Heartfelt Letters Lost in Time, page 1
Heartfelt Letters Lost in Time
A WESTERN ROMANCE NOVEL
ELAINE SHIELDS
Copyright © 2023 by Elaine Shields
All Rights Reserved.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Heartfelt Letters Lost in Time
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Epilogue
A Lone Wolf's Serenade
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
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Heartfelt Letters Lost in Time
Introduction
Mary Rose Brooks lives her life under the watchful eye of her aristocratic parents. Radiating kindness, intelligence, and captivating beauty, she nurtures a deep affection for rescuing helpless animals. However, hidden beneath her privileged façade is a secret, a precious bond with her best friend and soulmate. As the years pass, their connection deepens into a love that defies the boundaries of their society.
Can Mary Rose's love for Jack survive the weight of her family's expectations and the relentless gaze of society?
Jack, the rugged blacksmith with a heart as robust as iron and a passion for poetry that sets souls ablaze, exists worlds apart from Mary Rose's privileged realm. Charismatic and embraced by all who meet him, he possesses every quality except one—the approval of Mary Rose's parents. As he sets out on a daring quest to reunite with the love of his life, the undelivered letters she never received, haunt his every step…
Can a heart as unyielding as his own find its way back to the one it loves against all odds?
Destiny's hand plays a cruel trick, enticing Mary Rose to the wild expanses of Texas under the pretense of a family visit, only to unveil a heart-wrenching deception. Letters go missing, signals are tragically misinterpreted, and a sinister engagement looms menacingly. In a world conspiring to keep them apart, can these star-crossed lovers defy the odds and rewrite the destiny that hinges on the words never received?
Chapter 1
“Look at you, little one,” Mary Rose Brooks said to a tiny bird that was lying on the footpath.
“You must have fallen from your nest early. Mama is probably busy attending to her other babies, which means I have to take care of you. I want you to be able to soar among the clouds with the other birds, so we’re going to work together to make that happen. I don’t have wings and feathers, but I’ll have to do for now.”
Mary Rose looked up at the massive chestnut tree and realized the bird had fallen a long way from the nest. It wasn’t the first injured or abandoned animal she had found on her daily walks. If a helpless animal needed aid, and Mary Rose came upon it, she’d try her hardest to nurse it back to health. However, they hadn’t always had wounds that were holding them back.
She had found a duckling once that hadn’t been injured but lost. There had been a mother duck somewhere, counting her chicks and coming up one short. Mary Rose had made it her mission to reunite the duckling and its mother, which she did.
The baby duck fell in line with his brothers and sisters as the family waddled towards the water. Mary Rose had been late for dinner that night, and her parents were not happy, but reuniting the family of fowl had been worth it.
Her blue cape wasn’t necessary any longer as the sun was climbing up in the sky, and the morning chill was gone. She used it to carry the fledgling whose downy feathers had a reddish tint. She thought maybe it was a cardinal, and that was good luck. With the bird safe for now, she had to deal with her parents, who were not pleased with her habit of bringing sick animals home.
Mary Rose was likely late for something, as she always was. Her parents would let her know as soon as she walked in the door. She wasn’t sure what would bother them more: her being late or another sick bird.
She pushed her strawberry blonde hair back from her face and flattened the wrinkles on her dress. A streak of dirt on her chiffon yellow dress was yet another thing that would be noticed by her mother. Before Mary Rose could open the door, her mother pulled it from the inside.
“Mary Rose, where have you been all morning? Your father and I were ready to take the carriage down to that unsafe park where you insist on going. Everyone in Boston knows it’s not a place where ladies should stroll unaccompanied,” Mrs. Brooks said.
“I didn’t go that far but only to the chestnut grove, where I found this precious bird that fell from its nest.” Mary Rose unfolded her cape to show off the bird to her mother.
“That cape will have to be washed along with the dress you’re wearing. As far as the bird goes, there’s no room on the back porch for the animals that you continually bring home. I thought your father and I made that clear when you brought home the chipmunk.”
