Lady Adalyn (The Saga Of Wolfbridge Manor Book 1), Sahara Kelly [the best e book reader .TXT] 📗

responsibilities, many of which she was now finding in her lap. And she enjoyed the knowledge that she was doing good, being active and making decisions that felt right.

She’d never had that kind of power before, and accepted that she had grown into the ability to understand it and use it during her sojourn at the Manor.

But the men.

They were her life, her loves, her friends—her family.

A shock ran through her as she let that thought bloom within her mind. She loved them with a deep and abiding warmth, all of them. Adding the sensual caresses to the mix, they created a situation that fulfilled every single need Adalyn had ever had.

She had become a woman in so many unexpected ways. She was allowed to think for herself; she could accept that some decisions were hard to make, but that didn’t stop her from making them.

Nobody told her no, nor did they ignore her as if she was a mere cypher.

She was not only loved, they respected her in a way she’d never anticipated. And that was an astounding revelation.

It did not help her untangle the knot presented by the gentlemen, but it did give her pause.

And as sleep finally claimed her, she drifted on a question…could she choose just one of her gentlemen to be hers forever?

No answers came to her during the night, but even if they did, she probably would have forgotten them since it was barely dawn when the door to her room crashed open and Giles rushed in.

“Get up, Adalyn. The river has flooded…”

She gasped, blinked—and realised she was alone. She never heard Jeremy leave, but at this moment she was glad he had. “I’ll be with you in ten minutes, Giles.” She pulled the quilt up over her nakedness. “We must go to the bridge?”

“No, there’s another chance…come to the parlour when you’re ready and I’ll tell you.”

She nodded and he left the room.

Knowing this might be a physically challenging day, she chose a thick riding skirt, along with a heavy shirt and jacket. Stout boots completed her outfit and she arrived in the parlour barely five minutes over the time she’d promised Giles.

“Tell me,” she said, walking in to find them all there.

“Tea. Eat.” Evan put a plate, a cup and saucer and food in front of her.

“Yes, eat something Adalyn. I can tell you while you break your fast.”

As if they’d awaited her, they all sat, and Jeremy took one more piece of toast, while Daniel and Evan refilled their cups.

“I remembered something last night,” said Daniel. “When I first arrived here at Wolfbridge, I was meeting the tenants and the farmers. Much like yourself. But at that time there was a small holding quite a way up river. It was on the border of the Manor estate, and only one man lived there.”

“I remember him,” nodded Evan. “Nice fellow.”

“Sadly he passed away,” continued Daniel. “And the land was so far away from here that nobody cared to take it on. It was merely a shack and a small pasture.”

“There has to be a ‘but’ coming…” She looked at the intense faces surrounding her.

“There is,” replied Giles. “I remember Old Harry well. A once brilliant man who had turned his back on his world and enjoyed the tranquillity of the country for his remaining years.”

“All right. But what does this have to do with our flood?”

“Giles mentioned he was brilliant? Well, he was. The river was very near his property, and of course during rainy times like these, the water rose. So Old Harry dug himself a run-off channel.” Daniel sipped tea. “It took a few years, but he was in no hurry, I suppose, and whether he used it or not, none of us can recall.”

Giles concurred. “I wish I could. But I know it’s there, so we should definitely see if there’s the tiniest chance it could help, before the water rises any more.”

Adalyn approved. “Any possibilities must be considered.” She drank her tea, knowing it might be the only cup she would enjoy for most of the day. “It rains still?”

Jeremy nodded. “Not as heavy as yesterday, but it has not stopped.”

“And the flooding? Giles, you said the river has flooded?”

“Yes. One of the tenants brought me the news before dawn. The bridge is holding for now, but the water is washing over the surface, so I know it’s at the foundations in the bank.”

“Close the road,” declared Adalyn. “We cannot wait until the bridge either starts to crumble or fails completely.”

“Agreed,” said Giles. “It’s first on our list.”

“Then we’ll go and see what Old Harry might be able to offer?” She patted her mouth with her napkin.

“Yes.”

They all rose with Adalyn, the four of them, resolute and focused. She looked at each strong face, confident they would all work together to do their best against this potential disaster.

“Let us be off. And pray God smiles upon our efforts.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Although the rain had slackened to a thick drizzle, the going was difficult as the Wolfbridge party set out for their first destination—the bridge.

Adalyn and Giles were in the carriage, with Jeremy on the box and Evan and Daniel riding behind them. The lanes were mud, which sucked at the wheels and slowed their progress, and the trees did not provide much in the way of shelter, since their wet leaves rained big droplets on those unlucky enough to pass beneath.

As they approached the river, Adalyn sucked in a breath. Where there had been a field yesterday, there was now a lake. And it washed right up to the doorstep of one of the houses they’d emptied only hours before.

“Dear God,” she whispered, pulling down the glass window despite the drizzle. “Can we even reach the bridge?”

“I don’t know yet.” Giles leaned over and looked as well.

The carriage drew to a halt and Jeremy jumped down. “I don’t think it’s safe to go any further,” he called, looking out toward the river.

The others rode up