Read Online Lady In Distress (The Langley Sisters Book 3) by Wendy Vella - Free Book Online

you were born into, but I don’t.” She shot him a look. “You’re not going to tell her, are you?”
    “If you clean my boots, I may not.” Luke laughed as she punched him in the arm.  
    “Well, then, Miss Rosie, I shall have to think about our stars, yours and mine,” he said, hugging her close.  
    “Promise?”
    “Promise,” he vowed.
    They were ready a few minutes later. Graham, the youngest Fletcher, sat on Luke’s shoulders, with Simon holding his hand, while the others ran in front of them, down through the village. The air was brisk, but the walking soon warmed them up. His mother walked at his side, back straight, smile fixed. She sensed something was going happen that she didn’t like, and she was preparing for battle.
    “Graham, do not pull my hair out at the roots, if you please.” His five year old brother chuckled but released his hair.
    “Where are we going, Luke?”  
    “You’ll find out when we get there, Ally.”
    They walked to the sound of chatter, as his siblings discussed, argued, sang and were in general high spirits. At the end of the town, they turned left and walked up a long curving driveway, which had overgrown trees on both sides.  
    “Why are we going to Mr. and Mrs Tumbridge’s old house? They’ve been dead ages now,” Rosie questioned him.
    “Because we are,” Luke responded.
    They stopped at the top and there sat the house. Two stories high, it was wooden with lots of windows and space. Around it sat a few acres, and enough room for his siblings to play, or have a horse or pets if they wished it. Lifting Graham off his shoulders he lowered him to the ground before taking a key out of his pocket.
    “Anyone want to take a look inside?” They all said yes, so he took his mother’s hand in his, and led them to the front door, which he opened and in they all went.
    “No, Luke.”  
    “Yes, Luke.” She tried to pull away, but he simply laced her fingers between his and kept moving, towing her along with him.
    The house wasn’t grand, but it was comfortable. There was a large front room with a fireplace and he’d had the entire house furnished with what he thought his family would need.  
    “Why are we here, Luke?” Tommy and the others had followed him and his mother into the parlor.  
    “I’ll tell you soon, but first I want to talk with Mother alone. You can take the others through the rooms, but I don’t want too much noise, and no mess.”
    They all looked from him to their mother and back to him, before they nodded and filed out of the room.
    He sat his mother in one of the comfortable chairs before he spoke.
    “I bought this house three months ago. I’ve had it furnished for you and the children.”
    “I can’t…” Her words faltered as she looked around the room and Luke saw something like excitement flicker in the brown depths.  
    “You know that Mr. and Mrs. Elders never had children, and they are wanting to move from that cold little house they have, due to Mr. Elders chest suffering during the winter months.”
    She was watching him as he spoke, eyes weary again.
    “I have spoken with them and they would like to come here and help you with the children, Mother. There are two rooms off the kitchens they could have.”
    Esmay Fletcher rose and began to walk again while Luke stayed where he was. She stopped a few minutes later and said, “I want to see the rest.”
    They walked all over it, saw the five bedrooms, and the extra two for Mr. and Mrs. Elders. He’d put comfortable mattresses on all the beds, and lots of blankets. The furniture wasn’t brand new, as he knew his mother would hate that, but it was comfortable.
    He left her alone once they had completed the tour, and took his brothers and sisters outside to inspect the barn. They ran around the gardens and played on the swing he’d had made in one of the trees.  
    “Luke!” His mother called him from the front door and he left the children to go to her.