Lost Love Found by Bertrice Small Read Free Book Online

gravitated.
    He had been much at court in his youth, having served as a page in the household of the Earl of Lincoln, whose countess was a cousin of Aidan St. Michael’s. When he grew too old to be a page, his mother sent him to Oxford. He studied there for two years before spending a year at sea with his elder brother, Murrough. During that year he discovered that, like his late father, Niall Burke, he was a landlubber through and through. Since then, Padraic had spent most of his time on his estates and at court, performing small, discreet services for the queen. He had joined the Earl of Essex’s expedition to Cádiz in 1596 when the English captured and sacked that Spanish city.
    Valentina had seen her cousin at every family gathering. Now, she wondered why she had never discussed with Padraic her inability to find a husband she could love. He had always helped her to find answers to her problems. Furthermore, Padraic, like her, seemed unable to find true love.
    “Valentina,” her mother called as Valentina reached the terrace. “Did Padraic find you? He came today especially to see you.”
    “You had best send someone to help him find the path out of the maze, Mama. It seems Lord Burke has once again lost his way,” Valentina laughed.
    “Valentina! Will you never grow up?” Aidan scolded, but she could not help laughing. She was relieved that Valentina had not gone into a decline over Lord Barrows’s death. “Jemmie,” she called to her youngest child, “go and lead your poor cousin Padraic from the maze.”
    The little boy scampered off, whooping with glee. His cousin’s inability to solve the secret of Pearroc Royal’s maze was a longstanding family joke. All of the St. Michael children had easily deciphered the riddle of the twisting paths by the time they were four years old, as had their cousins—all except Padraic. To him the maze was still a conundrum, much to his mortification.
    “Why on earth did you lure your cousin into the maze, Valentina?” her mother demanded.
    “I did not lure him, Mama. I was forced to flee from him. He was tickling me, and you know how ticklish I am. I knew if I could but get him into the maze I could then escape him easily. I certainly could not outrun him. Besides, would it not be undignified for a newly widowed lady wearing deep mourning to be seen fleeing a pursuer across the lawn? I should hope to have a greater care for my reputation than that, Mama.”
    “I am pleased to see that you have considered the proprieties, my dear, even if your methods are somewhat unorthodox,” Aidan murmured.
    “I hope you are prepared to protect me, Mama, when Jemmie releases my cousin from his prison,” Valentina said mischievously.
    Seeing her nephew striding determinedly toward them from the end of the garden, Aidan took her daughter by the arm and hurried her off. “I believe Padraic is less apt to wreak his vengeance upon us if we are safely indoors,” she said.
    “Ah, Mama, I am relieved to see you are still willing to defend me.
    “I have always defended and protected you, Valentina. From your very infancy I have guarded you, even though you were too young to remember it” was the reply.
    “I know,” said Valentina. “Nan has told me the story of my kidnapping at least a thousand times over. And Wenda, too, for she also shared in the early part of the adventure, didn’t she?”
    “Aye, she did,” said Aidan with a smile, “but it was the faithful Nan who bore your captivity in Ireland and suffered at the hands of my grandfather FitzGerald and his family. It was she who nursed you and kept you alive until I could reach you. Still in all, I did manage to rescue you even before your father could arrive. In doing so, I met Lord Glin who sheltered me from the FitzGeralds and their wrath behind Glinshannon’s sturdy walls until Conn could come for us. Now Bevin is to wed young Henry Sturminster, his father’s namesake and heir. One day my daughter will be mistress