to Jenna’s side. His hand willingly fell to her rounded stomach, and the baby kicked, as if knowing his or her father was near.
He leaned down, inhaled her freshly washed hair, and whispered in her ear. “Did you sleep well?”
“I would have slept even better if you had been with me. That bed of ours seems unusually large without you on the other side.”
“We would not have slept, ma cherie,” he murmured softly, blowing gently in her ear.
Jenna pulled on his tunic until it was her whispered words that she now shared with her husband. “I believe that was the point I was try to make, darling, when I offered the suggestion.” He began kissing her again with a promise of what would come this evening.
“Get a room, Jenna,” Amy yelled.
Embarrassed, she was about to shout out a snarky retort when the keep door opened with a resounding clamor of heavy metal hinges scraping and grinding. They couldn’t have been more surprised than too see Dristan and Amiria entering the castle.
“Where is that worthless cur who dared leave me with having to appoint another as my captain?” Dristan bellowed as he shortened the distance between them with his long stride.
“By St. Michael’s wings! What are you doing here?” Fletcher asked in disbelief.
Jenna gave Amiria a hug of welcome and watched as a knowing grin lit her face. “Okay, what gives, Amiria?”
Dristan came up to her, and lifted her up off the floor in a massive embrace. “I can see for myself that Fletcher has been seeing to your care and doing a good job of it. But you, Lady Jenna, have been careless with your possessions that you leave them so carelessly behind.”
“What are you talking about?” Jenna asked, wondering what she could have forgotten when she left Berwyck. Before she could inquire as to Dristan’s meaning, Amy gave a high pitched squeal of delight and began running toward the door.
Once again, Jenna’s heart slammed into her throat, and she wavered on her suddenly unsteady legs. Fletcher grabbed a hold of her, offering his support. She was glad he had been near, since someone had certainly pulled the floor out from under her feet. She couldn’t help it when she felt herself sway even more until her knight picked her up then settled her upon his lap near the fire.
Jenna felt a soft hand grab her own, and she looked up with tears freely falling down her cheeks into the beloved face of her mother.
“I didn’t mean to startle you, baby girl,” Jane said happily as she clasped their hands tighter.
“What are you doing here?” Jenna asked softly.
“I couldn’t stand not having you in my life, so I just kind of went to the beach and…prayed…and wished…until…well…here I am.”
Jenna’s mouth moved, and yet no sound was forthcoming, so she snapped her lips shut. She watched the scene before her unfold as Amy went happily about performing introductions. A cry of happiness escaped her, and Fletcher wrapped his arms around her, while she buried her face in his shoulder.
“I can’t believe it,” Jenna groaned, looking into his amazing whiskey colored eyes. “It seems you don’t have to wait for this baby to be born in a few more months. You’ve already gotten a ready-made family.”
“I am most happy for the addition to our household, Jenna,” Fletcher answered, placing a kiss upon her lips.
“You are?”
“Aye. She is, after all, your mother, and is most welcome. I know you have missed her greatly these past many months.”
“I think everything is just about perfect,” Jenna declared with a bright smile.
“You are perfect, my dearest love.”
Jenna and Fletcher put their hands on their unborn child, feeling the healthy kicks of the baby within. As she looked around her hall, she could not help but be thankful for the many blessings that surrounded her, including the vague, transparent, ghostly apparition that showed himself briefly to her. With a nod of her head, Rolf gave her a jaunty salute and smiled before disappearing from her view. Placing her hand over Fletcher’s heart, she smiled when he took hold of her hand, and they both mouthed the words, “I love you.”
Time had brought them to one anoth
er, and forever would their souls be together. Love had found them when they had least expected it, and all they had needed to do to be worthy of such a gift was to follow their hearts. Their lives were complete.
Dearest Reader:
As with all my novels, I would like to remind you that To Follow My Heart is a work of fiction.
When I first moved to the San Francisco area, I fell in love with the area surrounding the Cliff House and have spent hours upon hours walking along Ocean Beach. I just love this part of the city, sitting on the California coast, and knew this is where Jenna would call home.
The Cliff House, managed by the National Park Service, is part of one of the largest urban parks in the world called Golden Gate National Recreation Area and was first established in 1972.
