Chapters (50)
- Cover
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- The Pengarron Sagas
- The Harvey Family Sagas
Kerensa was grieved at his despair. ‘Yes, I do forgive you, Oliver. I was wrong to hold my resentment against you for so long, and I understand why you turned to Rosie, and loving you the way I do, I understand why she became involved with you. I want you to believe you can trust me, Oliver, I swear I won’t ever turn to Clem in that way again. It’s you I love more than anyone else in the world, more than my own life. Thank you, for being so understanding towards my betrayal to you. I thank God for that.’
‘I believe you, Kerensa. It was Rosie who pointed out to me how I should see things differently concerning you and her brother. I thank God for your forgiveness, and I thank Him with all my heart, that at the end of the terrible time we had been through, you chose me. It’s all that matters, I swear to you. On my life, I swear it.’
‘It’s all that matters,’ she repeated. ‘All else is dead and buried in the past, forever.’
He lifted her face and they kissed, a long, dedicated kiss. Finally they smiled, enjoying each other’s closeness.
Kerensa said, ‘Oliver, there’s one thing left to say. It’s about Clem. Jessica or Timothy will write to him with the news about us. I hope you will agree that it would be cold and unfeeling for me to just leave it at that.’
‘What do you want to do, Kerensa?’
‘There’s nothing I can do until he returns again to Vellanoweth. If I write to him Catherine might see the letter. I think Clem sensed that my love for you was the strongest. All that I ask, Oliver, is that you will allow us a few minutes alone, so I can explain everything to him properly.’
‘You have my agreement, Kerensa.’
‘Are you sure you don’t mind?’ She was anxious for both men’s feelings.
‘Not as much as I once would have done.’
‘Thank you, Oliver. I know it’s not easy for you.’
‘It will be a lot less easy for him.’ Oliver turned the lock of hair over in his hand. ‘And this?’
Kerensa took it from him. ‘It must be blown away like the rest of the past.’
They walked down to the shore and climbed an outcrop of rocks that straggled out into the sea. Untying the blue ribbon, Kerensa rubbed the lock of hair into separate entities, then raising her hand she let them, and the ribbon, be carried away by the wind.
‘The past is gone,’ Oliver said, enfolding her in his arms.
She leaned into his strength. ‘No more echoes.’
Forty-One
‘Hello, Luke, busy as usual, I see. I’ve come to take a look at Jack and Alicia’s baby. My brother-in-law, Hal, said I would find a welcome from you also.’