Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
* * *
He put aside his papers and went outside where Janice and his mother were seated on the bench, having tea. His mother was sipping from the cup by herself while she watched Janice gesticulate about something that seemed highly interesting.
* * *
He came closer, a soft smile on his face.
* * *
“In Scotland, they believe that the fairies reside in the hills and sometimes they come for the children, but I don’t like to think so. I like to sit in the glen by the lake. Perhaps you remember it? Perhaps you’ve visited it?”
* * *
She paused as if waiting to see if his mother would answer. She just continued to stare at Janice, her eyes wide as if she was fascinated.
* * *
“Perhaps not. Anyway, when I lay in the grass and I look up at the sky and it gets very quiet, sometimes…” she hesitated, her skin coloring, “sometimes I think I can hear them sing to me.”
* * *
Arthur froze, as his mother nodded. He blinked a few times, staring at her in shock.
* * *
“You think so too?” Janice said excitedly and paused.
* * *
Arthur held his breath.
* * *
His mother nodded again.
* * *
Arthur fell to his knees. “Mama,” he said brokenly.
* * *
She turned her head and looked right at him. “Ar-t,” she whispered.
* * *
Janice shrieked and then covered her mouth, her eyes wide. She looked from Arthur to his mother. “She spoke,” Janice whispered.
* * *
“Mama?” Arthur said again.
* * *
Lady Weasley slowly put down her cup on the stool that had been provided for just that purpose. She put her hands in her lap. “I’m ti-red,” she said haltingly.
* * *
Janice shot to her feet. “Of course! Apologies for keeping you out so long. Allow me to take you to your room.” She reached down and grasped Lady Weasley’s hand. Arthur hurried to his feet and took her other hand. They helped her to her feet and propelled her slowly towards the house. Arthur could not take his eyes off her. His heart was racing with hope.
* * *
She has spoken to me!
* * *
He had never expected to hear his mother’s voice ever again, let alone resembling his name. Sister Sarah met them at the door, looking from one to the other. “Everything alright?”
* * *
“Everything is fine. Her Grace says she’s tired.” Janice was smiling wide, her voice shaking slightly.
* * *
Sister Sarah quirked an eyebrow. “Oh, did she? Perhaps the aloe plant tea the physician recommended is truly helpful.”
* * *
“Or she likes to be back home with her son,” Janice said.
* * *
“That is also a possibility.” Sister Sarah nodded in agreement.
* * *
“Let us not speak of her as if she were not here,” Arthur said softly.
* * *
“Yes, you’re right. I apologize,” Sister Sarah said, taking Lady Weasley’s hand.
* * *
She led his mother away as he and Janice watched. They turned to face each other simultaneously. He drew a deep breath. “I cannot believe this is happening.”
* * *
She smiled. “Well, it is.”
* * *
He sighed, “With every good thing that happens, I keep expecting a larger bad thing to happen. Lord Hemsworth has not yet been located; he has successfully hidden himself from us. For all we know, he is already on the continent. I fear what might happen with his accomplices. Even as I try to settle my debts, I do not know which one of them attacked us.”
* * *
She tightened her grip on his hand. “I know you’re worried, but my father always has this saying; do not borrow trouble. Let us contend with what is in front of us rather than hypotheticals that have not happened yet.”
* * *
Arthur nodded in agreement, but his brow remained furrowed.
She woke up in the morning and froze as she did every morning, for a moment disoriented. And then she felt him behind her, his hand heavy around her waist as he snored gently into his pillow, and smiled. She was still getting used to waking up in a strange room with a bed companion and with the sun shining on her face through a window that faced East instead of West as it had been at Somerton Manor.
* * *
She relaxed, settling back into Arthur’s chest, savoring the musky scent of him in the morning. She stretched luxuriantly and his hold on her waist tightened, pulling her even more snugly into himself. She could feel his arousal, rubbing against her backside and she squirmed, grinning as he groaned.
* * *
“Do you not want to sleep some more?” he asked, his breath ghosting her ear and making her shiver.
* * *
“Of course, I do,” she arched her back into him as she said it, rubbing gently back and forth. She could almost feel the bed vibrate from his deep and heartfelt groan and her grin widened. “If you want to as well.”