“I’m sorry about the soiled clothes and my tardiness, but it couldn’t be helped. Can I keep the bird for two days, please?” Mary Rose asked. “If it isn’t well by then, I’ll make other arrangements.”
Before her mother could answer, her father, Daniel walked into the room. He was working in the study and preferred things to remain quiet, especially during working hours. The sounds of Mary Rose and her mother speaking sparked his curiosity.
“What are the two of you talking about? Is there an issue in which you need help, Cora?” Daniel asked.
“As you can see, our daughter has brought home yet another wounded animal. I was just telling her that it has no place for it in this home,” Cora said.
“I agree, and it should be placed outside to let the natural order of things take place. We are not a hospital for sick animals. Don’t you have a guest coming for tea?” he asked her mother.
“Yes, I have Leticia Morgan, an English countess, coming, and I’ve been helping Mildred all morning with preparations. Imagine my embarrassment if my tea wasn’t perfect for a woman of her stature.”
“I forgot Countess Leticia was coming. I’ll figure out something for the bird and be ready in a clean dress for tea. I’m sorry for making you come out of your office, Father, and I apologize for causing you to worry, Mother.”
Mary Rose’s father nodded and disappeared into his study. Doing so was his routine. He’d check on things, agree with Cora, and return to his desk. Her mother slowly shook her head and pursed her lips before walking away.
She carried the bird to her room with no idea what she was going to do with it. The natural order that her father spoke of would result in the bird being dead in an hour. It had no way of defending itself against predators like other birds, ground squirrels, or rats.
The servants had helped her in the past by hiding the animals in the garden shed, but that had been too risky. If her parents knew they were going behind their backs, the servants might lose their jobs.
Mary Rose’s blue eyes widened when she thought of the solution, and she didn’t know why it took her so long to think of Jack. Her best friend since childhood, he was always the answer when she found herself with nowhere to turn.
Jack didn’t look like the sort to help a delicate bird, but his height and broad shoulders belied his tender heart. He was loud and boisterous but could be calm when he needed to be. Mary Rose considered his ability to be more than one thing: a gift.
She bumped into Mildred on the way out the back door.
“You’re in a hurry, Miss Mary Rose. I was just about to knock on your door and collect the soiled clothes Mrs. Brooks mentioned.”
“I have to run to the smithery, and I didn’t want to get a clean dress dirty, so I’m wearing it, but it will be ready for cleaning when I get back. There’s no need to concern my mother by telling her about my impromptu errand. I’ll be home in time for t
Mildred smiled and rolled her eyes. “Very fine, Miss. I’ll see you at three-thirty sharp for tea.”
Mary Rose was familiar with the gesture. Mildred had been working hard all morning, and her mother had probably been napping. There were some things she and the servants knew and didn’t need to verbalize.
***
Jonathan Fields had always been plain old Jack to her. Mary Rose had begun sneaking away when things in their grand mansion bored her, which meant she had done it frequently. The manners and decorum grew tedious even at a young age.
It had been easy to slip away since her parents were occupied with impressing or being impressed by the guests. There had been nice people at her parents’ soirees, but they were never interesting. There were no surprises since everyone acted as they were expected to act.
The adults were enjoying aperitifs on the side terrace, and she was sent off with Blythe, her nanny at the time. Mary Rose pretended to fall asleep as she was being read a book, so the nanny tucked her into bed and left her alone. She climbed down the trellis and scampered across the field, which was a bold move for a child of seven.
The days were long, and it wasn’t quite dark yet, so she had that measure of safety. A stream flowed from the Charles River, and she had dipped her feet as it was a hot summer night.
A boy was skimming rocks along the surface of the water not too far from where she was. That boy was Jack.
***
Jack was pounding metal as he made a new ax for Mr. Raab. His old one had been made with a wood handle that snapped while he was chopping an oak log. He was making one that would live longer than Mr. Raab. Jack’s father taught him how to make tools to last a lifetime.
