Daughters of Castle Deverill by Santa Montefiore Read Free Book Online Page B

with him, when she had yearned for his arms to hold her and his lips to kiss her; when she had craved his love
with every fibre of her being. But Kitty had stolen him as she had later stolen her son. Bridie pushed aside her childhood dreams with a sniff of disdain because she wasn’t Bridie Doyle any
longer. With a determined hardening of her heart she smothered the tenderness in it that had only brought her unhappiness, and strode into the barn. The laughter stopped at once as the light from
outside was thrown across the room. Sean’s surprised face appeared from round the back of the hay rick, flushing guiltily. A moment later Rosetta stepped out, the buttons on her blouse half
undone and her hair dishevelled.
    ‘I need to talk to you, Rosetta,’ Bridie said stiffly. Then, turning to her brother, she added, ‘I’m sure there’s something you can find to do outside.’ Sean
grinned at Rosetta, whose brown skin was flushed from the roughness of his bristles, and stepped out into the wind, closing the big door behind him. ‘I see you’re already helping on the
farm,’ Bridie said, regretting, even as she spoke, the resentful tone in her voice.
    ‘I would like to be helpful,’ Rosetta replied. ‘The countryside here is wild and romantic’
    Bridie noticed the dreamy look in her eyes and her jealousy made her mean. ‘Believe me, there was nothing romantic about my childhood here. Hard winters and poverty are all I
remember.’
    Rosetta’s smile faded. ‘I’m sorry, Bridget.’ The two women had shared so much, they were more like friends than servant and mistress. Rosetta began to button up her
blouse with trembling fingers.
    Bridie’s heart softened. ‘Forgive me,’ she said. ‘You’re right. It
is
romantic and wild here. There was a time when I felt it too. But those days are gone
and I can never get them back. I’m leaving, Rosetta. I’m going back to Dublin. Then I’m taking the ship to America. This time for good. I’d like you to come with me, but
it’s your decision.’ She sighed, knowing already that their adventure together was to end here. ‘It’s time my brother married. I think he’s made his choice.’
Rosetta blushed, lowering her eyes. ‘And it’s plain that you like him too.’
    ‘I do, Bridget,’ Rosetta replied and Bridie was surprised by the degree of her disappointment and hurt. But her affection for Rosetta overrode her bitterness and she took her
friend’s hands.
    ‘Has he . . .?’
    ‘Yes, he’s asked me to marry him.’
    ‘After a fortnight?’ said Bridie, astonished.
    Rosetta shrugged in that carefree Italian way of hers. ‘When you know, you know,’ she said.
    Bridie was moved and generosity flowed back into her. Rosetta had always been strong, now she admired her resolve and certainty. ‘Then you must stay.’ She embraced Rosetta fiercely,
suddenly afraid of setting off on her journey alone. ‘I’ll miss you,’ she said huskily. ‘We’ve been through so much together, you and I. In fact, I realize now that
you’re my only real friend. It grieves me to lose you.’ Her voice had suddenly gone as thin as a reed. She cleared her throat and collected herself. ‘But there’s something
important I have to do. Something that matters to me more than anything else in the world.’
    ‘What will you tell your family?’
    ‘I will write to them from Dublin and explain that I don’t belong here any more. It’s like trying to put on an old dress I’ve grown out of. It no longer fits.’ She
laughed to disguise her tears. ‘You can tell them I have left for New York. That I couldn’t bear to say goodbye. I’ll make sure you are all well provided for. Mam can buy her
mangle and Sean won’t have to worry about the farm any longer. He can buy the land now and repair the house. I doubt he’ll be able to do much more than that while Nanna is alive. Write
to me, Rosetta.’ She squeezed her hands.
    ‘How will I know where to find