Freedom Forever Read online

  “Why?” But of course, she could think of half a dozen reasons, herself: his kisses, the scent of ale on his breath. Still, he was no more than a young man, was he not? He was only showing his desire, a thing that would be godly between a husband and a wife.

  “He does not respect you,” Isaiah told her now. “He is very free with his affections, with...well, I would not carry gossip, only warnings.”

  “What?” In all her dreams, Clara had not imagined that. She had thought of danger from her admirer, not that...

  But he desired her, her mind whispered. Surely he would not betray her so.

  A score of memories crowded in her head, women laughing to one another about those whose husbands strayed, mocking their desirability and their figures, sharing the scandal of the straying man. It was a story that played out time and again, with the woman holding her head high and only the tightness of her jaw and the tremble in her chin betraying her hurt to the world. Cecelia had seen those women, pitied those women, laughed at the gossip about one. She had never meant to be one of them, and too late, she realized the cruelty of it.

  “You’re wrong,” she whispered.

  “I wish I was,” he said passionately now. His eyes were pitying, and she looked away while he held out his hands, pleading. “I would never want you to suffer this from a husband, Miss Dalton. Especially not....well, especially not now.”

  “What do you mean, not now?” Cecelia demanded.

  Don’t say it. But he did.

  “I mean, when there is so much other sadness in your life—”

  “What sadness? My brother’s capture?”

  “I thought—”

  “That he was dead?” Cecelia challenged him. Her panic was rising. Was this how Clara felt, listening to them all? “Well, he’s not dead, he can’t be. Bodies don’t just disappear, Mr. Rourke. If they haven’t found him dead, he’s still alive. And we’ll receive a ransom request soon enough, and...” She was shaking so hard that she could barely speak.

  “Miss Dalton, please, I never meant to upset you.”

  “So you carried me tales that a man lies to me? So you mentioned my brother’s disappearance?”

  “Better you should know about him,” Isaiah whispered, looing over his shoulder at the closed door of the reverend’s study. “Miss Dalton, I swear to you, the hurt you feel now is nothing to that of the woman whose husband leaves bastards all over the town. Better you know now and bind yourself to a better man, a man who more deserves your beauty and your kindness, than fall prey to a man who does not care for you.”

  “How dare you say he does not care for me?” Her pride came in a roar. “He comes to see me every week, he pays me court and brings me gifts, he speaks kind words, and he desires me.” Her cheeks went pink to speak the words aloud, but she balled her fists and let the words come out like a torrent. “Do you think this is some game? That he does not truly care for me?”

  “If you ask me, does he want you for a wife—then Miss Dalton, I would have to say yes, for he speaks of it openly with his father. You would make any man a fine wife, and he knows as much.” Isaiah swallowed, the continued more quietly. “But if you were to ask me whether he pursues you because he wants you for a wife, or because he likes the chase and the capture...”

  He let the words hang in the air, unwilling to finish the sentence. Unwilling to end it. Like Solomon, Clara thought, and no one willing to speak the words of where he was. Another wound with no shape. Another wound that could not heal.

  But Solomon was not dead, and Abraham was a good man. That much, she knew. She clung to those two truths, clenching her fingers until they creaked and she wanted to gasp with the pain. She would not stand her and listen to some other man tell her that her husband-to-be was free with his affections. She would not listen to gossip. She would be the woman her mother had raised her to be.

  “You are wrong,” she said coldly, lifting her chin. She forced herself to ignore Isaiah’s look of hurt at her words. “You speak of matters you do not understand. I am courted by an honorable man, and honored, myself, by his attentions. Good day. Mr. Rourke.” And she turned on her heel and swept out, leaving him standing alone in the hallway.

  Did you love Freedom Forever? Then you should read Saving Forever - Part 1 by Lexy Timms!

  From Best Selling Author, Lexy Timms comes a hospital romance, you won't be able to put down.

  Charity Thompson wants to save the world, one hospital at a time. Instead of finishing med school to become a doctor, she chooses a different path and raises money for hospitals - new wings, equipment, whatever they need. Except there is one hospital she would be happy to never set foot in again--her fathers. So of course he hires her to plan a gala event for his sixty-fifth birthday. Charity can't say no. Now she is working in the one place she doesn't want to be. Except she's attracted to Dr. Elijah Bennet, the handsome playboy chief. Will she ever prove to her father that she's more than a med school dropout? Or will her attraction to Elijah keep her from repairing the one thing she desperately wants to fix? **this is NOT Erotica. It's a love story and romance that'll have you routing all the way for Charity***This is a FOUR book series, all your questions won't be answered in part 1*

  Also by Lexy Timms

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  Saving Forever

  Saving Forever - Part 1

  Saving Forever - Part 2

  Saving Forever - Part 3

  Saving Forever - Part 4

  Saving Forever - Part 5

  Saving Forever - Part 6

  Southern Romance Series

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  Siege of the Heart

  Freedom Forever

  The University of Gatica Series

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  Stronger

  Standalone

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  Love & College

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