There have been several different buildings that have been built on the edge of this spit of land, fires having consumed one after the other or parts thereof. The picture above is one of the most reproduced Cliff House photographs from around 1900 (public domain image through Wikipedia). This one, in particular, is my favorite. The clouds in the background almost make it appear as if lightening is striking, until you look close enough. Even though Jenna is a modern day woman, I just had to have her catch a small glimpse of this marvelous structure. It must have been quite the site to see in person.
I hope you enjoyed the brief glimpses I gave Fletcher of these modern times. As I was writing these chapters, I kept thinking of all the various things that would be new to my hero who would feel trapped in a crazy futuristic world, at least to his thinking. He would have no working knowledge of the basic everyday items that we take for granted. Hopefully I gave the story just enough edge to be interesting and you were happy to know Jenna sacrificed her own life in the present in order for Fletcher to live the life he was meant to have in the past.
I would like to express my thanks to the following National Park Service staff for answering the few questions I had that I could not find during my research: Al Banks (Kirby Cove), Craig Glassner (the Citadel remains on Alcatraz), James Matthews and Scott Palmer (tides at Ocean Beach). Thank you, gentlemen, for clarifying my questions, especially regarding the tides. It took me several minutes to try and wrap my head around when the beach would be accessible (if at all) from the Ocean Beach side to the ruins of Sutro Baths.
Thank you to my lovely personal assistant, Tiffany Landers. She has been handling my Facebook events and getting me organized, not to mention taking the burden off some very time consuming things for me so I can continue to write. She has been a gift sent from heaven. Thank you, my dearest friend.
Thank you, as always, to my family who continue to put up with the silence I give them when I’m “in the zone.” I keep saying I’ll be coming up for air soon but these characters inside my head have other ideas. Thank you doesn’t cover my gratitude to each of you for your love and support.
Thank you to my fabulous editor, Barbara Millman Cole, and my critique partner, Tricia Linden. Barbara takes my manuscripts and turns them into a lovely finished piece for my readers to enjoy, and Tricia has been wonderful as we continue to bounce ideas off one another. Thank you a million times and more, ladies.
Thank you to all my readers. I must be doing something right because I keep reading your fabulous reviews on how much you are enjoying my stories. No author could ask for more than that. I’ve smiled, laughed, cheered, and cried right alongside you on these journeys into the world I’ve created, and I hope I can continue to keep you entertained for many years to come. Medieval, time travel, and Regency era romances, all with a happily ever after, written just for you. Who knows what I have in store for you next?
Until the next time, I look forward to seeing you on our mutual social media outlets and reading your reviews. Take care and thank you again for purchasing To Follow My Heart. Happy reading!
With warm regards,
Sherry Ewing
Other Books by Sherry Ewing
If My Heart Could See You ~ When you’re
enemies, does love have a fighting chance?
Hearts Across Time: The Knights of Berwyck,
A Quest Through Time Novel (Books 1 & 2)
A special box set edition of For all of Ever and
Only for You ~ Sometimes all you need
is to just believe…
For All of Ever: The Knights of Berwyck,
A Quest Through Time (Book One) ~
Sometimes to find your future
you must look to the past…
Only For You: The Knights of Berwyck,
A Quest Through Time (Book Two) ~
Sometimes it’s hard to remember
that true love conquers all
only after the battle is over…
A Knight To Call My Own ~
When your heart is broken,
is love still worth the risk?
Under the Mistletoe ~ A new suitor seeks her hand.
An old flame holds her heart.
Which one will she meet
under the kissing bough?
Available in eBook & paperback
at online retailers
If My Heart Could See You
is also available in audiobook
www.SherryEwing.com
Coming Soon
Promises Made
at Midnight
The Knights of Berwyck,
A Quest Through Time Novel
Book Four
Make a wish...
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About the Author
Sherry Ewing picked up her first historical romance when she was a teenager and has been hooked ever since. A bestselling author, she writes historical & time travel romances to awaken the soul one heart at a time. Always wanting to write a novel but busy raising her children, she finally took the plunge in 2008 and wrote her first Regency. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, The Beau Monde & the Bluestocking Belles. Sherry is currently working on her next novel and when not writing, she can be found in the San Francisco area at her day job as an Information Technology Specialist.
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