“Why didn’t your father want us together?” she asked.
“Although I was a man, my mind wouldn’t settle down. I was a wanderer, and my father wanted me to find a life for myself. He wanted me to build my empire, and he knew that if I married so young, that I wouldn’t be able to fulfill my dreams.” Hesitantly, he touched her clasped hands. “But at the time, my only dream was to marry you and love you for the rest of our lives.”
Her throat jumped in what must have been a hard swallow. “What did my parents think?”
“I’m not sure about your father. He was gone most of the time, selling his inventions from town to town.”
“Yes, Father did that quite a bit before Mother died.”
“But I do know your mother thought highly of me. She wanted us together. However, she agreed with my father that you were too young.”
Bella chuckled lightly. “Too young? At sixteen? My mother married my father when she was that age.”
“True, but your mother had high hopes for you. She wanted you to enjoy your young woman years before getting married. So, that’s when the decision was made.”
Her forehead creased. “What decision.”
“That you and I would separate for seven years. I was forbidden to see you.” He clenched his teeth, remember the unbearable pain that came with that decision. It had nearly driven him mad, especially when his father moved the family to California not long afterward.
“Did this have anything to do with my abduction?”
“I wish I knew.” He moved his touch from her hands. “It was only a week later when you went missing. You were found in the forest near my family’s estate.”
“Were you the one who found me?”
“No, it was your father and brother.”
She shook her head. “That doesn’t explain why I can’t remember you, nor does it explain why my family didn’t tell me about this.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. “Will I ever remember?”
Terrick hated to see her this way. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and comfort her. He wanted to turn back time to when they’d been blissfully happy and in love. “Perhaps you should talk to Andrew.”
She looked at him again. “I shall.” Her shoulders relaxed. “My mother kept journals, and when Garrett had let it slip about my abduction, I searched through my mother’s journals to see if she’d written anything about it, but strangely enough, her last journal had ended the week after my sixteenth birthday.”
“That is very odd.”
Confusion filled him as his mind tried to piece the events together. He had met Bella not long after her birthday. There must be another journal of hers out there because the woman had been devoted to writing in her personal book. Why wouldn’t a mother write about the moments when her only daughter fell in love – or had been abducted?
The woman died not even a month later. Terrick and his father had just moved to California when he’d gotten word of her death. Against his father’s wishes, Terrick had traveled back to the estate. When he had gone to pay his respects to the family, Marcus had met him at the door and wouldn’t allow Terrick inside. He saw Bella sitting on the couch. She’d looked at him, but there was no recognition in her eyes.
Terrick’s chest tightened. Marcus’s last words to him were, Let the seven years pass, just as Mrs. Walsh had instructed.
“How long has it been since we last talked?” she asked, bringing him out of his depressing thoughts.
“Nearly seven years. In a few days, it will mark that moment when we said goodbye to each other.”
Bella leaned her head back on the seat, staring up at the roof of the carriage. “I feel like I’m in a dream. You’re talking about my life, and yet, I’m not in it.”
“Please forgive me if I have caused you any duress.” He touched her hands again. “I only want your happiness.”
The vehicle came to a stop, and Bella jerked upright and peered out the window. Terrick didn’t need to look. By now, he knew how long it took to get from his estate to her house. Things like this, he’d never forget.
He leaned forward and opened the door. He shifted in his seat, hoping he’d be able to climb out of the carriage without tumbling out because of his deformed leg. But Bella placed her hand on his arm, stopping him.
“Terrick, you don’t need to get out. I’ll be fine now.” She smiled. “Thank you for telling me about how we met.”
He took hold of her hand, caressing her knuckles with the pad of his thumb. “I will send the carriage for you tomorrow morning since your horse is still at our stable.”
“Thank you again.”
“Have a pleasant night. Give your father my regards.”
She chuckled lightly. “If he remembers you, that is.”
He kept hold of her hand as she stepped from the carriage, only releasing it as she exited. She gave him a wave before hurrying inside her house. He watched until the front door closed behind her before closing the carriage door.
Sighing a breath of relief, he leaned back in the seat. Hopefully, Bella would remember. That would be the only way she would fall in love with him again because he knew she was hesitant about looking at his face. Who could blame her? Nobody enjoyed looking at a beast.
SIX
BELLA WOKE UP BRIGHT and early the next day, even though her eyes didn’t want to open. There was so much to do before Terrick sent the carriage to pick her up this morning. Last night, she’d visited with her father and waited again for Andrew to drop by to let her know how the hunting had gone, which kept her awake most of the night. It upset her when her brother hadn’t stopped by, and she had gone to bed frustrated and wanting answers.
The story Terrick had told her last evening had stayed on her mind. At times, she wanted to disbelieve, but then, she recalled her mother telling her to live her life to the fullest before she found a man to marry. It fit with what Terrick had told her. And, if she had been forbidden to see Terrick or his family, that would explain why their names had never been mentioned after her mother died.
