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Chapter 37
“WAIT,” MAGNOLIA SCREAMED, disoriented. Her arm was stretched in front of her and she was drenched in sweat. “A dream,” she whispered before she tried to relax her tense body.
She pushed the covers off and walked to the table to pour herself a glass of water.
“It was definitely a memory from my childhood, from before the accident—or the murder,” she rectified.
Magnolia put her glass back on the table at once. She hurried to her closet and quickly changed her clothes. She packed the fruit that Clara had left for her on the table and headed to the stables.
“Hey, you,” she greeted Thunder. He recognized her immediately and inched closer to nuzzle against her face. “Let’s go for a little trip, shall we?”
Magnolia grabbed a blanket and a saddle. She had never put one on by herself before, but she had watched enough people do it to remember. She tightened the girth and checked that the saddle was fastened in place, then, she mounted the
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Magnolia Chapter 38
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE IS GONE?” Daniel’s voice was low and dangerous. He glared at his friend. “The stable boy said that Thunder is missing, and the duchess is nowhere to be found,” Henry told him. “You know that your horse would never let a stranger approach him.” Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. ‘Could it be that she ran away?’ The thought made his blood boil. ‘But she would never leave Geoffrey behind.’He shook his head. ‘Of course, she did not run away. But then where did she go? And why in the middle of the night?’ Henry watched his friend struggle with his thoughts. “Let’s prepare to track her right away,” Daniel ordered. “Tell Victor to only bring a handful of men.” ‘I hope she is not going to do something foolish because of what Aunt Paula told her.’ In no time, horses and dogs were prepared to track the duchess. Of course, no one in the ca
Magnolia Chapter 39
“ARE YOU SURE IT’S ALRIGHT to just walk away from them?” Magnolia asked while looking back at the knights they left behind. “It is,” Daniel answered. “We will not get that far, and the horses need a break anyway,” he added. “We will spend the night in town and leave in the morning.” They both took a few steps in silence, each of them trying to catch up with their racing thoughts. They followed a hidden path through the trees until they found themselves standing in front of a huge pond. The reflection of the afternoon sun on the water made it sparkle like diamonds. “Beautiful,” Magnolia whispered. They took in the breathtaking landscape for a few minutes before Daniel reached for his wife’s hand to get her attention. “Magnolia,” he started. “First of all, I need to apologize for my behavior on that day after the attack.” He squeezed her hand. “How could I ever think that you’re a monster, Magnolia? I was frustrated with myself. I
Magnolia Chapter 40
MAGNOLIA SNUGGLED AGAINST DANIEL’S CHEST. They had made love for hours, the same as every night since they had returned from Hamelsta. He smiled. ‘How did it even feel before, without Magnolia sleeping in my arms?’ He pulled her tighter against him which got a moan out of her. But after a few minutes, her body jolted and she mumbled something. He could tell that she was having a dream. “Killian,” she called. “Don’t go, Killian.” Daniel frowned. ‘Who in the hell is Killian? Calling another man’s name while in my arms.’ Magnolia stretched her arm and called the name again. This time, it was a scream. She immediately opened her eyes, disoriented. “It’s alright, love,” Daniel whispered against her hair. “It was just a bad dream.” Magnolia nodded her head as she tried to slow her breathing. “You spoke in your sleep,” he told her after a long silence. “Did I?” She looked up. “Yes, you called
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“IJUST DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE TO GO AS WELL.” Henry shrugged. He looked annoyed and bored by the conversation already. “We will be gone for two weeks, in addition to the traveling time,” Daniel told him. “Isn’t that a good reason for me to stay behind and take care of things here?” “Henry, my friend,” the duke started, “life is not all about work, you should take some time to enjoy life.” “Says the man who, only a few months ago, did not even know the color of his bed covers because he spent every night in his office.” Daniel chuckled. “Well, not anymore,” he grinned. “Are you boasting to your bachelor friend?” Henry raised a brow. “Not at all.” Daniel raised his arms in surrender. “I just want you to find someone who would make you happy, like I did. Besides, you were also invited.” “Please, I don’t need someone else telling me these things. My mother is doing an outstanding job reminding me that I nee
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“MAGNOLIA!” FLORENCE REJOICED WHEN SHE SAW THE DUCHESS. She rushed to her friend and hugged her tightly. “Oh Florence, I have missed you.” “I have missed you too.” Daniel watched with a smile. He had hoped that the trip would divert his wife’s mind from her family matters and help her forget about the dreams she had been having. He was relieved to see that meeting her friend had been a welcome distraction. She did not mention the search ever since she received Florence’s letter. Daniel would share any findings with her as soon as he got them from Marcus. But he was happy to see that his wife was enjoying herself right now. “Daniel,” Richard called as he stepped closer to him. “Richard, how have you been?” They shook hands. “Not bad at all, business is good,” he answered. ‘Leave it to Richard Kalwen to mention business not even ten seconds after meeting his friend.’ “I hope the jo
Magnolia Chapter 43
DINNER WAS A WHOLE AFFAIR. Instead of the dining hall, it took place in the ballroom. Probably because they were not going to be able to fit fifty people in that hall. The dressed tables were too long to even clearly see the guests sitting on the other side. After Magnolia and Daniel checked on Geoffrey and bid him goodnight, they joined the guests just in time to enter the room. The duke was immediately greeted by many. Acquaintances waved and smiled at him, and people who were never introduced to him bowed, hoping that the event would be their chance to meet the Duke of Salicera. The couple were seated by Richard, which Magnolia was grateful for. She did not know anyone in the room except for the Kalwens. Most of her acquaintances arrived in the following few days. The birthday ball itself was in a week, but as the dowager countess had announced to her earlier, the festivities would last for days. After the bathtub earlie
Magnolia Chapter 44
IT WAS FINALLY THE DAY OF FLORENCE’S BIRTHDAY BALL. Magnolia had watched her friend over the past few days as she struggled with her mother’s introductions to the lords who were attending. She wanted to help her, but there was nothing she could do. She even asked Daniel if he could intervene, as the duke. But he told her that only Richard could, but he listened to everything his mother said, unfortunately. At the ball, Florence was juggled from one arm to another. Every time the music started, she was dancing with a different partner, her mother made sure of that. She was finally relieved when everyone was invited to step out into the gardens. She immediately found her friend and told her that she was going to sneak away. “Would you like me to accompany you?” Magnolia asked. “I am only going for a walk to get some fresh air.” She shook her head. “Enjoy the show in your husband’s arms,” she whispered to her before winking. Then, she disap
Magnolia Chapter 45
“I AM SURE SHE CAME HERE.” Richard said as they made their way toward the lake. “My sister always comes here when she wants to be alone.” “She did want to go for a walk alone, I think the ball has taken a toll on her,” Magnolia tried to start a conversation about Florence’s marriage plans. “She was very stressed when I saw her earlier.” She looked over to Daniel to try to get his help but ended up crashing into Richard’s back when he suddenly came to a halt. She gasped in surprise. “Are you alright?” Daniel caught her from falling. “What in the Gods names?” They heard Richard mumble. Then he took fast stomps to Henry and his sister. “What the bloody hell is this?” he roared, pulling Henry away from Florence. “How dare you?” His left fist landed on Henry’s face, sending him flying to the ground. “No, Rick,” Florence called as she tried to hold her brother back, but Richard pushed her with too much force. She yelped when she hit the ground.
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