In Rapture (Destined) (3 page)

Nivea
could not save her. She had taxed her energy by using everything she knew,
every spell, every potion, anything that would bring her back to her family,
but to no avail. When they had learned that she was carrying their grandchild
the only thing they could do was make sure that Andraya’s health did not
deteriorate long enough for the child to be born. Andraya had been like a mute
child, following their directions on cue, but never interacting from the quiet
throne she sat upon inside her mind.

After
Malinda was born her grandmother had great hopes that Andraya would snap out of
her melancholy, but nothing worked. Nivea could not spend any more time on
Andraya, for the infant born to her daughter was frail and needed every ounce
of love and light she could gather around her. When Nivea transferred her
efforts from her daughter to the infant the rest of the light snuffed from Andraya’s
eyes and her soul was finally set free.

From
the moment her mother died it was decided that Malinda would know her heritage
so she would be very careful with her heart. In that way, if she did lose her
heart to another, she would know the consequences. They raised her strong and
proud, something Malinda was grateful for. She knew that to fall in love with a
man could be a blessing or a curse, and that if she held onto who she was in
any relationship she would never end up like her departed mother. Would she
grow to care for her husband, this man who had sent for a bride he had never
met for whatever purpose? Or would she have to keep her emotions locked up
inside her for the rest of her life? Her teachings did not make her any less
wary of the situation, but she was confident she could put herself above it
all.

They
had traveled in silence for the better part of two days and had finally stopped
at an inn along the way. This morning Malinda had been able to take a warm bath
before she left and it had wrapped a cocoon of warmth all the way around her.
She had not had the dream last night, which Malinda had found quite odd since
it had seemed to haunt her for the past year. She did not wish to torment
herself by over thinking it, but a part of her had become attached to the
dream, a fantasy of how it could be between a man and a woman. She wished that
she knew more about her husband. She looked to the man gathering their things
and wondered what Bradford Marcus could tell her.

When
they were arranged inside the cart once again, Malinda found the courage to
speak to the strange man next to her. “Where, exactly, are we going?”

“I
wondered when you were going to ask that.” A mischievous smile lit up his face.

“I’m
sorry. It’s been a rough few days. I’m not usually so rude. In fact, I should
have asked you many things.”

“It’s
understandable, my dear. You’ve suffered a great loss this past year. We are
headed to Wickford Manor, the home of your new husband, Lord Grant Timberlin.”

“May
I ask…I mean, I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but why didn’t Lord Timberlin
come himself?” She supposed it was commonplace for grooms to use a proxy, but
it just seemed so impersonal to her.

“He
is attending to important matters. He has important ties in Madigan’s Army,
which takes him away for a good period of time.”

“Why
the hurry then?”

“You
haven’t figured it out yet, have you? I expected more from
you
, Malinda.”
Again his eyes sparkled with mystery.

“Excuse
me?” She looked at Bradford Marcus, and this time, she
really
looked at
him, using every ounce of her perception. She focused on his aura and saw a
broad spectrum of colors swirling peacefully around him. Sparkling white orbs
twinkled in small little flashes of light around him. He had the same glow she
did. This man was somehow connected to Lena and, considering that very few men
were, that made him quite extraordinary. “You are of Lena. How is that
possible?”

“Anything
is possible, my dear. You simply have to believe.”

“I
believe in a great many things, Sir Marcus.”

“And
what do you believe now?”

Malinda’s
lips turned up at one corner as her thoughts swam around inside her head. When
she heard the wind whisper through the trees she was not surprised at the
message.
He needs you.
“I believe that life is just about to get
interesting.”

“Of
that you can be sure.” He slapped the reins softly on the horses in front of
them and a small chuckle left his mouth.

“What’s
so funny?”

“Nothing,
really. It’s just been a while since someone has actually linked me back to
Lena. It’s almost refreshing. Too bad our journey will be ending soon.”

Malinda
smiled back at the old man and let out a long sigh. For the first time in days
she felt relaxed, almost at peace with the world around her. She knew that
wherever they were headed to, this Wickford Manor, that she would rise to the
challenge before her. Her grandmother had trained her to be a fighter, to hold
her head high no matter what she was up against.

Chapter 5

Malinda
could see just an echo of Wickford Manor along the horizon, a dark shape that
lost itself in the shadowed evening. The wind blew gently across her face, a light
caress that attempted to still the hammering of her heart. The air could be
seen moving through the rows of trees, and a stream of leaves waved a greeting
to her. Would this really be home? She waited for the wind to speak to her,
heard the echoes on the wind, and was not at all disappointed when the branches
shed leaves like downy feathers that floated teasingly across the road in front
of her. Malinda watched the pattern they made, but she was too far away from
the ground to feel its message.

After
gesturing for Sir Marcus to stop the cart, Malinda climbed down as soon as the
horses stopped. She tiptoed closer to the swirling leaves and stood amidst them
as silently as she could, taking in the gentle swirl of life that fluttered
around her. The breeze touched her face sweetly at first, but the wind picked
up and tossed her hair violently around her. The harsh sting of the strands
lashed her face. Malinda put up her hand to still the riotous locks and closed
her eyes. Now the message was clear. Wickford might look peaceful, it may
appear like a normal manor with all the eccentricities it held, but the
Adrianic magic inside her warned her that all was not as it seemed. A song
could be heard on the wind with a gentle verse of prose that tainted the
darkness around her.
He needs you. Courage.

Malinda
turned to Sir Marcus and raised her nose in the air. “I’m not afraid.” She
grasped that the road in front of her was not the one she would have chosen to
travel, for there was danger at the end of her journey. It may not find her
immediately, but it still loomed over her. This she knew to the very core of
her being, yet this danger was wrapped with an intrigue that piqued her
curiosity. Malinda might be many things in this lifetime, but she had never
been afraid of a challenge.

