Miss Lacey's Love Letters Read Online Free
Author: Caylen McQueen
assume Miss Lacey is his wife?"
"That's the thing, dear. I don't think so. According to what I've heard, Noah Worthington is something of a recluse."
"Are you sure it's the same man?"
"Of course. How many Noah Worthingtons could there be?"
"So, what happened between Mr. Worthington and Abigail Lacey?" Valeria was surprised by how stirred she was by the lives of two people she would likely never meet. "They didn't get married after all?"
"I would assume they did not. For what other reason would he be, to this day, an unmarried hermit?" Lost in thought, Lydia tapped her chin with the corner of an envelope. "It is strange to think the author of these letters is still out there. Wouldn't you like to meet him?"
"No!" Valeria's answer came swiftly. "What could we possibly say to him? That we read his private missives?"
"Possibly. And we could ask him what became of Miss Lacey."
"You really want to meet him?" When she saw her aunt's nod, she added, "It's madness, you know."
"I happen to think it's exciting! Meeting Mr. Worthington... my heart trembles at the thought!"
"It sounds like you're a little bit in love with Mr. Worthington."
Before her aunt could protest, they were silenced by the sound of crunching foliage, and a male voice uttering a single word. " Valeria ."
It was a familiar voice, but it made her jolt. When she turned around, she saw the face of her longtime friend, Harold Rigby. "Harold! Oh my! What are you doing here?!"
When Harold's gaze landed on Lydia, he said, "With your aunt here, I suppose I should call you Miss Woll."
"That's hardly necessary. I am sure Lydia knows our acquaintance is a long and familiar one." Valeria rose from the bench and took a step in Harold's direction. She had known Harold since she was nineteen, and while he had courted her at first, their relationship ultimately ended in friendship. It had been some time since she had seen him, perhaps a year or two. There were a few grays mixed in with his black hair, and he had a few extra lines around his eyes, but other than that, he looked as handsome as ever. "Did you come all the way from London?"
"I came all the way from Bath, actually. The waters were a miracle. Not only did they heal my infection, they helped me clear my head."
"You had an infection?"
"A troublesome tooth. It was inflamed, but now it feels perfectly fine."
"That's good to hear."
"I tried the front door. There was no answer."
"We have no butler," Lydia explained. "Nor a maid, or a servant of any sort. We've only recently made this our home."
"I see. Then I hope you don't mind that I approached you in the garden?"
"I don't mind at all," Valeria said with a smile. "And I'm not entirely sure you can call this a garden . Everything is dead out here. This space is in desperate need of a revival."
"It isn't so bad," Harold lied. His eyes lingered on Lydia, then he asked, "Valeria, may I speak to you for a moment?"
"We're speaking right now."
"Privately," Harold insisted. "It won't take long."
"Seeing as you have traveled all the way from Bath, it must be important." Valeria accepted Harold's proffered arm and followed him away from the bench. She could still see her aunt in the distance, unabashedly watching them. "This really is a surprise, you know."
"I had to see you." When Harold turned in her direction, his eyes were locked on hers. "I can't believe you're living all the way up here. Was it really necessary to move so far from London?"
"My aunt wanted to come here," Valeria explained. "And I would follow her anywhere."
"Even if it meant leaving all of your friends?"
"Aunt Lydia is my best friend. I've been with her for the last seven years." With a resolute nod, she repeated, "I would follow her anywhere."
"It's... it's just a shame that you're living so far away." He glanced over Valeria's shoulder and studied the huge, decaying house behind her. "You deserve better than this ramshackle place."
"Living here has proven to be a challenge," Valeria
"That's the thing, dear. I don't think so. According to what I've heard, Noah Worthington is something of a recluse."
"Are you sure it's the same man?"
"Of course. How many Noah Worthingtons could there be?"
"So, what happened between Mr. Worthington and Abigail Lacey?" Valeria was surprised by how stirred she was by the lives of two people she would likely never meet. "They didn't get married after all?"
"I would assume they did not. For what other reason would he be, to this day, an unmarried hermit?" Lost in thought, Lydia tapped her chin with the corner of an envelope. "It is strange to think the author of these letters is still out there. Wouldn't you like to meet him?"
"No!" Valeria's answer came swiftly. "What could we possibly say to him? That we read his private missives?"
"Possibly. And we could ask him what became of Miss Lacey."
"You really want to meet him?" When she saw her aunt's nod, she added, "It's madness, you know."
"I happen to think it's exciting! Meeting Mr. Worthington... my heart trembles at the thought!"
"It sounds like you're a little bit in love with Mr. Worthington."
Before her aunt could protest, they were silenced by the sound of crunching foliage, and a male voice uttering a single word. " Valeria ."
It was a familiar voice, but it made her jolt. When she turned around, she saw the face of her longtime friend, Harold Rigby. "Harold! Oh my! What are you doing here?!"
When Harold's gaze landed on Lydia, he said, "With your aunt here, I suppose I should call you Miss Woll."
"That's hardly necessary. I am sure Lydia knows our acquaintance is a long and familiar one." Valeria rose from the bench and took a step in Harold's direction. She had known Harold since she was nineteen, and while he had courted her at first, their relationship ultimately ended in friendship. It had been some time since she had seen him, perhaps a year or two. There were a few grays mixed in with his black hair, and he had a few extra lines around his eyes, but other than that, he looked as handsome as ever. "Did you come all the way from London?"
"I came all the way from Bath, actually. The waters were a miracle. Not only did they heal my infection, they helped me clear my head."
"You had an infection?"
"A troublesome tooth. It was inflamed, but now it feels perfectly fine."
"That's good to hear."
"I tried the front door. There was no answer."
"We have no butler," Lydia explained. "Nor a maid, or a servant of any sort. We've only recently made this our home."
"I see. Then I hope you don't mind that I approached you in the garden?"
"I don't mind at all," Valeria said with a smile. "And I'm not entirely sure you can call this a garden . Everything is dead out here. This space is in desperate need of a revival."
"It isn't so bad," Harold lied. His eyes lingered on Lydia, then he asked, "Valeria, may I speak to you for a moment?"
"We're speaking right now."
"Privately," Harold insisted. "It won't take long."
"Seeing as you have traveled all the way from Bath, it must be important." Valeria accepted Harold's proffered arm and followed him away from the bench. She could still see her aunt in the distance, unabashedly watching them. "This really is a surprise, you know."
"I had to see you." When Harold turned in her direction, his eyes were locked on hers. "I can't believe you're living all the way up here. Was it really necessary to move so far from London?"
"My aunt wanted to come here," Valeria explained. "And I would follow her anywhere."
"Even if it meant leaving all of your friends?"
"Aunt Lydia is my best friend. I've been with her for the last seven years." With a resolute nod, she repeated, "I would follow her anywhere."
"It's... it's just a shame that you're living so far away." He glanced over Valeria's shoulder and studied the huge, decaying house behind her. "You deserve better than this ramshackle place."
"Living here has proven to be a challenge," Valeria
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