She rushed through her dressing and even combing her hair. She didn’t style it but pulled it back into a ponytail. Once she was ready for the day, she hurried up to the attic. A year after Mother had died, her family boxed up her mother’s things and stuck them up here for safekeeping.
The first thing Bella did was open the window to let the sunshine inside. There was a cool breeze in the air, and she hoped it would freshen up the room. Then, she moved to the first box and dug through the contents to search for the missing journal.
Deep in Bella’s heart, she knew her mother had another journal. She remembered seeing her mother write in it every night, so why would she suddenly miss a month of writing?
There was so much that didn’t make sense, but at least Terrick had told her about some of those things. Still, it upset her that her own father and brother had kept the Wentworth family a secret for all these years.
An hour later, she was still digging, but now her neck ached, and her shoulders hurt from not being in the proper position while on the floor. And to make it worse, she hadn’t found anything helpful. Terrick’s carriage would be here shortly, so she must hurry.
She moved aside a box that she’d finished searching through and scooted over to Mother’s old trunk. Bella recalled the few times her mother had used this trunk. As a child, she and Andrew would travel all over the country with their parents. Mother used this trunk to pack their clothes. Later in life, Mother stayed home with her children while her husband went traveling. The old trunk hadn’t been used in years.
Bella lifted the clasps before pulling up the trunk’s lid. The wood creaked, testifying that it hadn’t been open for a long time. A strong, musty scent attacked her sense, and she sneezed. Immediately, she noticed the wedding gown her mother had saved. The white fabric had turned yellow, and the lace appeared as if it would crumble at any moment. As a girl, there were times Bella had wanted to wear the gown, but her mother told her she w
as saving it for Bella’s wedding day.
Sighing, Bella shook her head. There was no way she could wear the gown now.
Carefully, she moved the fabric aside and slid her hand deeper into the trunk. Her hand bumped against something hard, flat, and... leather. She quickly grasped it and yanked the book out of the trunk. Instead of the journal she expected to find, this book had odd symbols on the cover. Cautiously, she opened the book and read the writing inside.
To my lovely daughter, Lucinda. I hope you use this book wisely and use the formulas for wholesome purposes. Love, your mother.
Bella scrunched her forehead. Grandma Rose gave this book to Bella’s Mother? Why had she never seen it before?
From outside the opened window, she heard the sound of a carriage pulling up the drive. She quickly closed the trunk and, keeping the book in her hand, stood. As she hurried down the stairs, she brushed the dust off her clothes.
On her way toward the front door, she lifted her shawl from the hook on the wall and then wrapped it around the book. She’d read this later, but she’d show it to Terrick. Hopefully, he could help her figure out what the odd symbols and writings were all about.
She told her father goodbye, hurried out the door, and looked toward the carriage. Mr. Wentworth and Anastasia were the ones coming to get her this morning. They had both descended the vehicle.
“Good morning, Bella,” Mr. Wentworth exclaimed cheerfully. “I’m happy to see that you haven’t changed your mind about working for us, especially after what happened yesterday.”
Bella held the wrapped book against her bosom as she walked toward the carriage. “Of course, I haven’t changed my mind. Why should I?”
“Because of the beast in the forest,” Anastasia said dramatically. “That frightened me so much I didn’t sleep well.”
“But you ladies shouldn’t worry.” Mr. Wentworth helped both his daughter and Bella inside the vehicle before climbing in and closing the door. “I have sent some of my own hunters into the woods to find this wild animal.”
Bella adjusted her skirt, finishing wiping off a speck of dust she’d overlooked. “My brother and some hunters searched, and yet, the panther was not found.”
“Rest assured,” he reached over and patted her arm, “we’ll find the animal.”
The feeling of déjà vu came over her again, and this time, she couldn’t shake it off. “Mr. Wentworth? From your recollection, has the panther came to this town before?”
The older man remained silent for a few moments as he stared at her. Bella hoped he could recall a time the animal had been here. She didn’t think she was losing her mind like her father was.
“During the months that we have lived here, I haven’t heard of any spottings. However, we don’t live here all year long, so perhaps the wild animal has come before.”
Bella received the distinct feeling that he wasn’t completely honest with her. There was something in his eyes that told her he was hiding the truth.
Inwardly, she seethed. She dug her fingers into the material of her shawl and bunched her hands. Why had people been treating her like a child? She was nearly twenty-three, and yet, even her brother treated her as though she was still young.
“Well, then,” she sighed deeply, “I suppose I’ll have to locate my brother and ask him.”
Mr. Wentworth nodded. “I’m sure he’ll know more about it.”
She took steady breaths, trying to calm her ire. Andrew had better know, and he’d better give her some answers.
THE COOLER WEATHER today brought more aches to Terrick’s leg, and the more he walked on it, the more it hurt. But he also knew that not exercising his leg would make it stiffen up and more difficult to use. At least he had a leg. After the accident, the town’s physician wanted to amputate. Terrick wouldn’t let the so-called professional. Terrick was warned that keeping his leg, he’d be in pain for the rest of his life. He hadn’t cared. He would be able to do more with a limb than without one.
