AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It is a dream, indeed. It is the only way I can reach you. But reach you, I must. Bridget, I’ve always loved you. You’ve always been my dearest friend.”
Bridget’s throat grew thick as the gentle words swirled through her mind and embedded themselves in her heart.
“Oh, Mary. I… For a moment, I allowed myself to believe this is real, that you are here. That you have not left me.” Bridget’s voice hitched then, and a tear ran down her face.
Mary’s grasp on her arm intensified but remained gentle, almost ethereal.
“I have not left you. I never will. I will be with you for all of your days, watching over you and smiling down on you as you find your happiness with my brother.” Mary smiled, and Bridget saw her reflection in her friend’s eyes.
“So, you approve of me and Graham?” Bridget could not keep the uncertainty from her voice. A part of her had been worried her friend would not like the idea of her brother and friend finding love with one another, especially so soon after her death.
“Approve? I am delighted. But you must promise me one thing,” Mary said, suddenly serious.
“Anything,” Bridget said. She wasn’t sure why, but a sudden sense of heaviness settled in her stomach. At the same time, the sun disappeared behind a cloud, causing the temperature to drop.
“You must take heed. There is danger afoot. Grave danger,” Mary said, her words accompanied by a heavy gust of air that blew Bridget’s bonnet off her head. She turned and saw it tumble into the lake, the lake that held so many terrible memories now. She jumped up, about to run after it, when she looked over her shoulder.
“Mary?” she called out, for the space where her friend had sat was now abandoned. “Mary?” she shouted, scanning the area, but there was no sign of her. Indeed, the landscape appeared different now. Sad, dark, and drab, in the way the world looked before rain, and then, thunder boomed, and a strike of lightening zoomed across the sky and—
“Mary?” Bridget called again, but this time, when she looked around, she realized she was not at the lake; she was not outside at all. Instead, she was in bed, warm under the covers. Beside her, the outline of Graham’s head was visible on the pillow still.
Bridget sat up, recalling his partingkiss. He'd gone to the village to seek assistance from the constable. She shivered as she remembered her dream. Mary was happyfor her, which relieved her greatly. But she had issued a warning. A grave warning. Danger awaited them, and Graham had gone directly toward it.
She looked out of the window to see the sun was still rising. The sky was tinged with a lovely crimson hue as the moon and sun battled one another for dominance. Soon, Graham would return, his task accomplished, and then Mary’s words of warning would have been heeded, and happiness would surely follow.
Yes, the hour when the threat was vanquished was almost upon them. Almost. All she had to do now was wait. Bridget yawned and decided to snuggle into her blankets a little longer, exhausted still from the events of the previous day. However, as she laid down once more, she could not help but think of Graham as he rode away toward the village, and she longed for his presence once more.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
Bridget woke later that morning with a small smile on her lips. She was exhausted yet satiated by her soon-to-be husband’s ministrations, which had left her body tingling and relaxed.
The whole morning through, she dreamt he was at her side. It made her feel safe to imagine him there, his arm wrapped around her middle, his breath puffing against her neck. She longed for the days when it would be permitted—when she could call him her own.
With him, she feared nothing at all.
Bridget awoke briefly at seven thirty, but did not fully awaken until well after nine, and she remained in bed for a while longer. Jane, who seemed better and well-rested,brought her a cup of tea.
Bridget did not bother to dress just yet, donning her dressing gown and heading downstairs. The duchess had been so gracious to her, and she had previously spent many days in the house with only her andMary. So she joined the duchess at the breakfast table, which had already been set with cakes, bread, and fruit.
The lady of the house smiled brightly as she sat across from her, herpallor having faded slightly throughout the night.
“I hope you slept well, dear girl,” the older woman said with a kind smile. “With the storm raging so, I slept like a babe—always have during thunderstorms.”
Bridget blushed deep scarlet, but if the duchess noticed, she did not say anything. Instead, Bridget began indulging in fruit and berries to hide her embarrassment, eager to distract from the night’s events.
Graham’s mother could not know… could she?
“I slept surprisingly well,” Bridget said. “I woke once from a rather vivid dream where…” She stopped, not wishing to disclose further. While Mary’s appearance in her dream had comforted her more than it had unsettled her—at least, until her ominous warning—she could not be sure the dowager would feel the same. What if the old lady thought her dream foolish, a figment of her imagination? No, it was best to keep it to herself, to be shared with only Graham once he returned.
“Now, I am merely nervous about the day’s events. But hopefully, it will be over soon,” she said instead.
The duchess’ eyes hardened. “I am eager to see that fiend brought to justice. I can honestly say I have never felt such a torrent of emotion before. I am seething with rage one moment, then overcome with grief the next, knowing my daughter suffered so in the end.”
Bridget looked up.
“She-she was brave to the end. You should be proud of her.”
“I am proud of her. I always have been,” the duchess said, a hint of sorrow still in her tone. “I wish we had never crossed paths with that horrid man.”
