Coulson's Wife (The Coulson Series) (17 page)

in Anna J. McIntyre’s

Coulson’s
Crucible

Prologue

H
e’d finally stopped
crying, but she knew he would start again. He always did. Vera made her way up
the rear staircase of Coulson House carrying her three month old son, who slept
soundly in her arms. Someone might see her if she used the main staircase.  

No one went to the
third floor, except for the household staff to periodically clean the unused
rooms. Speculation varied as to why her father-in-law built such an impressive
estate. Some said it was for his wife, Mary Ellen, while others insisted it was
to show the world he was committed to his project–developing the resort
community he founded that bore his name.

 Her mother-in-law,
Mary Ellen Coulson, had decorated the mansion. Just months after moving into
the impressive estate, Mary Ellen died in its library on the first floor. She
was just forty-nine.

Vera wanted to go
outside, breathe in the fresh air. Walking into one of the rooms on the third
floor, she paid little notice to the ornate furnishings and impressive artworks.
Instead she walked through the room to the French doors leading to the balcony.

It was breezy outside.
Vera held the sleeping bundle tighter. She didn’t want to wake Russell. Closing
her eyes, Vera breathed in the crisp December air, escaping for a moment the
prison that was her life. If she could just be free, fly far away from her
pain, her sadness. Without thought, she climbed onto the wide banister
surrounding the balcony and looked down. It took considerable effort to
maintain balance, especially while holding the sleeping babe.

“Mother!” Vera’s
eight-year old son, Garret shouted as he raced through the doorway onto the
balcony. His sudden and unexpected appearance caused Vera to lose her balance
for a brief moment, but she reached out with her free hand and grabbed the
outside of the building to steady herself.

“Please Mother, get
down, you could fall!” Garret begged. Vera looked down at her son and smiled.

“Don’t be silly,
Garret, I can fly. Come.” She reached her hand out to him. “Join me and I’ll
show you.”

“No, please, get down!”
Garret began to cry.

“Here, you’ll see,”
Vera said calmly.

Turning away from
Garret, she stood precariously atop the banister. Closing her eyes, she
prepared to take flight when a gust of air hit the front of her body, sending
her sprawling backward onto the balcony floor. The fall woke Russell, who began
to cry, but he remained secure in his mother’s arms. Garret ran from the
balcony.

The abrupt fall knocked
the air from Vera’s fragile body. Colliding against the balcony floor was
painful, yet nothing appeared to be broken. Attempting to catch her breath, she
held tight onto the squirming baby. Opening her eyes, Vera looked into the face
of Mary Ellen Coulson. Transfixed by the apparition, Vera’s eyes widened. The
next moment, Mary Ellen was gone.

Coulson’s
Crucible
at Amazon

THE COULSON SERIES

Coulson’s Wife

Coulson’s
Crucible

Coulson’s
Lessons

Coulson’s
Secret

Coulson’s Reckoning
(Coming in 2014)

THE SENSUAL ROMANCE
SERIES

 
After
Sundown

Sugar
Rush

While
Snowbound

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