He stayed in the library this morning, mainly to keep the heat in the room since that helped his leg, but he also wanted to read. Knowing that Bella had returned to the estate to help his sister eased Terrick’s mind considerably. After his confession last night, he worried it might have scared Bella off.
Only dressed in a shirt, trousers, and boots, the room was too warm to wear a vest or suit jacket. And it was too warm to wear the scarf over his face. He only did that when other people were around, anyway.
Leaning heavily on his cane, he slowly paced the floor in the library, as he tried to read a book. Most of the time, Terrick was able to concentrate, but once the plot started boring him, his mind wandered. A wandering mind only led to one thing. Bella.
And regrets.
He stopped at the hearth and stared into the fire. He’d blamed his father for a lot of things, but Terrick blamed himself for actually following his father’s advice to separate from Bella for seven years. If it weren’t for Lucinda’s plea for her daughter to enjoy her single life, Terrick probably wouldn’t have given in. Now he wondered if the woman had done the right thing for her daughter. It hadn’t been just his life their parents ruined. It was Bella’s as well. At least she had the luxury of not remembering, since nearly every day for seven years, his broken heart had yearned for Bella.
“Excuse me for interrupting.”
Bella’s sweet voice jerked him out of his thoughts, and he spun to look at her. His heart leaped with excitement, finally being able to see her beautiful face today. But, when he noticed her gaze studying his whole face, his chest tightened.
Spinning around, he hid his scars from her. “I’m... not covered.”
“Terrick?” Her voice was gentle and steady. “Your scars don’t scare me.”
Slowly, his heart began to melt, but he didn’t dare let his guard down. If she saw his face clearly, she would cringe. He doubted she saw him completely.
“Please, Bella. I’m not comfortable with people looking at me.”
He listened for her footsteps to leave the room, but nothing happened. As the seconds ticked by, he finally heard her heeled boots clicking on the wooden floor... but they were coming toward him, not away. Soon, he felt the warmth of her hand touching his arm.
“Terrick, please. If we once loved each other, I would look past your scars to your heart.”
“I didn’t look this way when we were falling in love.” His breathing turned ragged, but it was because of her genuine sweetness, reminding him of why he’d fallen in love with her all those years ago.
“I fear that since you don’t remember me, you won’t be able to look to my heart.”
Her hand stroked his arm slowly. “I had been watching you stare into the fire for a few minutes before I made my presence known.”
He stiffened and held his breath.
“Terrick, your face isn’t as bad as you think it is.”
As much as he didn’t want to frighten her, he did want to look into her eyes to see if she was telling him the truth. The Bella he remembered had never lied to him. He prayed that woman was still inside her, fighting to break through.
He inhaled deeply and then slowly released it as he turned to face her. His heartbeat pounded against his ribs, and he wondered if she could hear it. As he peered into her eyes, her gaze moved over his face again. They were closer, which meant she could see more.
Terrick waited for her to cringe or to show signs of withdrawal, but so far, she was calm. It was all he could do to restrain himself from taking her in his arms and holding her. A different rhythm pumped in his heart, and he wanted to cry with happiness. But once again, it was too soon. Until her memories returned, their relationship would only be friends.
“I’m sorry you caught me like this,” he said in a broken voice as he rubbed his throbbing leg. “Cooler weather makes my leg ache something fierce.”
Her gaze moved away from his scars, and she met his stare. “Anastasia mentioned you were in the library. Forgive me for disturbin
g you.”
He shook his head. “Nonsense. I just wasn’t... prepared.” He smiled. “But seeing you brightens my day.” He moved his focus over her pony-tailed hair and her blouse and skirt. She wasn’t dressed as fancy as she’d been yesterday, but it didn’t matter to him. She would always be the prettiest lady in the world.
She held up a book that he hadn’t noticed her holding.
“I was hoping,” she said, “that you could help me with this. I found this in my mother’s old trunk.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Is it Lucinda’s missing journal?”
“Sadly, no. But I’m stumped.” She handed him the book. “I don’t know what kind of book it is. My grandmother gave it to my mother, but I’ve never seen it before.”
As he took the book from her, he purposely caressed her fingers. The moment didn’t last long, but his heart bounced with energy. Something must have affected her because she inhaled quickly.
Although he didn’t want to take his eyes off her, he glanced at the book. The symbols on the cover seemed familiar, but he couldn’t recall where he’d seen them before. He opened the book to the first page and scanned the words. Some of them made sense; most of them didn’t.
“Do you understand that jibberish?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Not really. Sometimes it reads like a recipe, but this is definitely not for meals.”
“I thought so, too.”
She touched his hand. “Terrick? Would you mind looking through the book for me? I need to get back to your sister now. I’d truly appreciate your help.”
His heart lightened from her smile. Perhaps she wasn’t afraid of his scars as she’d said. “Yes, of course.”
“Oh, and don’t let your father see it.”
He narrowed his gaze on her. “Why not?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t feel right about others seeing this book, but I knew I could trust you.”
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