Page 20 of Once Upon a Winter's Tale
She nodded, and they turned and rode back the way they had come, giving their horses their heads along the water’s edge. As Albert drew closer, she called for a race and urged her mare into a gallop. The winter sun made the water glisten and the snow-covered sand almost magical. His caresses and kisses had stirred feelings she had never experienced before, including a sadness she never expected.
As they neared one of the taller cliffs, his horse overtook hers by several lengths, until he signaled to slow, pointing out the path he had mentioned earlier.
“What do I win?” he asked good-naturedly.
“How about some lemon biscuits? Cook and I made them fresh this morning.”
“That sounds delightful. You like to cook?” he asked with genuine interest.
“Sometimes, especially when it’s cold like it is today. It gives me a sense of satisfaction.” Brianna felt a lump form in her throat as they cantered toward the manor. “Will you be back this way again, Albert?”
She had grown accustomed to thinking of him as Albert and needed to be careful. Her mother would tolerate no disrespect, and she’d rather not explain their kisses and the familiarity she had allowed.
Several emotions flashed over his face before he offered a knee-buckling smile. “I have every intention of returning, Brianna.” He regarded her for a moment. “Have you ever thought about living anywhere else—a future away from here?”
Unsure of the turn the conversation had taken, she nodded. “I would like to, one day, see London. I’ve never seen a town larger than Sidmouth, which, you can see, is small.”
He nodded, and they rode in companionable silence for a few minutes. Minutes later, they were back at the manor house and trotted toward the stable.
“Welcome back, Your Grace,” Roy said as the duke slid from his horse. “The horses probably needed the ride. How did your gelding do?”
“Very well. His gait was perfect,” Albert said, handing the reins to the stable hand.
Brianna handed the reins to West as the duke helped her from the horse.
“Allow me to walk you to the door. I’d like you and your mother to join me for dinner tonight. Would that be all right with you?” he asked.
“I would be honored,” she said. She wouldn’t be able to keep herself away.
*
Albert had knownno one like her. Never having believed himself in love before, he had nothing to compare to how he was feeling now and could not say this sensation was love. But there was an intensity to his feelings. He had become instantly smitten with the girl, but when had it become more than that? When he closed his eyes, he saw her. When he slept, he dreamed of her. And when he was supposed to focus on the details of the estate, his mind drifted to thoughts of her. He had to continue his trip, but only wanted to spend time with Brianna.
Mindlessly, he twisted his signet ring around his finger as he walked to his study. There were so many questions, and he had hoped to have more answers. But he didn’t.
Sitting down, he looked around the room, staring at what now had become familiar. When his attention drifted to the small safe his father had created in the wall, he got up and opened it, recalling the nuances of the intricate fireplace scrolls. The papers he had planned to read earlier remained. He wanted to do that before he left. There were still several hours before dinner, which Brianna and her mother had agreed to share.
He set the small velvet box aside and instead opened a previously sealed vellum note that looked like it had been written in a woman’s hand. It was from his great-aunt Tricia. It must have been written shortly before her death.
Dearest Lawrence (or to my family)~
The small velvet box of gold embodies my past, one I shared with Trenton, my love. We were not lucky enough to see our children live to become adults, and therefore, I am leaving these rings to my brother’s family. My prayer is they find their way to two people who find their true heart’s desire in each other.
~Much love,
(Aunt) Tricia
“How like Aunt Tricia,” Albert murmured. He remembered his great-aunt and uncle as two people who belonged together. They always found things to cherish about life, despite the misfortune cast upon them. He recalled the year the flu ravaged their family. His father’s cousins, Martha and Jackson, had both died, along with his uncle, leaving only Aunt Tricia and the servants.
There were a few more documents, so he picked through them. Recognizing the one with his father’s handwriting gripped his heart. This letter felt different from the instructional things he’d found in his father’s study at home. It was as if his father had left this for him, knowing he would look for answers. His gut told him to set his father’s note aside for a little while longer, so he put the note down and reopened the box of rings.
A knock sounded at the door before it opened. Augustus stood there holding a salver. “Your Grace, a messenger delivered this earlier while you were away.”
“Weren’t you working at the dowager house earlier?” Albert asked as he accepted the note.
“Yes, Your Grace. I am training a footman to help me with my duties, and to be available for times when I am assisting at the dowager house,” Augustus replied.
“I recognized you earlier… finally. But it had been years since you worked for my parents,” Albert said. “How is it you found yourself here?”