“It
is good that you show no fear. Lord Timberlin is a hard man, Malinda. Life has
whittled the ice around him, creating sharp jagged edges. If you play your
cards right, you will melt away the walls and bring him back home to his
people.”

“You
paint quite a picture.” Malinda’s eyebrows mocked the man sitting in the cart.
She wondered if he could taste the warning filling the air. So, in short, save
the man, bring him back to his people. What about her, though? What was she
supposed to get from this arrangement, a new life? A new life meant nothing,
especially when you were content with the one you left behind.

Malinda
climbed back up into the cart, knowing that it would not be seemly for her to
walk down the lane to her new home. As she sat there, she reflected on her
sheltered past where she had lived so simply in the small house that she had
called home with her grandparents. She would always be fond of her humble
beginnings, for they had made her who she was today, but the farther they went
down the dirt drive, the easier it was to see that not one single part of
Wickford Manor would ever be as small as her home at Tinley Faire. The closets
were probably just as large. Tinley Faire’s small keep would likely have fit
inside Wickford Manor at least twice. Even when the darkness around her made it
hard for her to see the beauty of the large building, the gentle sway of the
wind across her face alluded to the charm hidden within its bricks. She held
her head high, for she would meet her fate with courage despite the fear that
crept into her heart.

The
windows were dark. Clearly, the people at Wickford Manor were not used to
receiving guests at this time of night, for it took several minutes for someone
to answer the door. Finally, the door swung open and an older gentleman’s face
appeared around it. “Good eve. May I help you?”

“Good
sir, I’m Bradford Marcus. Your master sent me on a journey to bring back his
bride.” Bradford gestured toward Malinda, who stood quietly next to him. “Please
allow me to introduce Lady Malinda Timberlin.”

Malinda
watched as the older gentleman’s eyebrows rose in surprise. A smile crept
slowly across his face, as if he did not believe his good fortune. “My heavens,
do come in! Sarah’s going to birth a cow when she finds out I was the first to
meet the missus. Lord Timberlin is away at the moment, but I am sure he will
return any day now.”

He
bowed low as he opened the door and Malinda stifled a chuckle, for she could
see the older man had dressed so hastily that he had not donned an actual
shirt. His evening gown was shoved haphazardly into his pants. His grey hair
had been tousled by his sleep, for he had not had a chance to comb it before he
rushed to answer the door. “The pleasure is mine, Mr…?”

“Hargrove,
my lady. Ethan Hargrove, at your service. Will you be needing anything this
evening? I can have Gertie make you something to eat if you are hungry. She’s a
night creature, that one.”

“Oh
dear, Hargrove, that is not necessary. Please just show me to my room and have
my belongings brought up. Sir Marcus here will need a place to rest as well.”

“That’s
quite all right, my dear. Now that you’ve been safely delivered to Wickford
Manor I’ll be on my way.” His smile lit up his face and the twinkle in his aura
grew brighter, but Malinda was the only one who could see it.

Malinda
reached out a hand to him and smiled politely back at him. She hugged him close
and whispered for only him to hear. “I thank you for giving me a new path to
travel, Sir Marcus. Rest assured, your assistance will never be forgotten.” She
kissed him on the cheek and was amused to find a slight blush climbing up his
face as he looked away.

Hargrove
was looking away politely, but cleared his throat to get her attention. “If you
could follow me, my lady. I will take you right up to your room. The master did
tell us that you would be joining us eventually, but we had no idea you would
be here so soon.”

“I
do so hope I have not put you out, dear Hargrove. I will make sure to let Lord
Timberlin know how hospitable you were. I can already tell he has a loyal
servant in you.” Malinda followed behind him quietly, turning once to see Sir
Marcus leave quietly.

She
was so tired when she followed Hargrove up the stairs she did not take in much
of the scenery around her. When he led her to a room at the end of the hallway
she waited quietly outside. She almost jumped when he called her inside. “My
lady?”

Lady.
That was going to take time to get used to. She had never been seen as anything
but a poor farm girl who lived with her grandparents. Perhaps some had seen her
as the quiet seamstress who mended clothing, or even the girl who was always
strangely surrounded by animals wherever she went, but never anything with a
fancy title. She took a deep breath and walked through the room. Her breath
caught in her chest as she looked around.

Even
with just a fire burning in the fireplace and the light glow from the candle
that Hargrove carried, it was plain to see the decadence of the room around
her. Wall to wall cream colored satin wallpaper contrasted with deep turquoise
curtains that hung at odd intervals in the room. The same curtains hung in the
large windows across from where she stood. The ceiling had the most intricately
carved woodworking that separated the ceiling from the walls, the dark woodwork
making the elegant walls stand out even further. At the back of the room, a huge
four-poster bed dominated the space. She had never imagined a bed could be so
gigantic. Turquoise curtains blocked most of the bed from her view, but the
translucent fabric hinted at the mound of pillows and downy comforter tucked
secretly inside. Yes, this was quite a bed. Malinda turned around to face
Hargrove. “Are you sure that I’m supposed to be here?”

“Of
course, Lady Timberlin. Lord Timberlin would have it no other way. Will you be
needing a woman’s maid to assist you?”

“Oh
no, not at all, Hargrove. I can manage from here. If you want to have the
things brought up in the morning, that would be great.”

“Yes,
my lady.” He bowed at her and turned toward the door. “And my lady?”

“Yes,
Hargrove?”

“Welcome
to Wickford Manor.”