Page 20 of Separated from My Love
Chapter8
The carriage pulledup on front of Weston Manor. In some ways, it appeared as if he’d never traveled back in time. The structure itself appeared the same. There were minute differences. The shrubbery hadn’t completely grown in, and the ivy hadn’t yet covered the left side of the manor. There were bound to be variations and they would become more evident once he was inside. He couldn’t wait to see what the nineteenth century version of his step-brother’s estate wouldlooklike.
Genevieve had fallen asleep in the last hour of their journey. She’d joined him on his side of the carriage, and her head currently rested against his shoulder. The journey had been cathartic. It had given them a chance to rehash some of their old wounds and clear the way for a new beginning. He hoped she was finally ready to see where their future might lead. The past twenty-four hours had been hell. It was hard to believe it had been that long since he’d gone through the mirror with Serenity. It was almost as if a lifetime had passed in that short amount of time. What a difference a daycouldmake…
The carriage pulled to a complete stop and Genevieve jerked awake. She lifted her arms in the air and stretched them wide. Her mouth slipped open into a yawn she quickly covered with her hand. “How long was I asleep?” She was so beautiful. He’d never tire of looking at her. Her auburn curls were tousled and floating over her shoulder. He’d unbound them as she slept—the urge to feel their silky texture between his fingers had been too great. Her ice blue eyes still held a touch of sleep to them. They almost looked dreamy or even whimsical. She met his gaze, and her petal pink lips tilted upward. “Are you going to answer me, or must Iguess?”
“Not too long. Maybe an hour or so.” Too short in his estimation. In her sleep, she trusted him instinctively. He rather enjoyed her cuddling up with him and wrapping her arms around his waist. Nothing compared to the feeling of holding the woman he loved and having the possibility of a future with her once again. “We’ve justarrived.”
She peeked out the window at Weston Manor and sighed. “I haven’t been to this estate since the day I disappeared. I was almost afraid to come back. Rosanna tried to get me to come here, but it didn’t feelright.”
“Whynot?”
He didn’t quite understand her reasoning. It should’ve been the one place she felt the most comfortable. It would have been, or should’ve been, like a home away from home. They’d spent so much time at Weston while they were together. Weston, for Trenton, had been home, and Bradford was the only person he considered family. It made it easier for Trenton to give up his apartment when he was searching for the embezzler in his father’s company, and her family lived in Ireland. He thought Genevieve liked staying at the manor. She’d been going to school at Oxford, and the months before she disappeared she’d been on summer break. She was supposed to go back the weekend after the annual ball at Seabrook Manor—that was if she’d not fallen off a cliff and traveled through time. Would she want to return to school and finish her graduate degree? Whatever decision she made, he’d be by her side every step oftheway.
Genevieve bit her bottom lip and glanced down. “I couldn’t come here. The memories would have been too hardtobear.”
Trenton could understand that. Weston was a hard place to be without her. If not for his relationship with Bradford, he might have avoided it himself—even if it was home. He couldn’t very well ditch his stepbrother because he’d lost the love of his life. Unfortunately, things didn’t work that way. Somehow, he’d found the courage and strength to move on without her. It had been one of the most difficult things he’d ever hadtodo.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go inside. It will be good for bothofus.”
“A way of exorcising whatever demons remain between us?” The corner of her lips tilted upward as amusement appeared to dance across herfeatures.
He smiled. “That’s one way of lookingatit.”
Trenton pushed open the carriage door and stepped out. He wouldn’t want to use one on a regular basis, but in this one instance, it had been a good thing. Carriages were bloody uncomfortable to sit in for long periods of time. Genevieve had lost a lot of the anger and resentment she’d been holding on to through the journey. The hours it had taken to get from the duke’s home to Weston had been a gift. He glanced at the manor and then back at Genevieve. He held his hand out to her and helped her descend. She looked as if they’d had more fun in the carriage than they’d actually had. Her expression hadn’t changed much, and her unbound hair gave the wrong impression. There wasn’t much he could do about it though. He hoped that the current Duke of Weston wasn’t theprudishsort.
“Shall weknock?”
“No time like the present,” sheagreed.
They headed up the steps. The door opened before they had a chance to lift the knocker on the door. An old man stood stiffly over the threshold. “How may I help you?” Hecroakedout.
“We’re here to visit the Duke and Duchess,” Trenton replied. “More specifically, Her Grace if she’savailable.”
He was glad Bradford wasn’t the formal type. If he had to utter His Grace to his stepbrother every time they talked he might have to punch him. It was rather tedious and even moreannoying.
“Do you haveacard?”
Trenton scrunched up his nose. A card? What the bloody hell was the old codger talking about? Then it hit him. The butler thought they were regular callers, and if they were he should have a card. But one didn’t carry such things when traveling through time. He doubted that Genevieve had one either. All he did have was the letter from Branterberry to pass along to the Duke of Weston. He pulled out the letter and handed it to the butler. “Will this doinstead?”
The butler pulled the letter in his hands. When he noticed Branterberry’s crest, he nodded and allowed them both inside. He kept Genevieve’s hand firmly in his grasp as the butler led them to the front parlor. It was decorated in various shades of blue and accented with gold filigree. The room had a feminine touchtoit.
“Henderson said we had guests…” The current Duchess of Weston, Alys Dewitt Kendall, breezed into the room. She was dressed to perfection in a brilliant emerald gown cut to emphasize her bosom. Her golden blonde hair was artfully dressed on her head, and her light green eyes widened at the sight of them. “Trenton,” she squealed and rushed to hug him. “How? I don’tunderstand?”
Trenton wrapped his arms around her and held on a moment for stepping back. “It’s good to see you too. Regina will be happy to hear you’re doing as well aswe’veread.”
“You found my letter?” Alys asked. She brought her hands together in front of her in an excitedgesture.
Alys was exactly as he remembered her. She’d always been kind to him whenever they met. It was nice that he could tell her about her family and fill her in on everything. If he hadn’t come for Genevieve, she might never have known how everything turned out in thefuture.
“Not me personally,” Trenton said. “Though I have seen it. Regina and Bradfordfoundit.”
“I’m so glad,” she said. Her lips tilted upward into a smile. “I didn’t want any of them to worryaboutme.”
Trenton smiled back. “Rest assured, your family is aware of what happened to you and are glad you’re happy with how thingsturnedout.”
“Come,” she gestured. “Sit and tell me everything, and please introduce me to yourfriend.”
