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Back A Man of Honor
Chapters (71)
  1. Copyright Notice
  2. Dedication
  3. Part One
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Part Two
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-One
  26. Twenty-Two
  27. Twenty-Three
  28. Twenty-Four
  29. Twenty-Five
  30. Twenty-Six
  31. Twenty-Seven
  32. Twenty-Eight
  33. Twenty-Nine
  34. Thirty
  35. Thirty-One
  36. Thirty-Two
  37. Part Three
  38. Thirty-Three
  39. Thirty-Four
  40. Thirty-Five
  41. Thirty-Six
  42. Thirty-Seven
  43. Thirty-Eight
  44. Thirty-Nine
  45. Forty
  46. Forty-One
  47. Forty-Two
  48. Forty-Three
  49. Forty-Four
  50. Part Four
  51. Forty-Five
  52. Forty-Six
  53. Forty-Seven
  54. Forty-Eight
  55. Forty-Nine
  56. Fifty
  57. Fifty-One
  58. Fifty-Two
  59. Fifty-Three
  60. Part Five
  61. Fifty-Four
  62. Fifty-Five
  63. Fifty-Six
  64. Fifty-Seven
  65. Fifty-Eight
  66. Fifty-Nine
  67. Sixty
  68. Sixty-One
  69. Books by Barbara Taylor Bradford
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

Blackie did not mind; he only half listened anyway. He was preoccupied with thoughts of Angela. His feelings and emotions were very new to him, and myriad thoughts swept through his head. His attraction to her was somewhat overwhelming, and little threads of worry lingered. How should he behave? What should he do? Was she expecting him to make a move toward her, or would she take the lead? This situation troubled him no end. She was more sophisticated, experienced, than he was, and even this house was more elegant than any he was used to.

Suddenly he had the answer. She must make the first move, not he. His uncle had already warned him never to force himself on a woman. He realized it would be out of place if he took hold of her, kissed her, as he longed to do. While he believed she felt the same way about him, he could not chance it. Sit back and wait, he told himself. This decision helped him to relax. He had long believed that things happened when they were supposed to happen, and not by chance. Meeting Angela was meant to be. NOW. Not next week or the week after. This was their time to come together. Or not.

He took a sip of the lemonade and settled back in the chair. It was a lovely time of day now, his favorite time. The sun was settling down, sliding over the horizon, and shortly twilight would descend.

A faint breeze rustled through the trees, and unexpectedly a flock of birds flew up into the deep blue sky, forming an elegant vee, as they usually did. He heard a scurrying noise and glanced around. To his amusement, he saw a squirrel running up into a tree. A slight smile crossed his face, and then he sat up straight as Sarah addressed him directly.

“I must get off, Blackie,” she said, standing up. “I have to go and make tea for Mam.”

He rose, and replied, “I hope she’s well.”

Angela also got up and went over to her sister, took hold of her arm. “I’ll walk you to the door. I have a few things for Mam, which I know she’ll enjoy.” Looking at Blackie, Angela added, “I’ll be back in a few seconds. Excuse me.”

He nodded and returned to the chair, wondering when they would have supper, as she had called it, and also when she had made it. He had seen no sign of a housekeeper.

Within a few minutes, Angela came back, hurrying down the terrace, and he stood up. She came to a standstill directly in front of him, squeezed his arm in an affectionate way and sat down in the chair next to his. “Sarah’s such a chatterbox, isn’t she?” Angela laughed and went on, “But I’ve always found her entertaining.”