He was finding it harder to concentrate since Mary Rose came back to Boston. He much preferred it when she was only one mile away to when she was two hundred miles away. A single glance at her ice-blue eyes and sweet smile was enough to send his heart soaring. Working in a hot forge and dealing with his father’s illness were bearable with Mary Rose in his life.
His family had nothing compared to the Brooks family. He was, at times, embarrassed by the discrepancy, but it didn’t seem to matter one bit to Mary Rose. She appreciated how hard her father worked to amass their fortune, but at the same time, it didn’t mean much to her.
He had never met a woman as remarkable as Mary Rose, and at last, she was home in Boston for good.
***
Mary Rose walked four blocks to the smithery where Jack would probably be working. He learned the blacksmith trade from his father, who had been fighting illness for the past year. His father, Nigel, seldom made it to work at the shop he owned, which left Jack to fill all the orders that came in.
She felt the heat as she turned the corner and found she was right; he was working. Jack was pounding a glowing piece of steel that he held with pinchers. Mary Rose hated surprising him when he had something like that in his hands.
She whistled to get his attention, and he looked up with a smile. “What a nice surprise this is, although you’re carrying something with you, and that makes me very nervous. Should I be scared?” Jack asked.
The blacksmith shop was so hot, and as a result, Jack’s sleeves were rolled up. Mary Rose realized she hadn’t seen his bare forearms in a few years, and he had developed quite a bit during that time. His forearms looked larger and matched his broad shoulders.
One thing was sure, he looked a lot different than he had when she was seven and he was eleven. They had been children then, and now they were grown adults, although she still forgot sometimes that he was twenty-five.
“I know I’m not scary, nor is this helpless bird I found on the footpath. It needs our help, or it might not survive,” she said.
Jack chuckled at the look on her face.
“I wasn’t serious. I’ve known you a long time, and not once have you scared me. Although, I was scared when you first left for boarding school since I wasn’t sure I’d see you again,” Jack said.
“I get sensitive when I think I’m the butt of a joke. I should know you mean no harm.”
Chuckles came so easily to Jack, although this time, Mary Rose knew it was at her expense. She adored him, and he didn’t intend to offend her, so it really didn’t matter. They had decided that they were soulmates, a term Jack had heard from his sister Jenny.
She married Ronald and moved to Vermont with him because she said he was her soulmate. The term sounded good, although they weren’t positive that they knew what it meant.
He pulled down his sleeves as he recovered from his fit of laughter. “You say it needs our help, but I know you well enough to realize what you really mean is that it needs my help. It was only a matter of time before your mother put an end to using your back porch as an animal hospital,” Jack said, but Mary Rose knew he would soften when he saw the baby bird. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Mary Rose unfolded the cape and showed him the sweet little bird with the reddish feathers and open beak. “I think it’s a cardinal, and the open beak tells me it’s hungry. Do you still have the dropper handy?”
“I do, and I can mash up the insects mixed with milk like you taught me. Don’t you feel bad about having to sacrifice the insects for the birds?” he asked with a smile.
“I do, and you know it.” She jokingly punched him on the arm. “The mother bird would have killed the insects anyway. Enough joking. Will you take care of it for me?”
“Of course. I find it difficult to ever say no to you. That’s why you come to me in situations like this. Aren’t I right?” Jack asked.
“You’re right. I hate having to leave you alone, but it won’t be for long. I can try and sneak away after tea that my mother has arranged with Countess Leticia from England.”
“How does your mother find people from England to invite for tea?”
“I don’t know. My father’s connections with Brooks’ Shipping, I suppose. You know, I’d rather be down by the river skipping stones or feeding baby animals with a dropper. However, I mustn’t go against my parents’ wishes.”
“I’ll be here or at home tending to my father. I’ll take the bird with me regardless, and you should come and find me.”
“I knew I could count on you,” Mary Rose said.
“You always can. I don’t have much like you do, but I can always find a way to help with what little money or possessions I have.”
