Bewitching The Recluse [BOOK 2 of Price Family Saga]

57. Chapter (And A Letter Concludes The Ending)

A weighty silence enveloped the gathering of young folk, occasionally interrupted by the innocent laughter of children.

Arden gestured with his hands and remarked, "That concludes matters on my part. Now, I must return to the manor to retrieve my steed and finally make my journey back to London – my yearning for my wife and son has become quite pronounced."

Isabella approached him and embraced him warmly. "I extend my gratitude for all your efforts, Arden. And do convey my warm regards to your household."

"It is my pleasure, dear sister. Always remember, I shall stand as your guardian, even if from afar," he murmured reassuringly.

A few days hence, the Grays bid adieu to the St. Arceys, significantly decelerating the pace of life for the newlyweds. Nevertheless, their domestic life did not come to a halt – that responsibility was already shouldered by the ever-inquisitive Teddy, eagerly anticipating the reunion with Rowena and Julien. While Bella attended to him with the same ardour as before, Travis resolved to arrange the documents in his escritoires and most importantly, the drawer in his desk. As he perused various missives, a smile graced his countenance upon encountering those scribbled by Bella in moments of amorous rapture.

By Jove, we have traversed a considerable distance from these epistles to the present day, he ruminated and sighed, reflecting upon his erstwhile imprudent comportment, which had nearly deprived him of felicity. Subsequently, he later elucidated to Bella why he retained them and refrained from discarding them:

"I retained them through the years because... well, primarily – and I genuinely mean this – I aspired to restore them to you one day. Presently, they serve as a keepsake of the man I once was, a man both cruel and foolish, exceedingly foolish, who nearly permitted his bliss to elude him. This responsibility never escaped my recollection, as it was a recurrent theme in my dreams with you. I venture to assert that our paths would have crossed inevitably, and I would have been compelled to acknowledge the extent of my transgressions. Ultimately, they aided me in recollecting your expressions, my dear. They facilitated my comprehension of your sentiments and anticipations in that truly final moment that transpired in study."

With a genteel smile, he delicately placed the letters askew on the polished wooden table and leaned once more into the mahogany writing desk. There, he happened upon a rather substantial envelope. As he retrieved it, a vivid recollection surfaced – the moment Lafferty presented it to him. Back then, he declined to break the seal, apprehensive that the contents of his dear mother's final missive would assuredly disturb his repose in the ensuing days if not months. Serendipitously, it was the fifteenth day of December, a year since her departure from the realm of the living, yet his trepidation remained unabated.

Can the departed truly inflict harm upon me? Or do I err in my musings? he pondered silently. Eventually, he drew in a deep breath, unsealing the envelope. Delicately withdrawing sheets of fine parchment, he commenced perusing the written words.

Travis, my cherished son,

A quiet chuckle escaped him at the mere salutation. "You jest, mother!" he exclaimed with a hushed tone, the words dissipating in the stillness of his well-appointed study, yet he persisted in his reading.

I scribe this protracted letter to you, for I sense that my time draws near. Do not be dismayed if certain portions prove arduous to decipher – 'tis a consequence of my life force waning, making it quite challenging at times to maintain the quill within my grasp. I fervently pray you peruse it ere it be too late, as it serves as my final confession to thee. Furthermore, I am cognisant that as you peruse its contents, myriad queries shall reverberate within you, and perchance, I may proffer elucidation to some.