then he noticed at the bottom of the
drawing, in one corner, she had written her name, Adriana
Hayden.
Adriana. What a beautiful name for such a
very beautiful and talented artist.
Adriana, if only you had not been so
embarrassed and had spoken with me, he thought. Morgan closed the
book with a sigh. I will meet you, Adriana Hayden. And I will find
out who you are, because, clearly, you are a very special
person.
<><><>
The knock on his cabin door later that
afternoon interrupted Morgan’s musings. He had gone back to staring
at Adriana’s sketches. He couldn’t stay away from them—looking at
them made him feel close to her. It was almost like being with
her—only that, he knew, would be much, much better.
Reluctantly, he slid the sketchbook under the
mattress of his bed and then went to open the door. As he had
expected, it was his cousin, Kat.
She came to visit him nearly every day.
Usually, she was filled with good cheer as she laughed and told him
all the gossip from the abbey. Today, however, she looked odd, as
if she didn’t know whether to smile or be upset.
Morgan had always been very sensitive to
Kat’s moods, ever since she had moved into their home when they
were only six years old. Born on the same day, their mothers as
close as two sisters could be, Morgan and Kat had a bond even
stronger than most siblings. They understood each other, and had
done so ever since the first day Kat was at Vallentyn, and they had
banded together in the fight against his older sisters’ attempt to
rule over them both.
He moved to his table where, earlier, he had
been grinding some herbs for the potion to cure the animals. He was
fully confident she would tell him what had happened without him
having to ask—she always did.
She followed him, and began to
absent–mindedly separate some dried flowers from their stems.
Morgan looked over at her, but she remained silent, lost in her own
thoughts and her mindless task.
He wondered if he dared to ask Kat about
Adriana. His cousin would surely know who she was. If Kat hadn’t
seemed so very upset about something, he would have. And he still
might, but first he had to be patient and allow her to tell him
what was on her mind.
Just as the silence was beginning to become
awkward, she said, “I heard about your meeting with your
mother.”
“It is my own fault,” he acknowledged.
She stopped her work and looked up at him.
“You did the right thing, Morgan. No matter what your mother may
think.”
Morgan gave her a little smile. He knew he
could always count on Kat to take his side. “Thank you. I believe
so too. You should have seen her, Kat. She looked so beautiful,
even though she was in such pain. And she was brave—she didn’t
scream or cry hysterically or carry on. She just sat there crying
softly. But I could feel her pain. I just couldn’t have left and
not helped her.”
Kat was looking at him with a very worried
look on her face as he spoke. She didn’t say anything, but only
looked more and more upset.
Morgan leaned toward his cousin and spoke
more gently. “What is it? Why are you looking that way? I know I
shouldn’t have healed her, but...”
“No, that’s not it. As I said, I’m glad you
healed her, it’s just...”
“Just what?”
Kat shook her head, but didn’t say
anything.
Morgan had never seen her so upset
before.
A flower crumbled to dust in Kat’s trembling
fingers. She pulled her hands away from the delicate herbs and
wiped them on her dress while turning away from him.
“It’s what I came to tell you about.” She
crossed her arms protectively over her body.
Morgan stopped grinding the herbs. He touched
her arm gently, and was shocked to see a tear making its way down
her cheek.
“It can’t be that bad,” he said, trying to
give her an encouraging smile.
“Oh, Morgan, it is! And it is all my fault.”
She hastily wiped away her tear, and took a deep breath.
Turning to him fully, she said, “Your mother
was...
drawing, in one corner, she had written her name, Adriana
Hayden.
Adriana. What a beautiful name for such a
very beautiful and talented artist.
Adriana, if only you had not been so
embarrassed and had spoken with me, he thought. Morgan closed the
book with a sigh. I will meet you, Adriana Hayden. And I will find
out who you are, because, clearly, you are a very special
person.
<><><>
The knock on his cabin door later that
afternoon interrupted Morgan’s musings. He had gone back to staring
at Adriana’s sketches. He couldn’t stay away from them—looking at
them made him feel close to her. It was almost like being with
her—only that, he knew, would be much, much better.
Reluctantly, he slid the sketchbook under the
mattress of his bed and then went to open the door. As he had
expected, it was his cousin, Kat.
She came to visit him nearly every day.
Usually, she was filled with good cheer as she laughed and told him
all the gossip from the abbey. Today, however, she looked odd, as
if she didn’t know whether to smile or be upset.
Morgan had always been very sensitive to
Kat’s moods, ever since she had moved into their home when they
were only six years old. Born on the same day, their mothers as
close as two sisters could be, Morgan and Kat had a bond even
stronger than most siblings. They understood each other, and had
done so ever since the first day Kat was at Vallentyn, and they had
banded together in the fight against his older sisters’ attempt to
rule over them both.
He moved to his table where, earlier, he had
been grinding some herbs for the potion to cure the animals. He was
fully confident she would tell him what had happened without him
having to ask—she always did.
She followed him, and began to
absent–mindedly separate some dried flowers from their stems.
Morgan looked over at her, but she remained silent, lost in her own
thoughts and her mindless task.
He wondered if he dared to ask Kat about
Adriana. His cousin would surely know who she was. If Kat hadn’t
seemed so very upset about something, he would have. And he still
might, but first he had to be patient and allow her to tell him
what was on her mind.
Just as the silence was beginning to become
awkward, she said, “I heard about your meeting with your
mother.”
“It is my own fault,” he acknowledged.
She stopped her work and looked up at him.
“You did the right thing, Morgan. No matter what your mother may
think.”
Morgan gave her a little smile. He knew he
could always count on Kat to take his side. “Thank you. I believe
so too. You should have seen her, Kat. She looked so beautiful,
even though she was in such pain. And she was brave—she didn’t
scream or cry hysterically or carry on. She just sat there crying
softly. But I could feel her pain. I just couldn’t have left and
not helped her.”
Kat was looking at him with a very worried
look on her face as he spoke. She didn’t say anything, but only
looked more and more upset.
Morgan leaned toward his cousin and spoke
more gently. “What is it? Why are you looking that way? I know I
shouldn’t have healed her, but...”
“No, that’s not it. As I said, I’m glad you
healed her, it’s just...”
“Just what?”
Kat shook her head, but didn’t say
anything.
Morgan had never seen her so upset
before.
A flower crumbled to dust in Kat’s trembling
fingers. She pulled her hands away from the delicate herbs and
wiped them on her dress while turning away from him.
“It’s what I came to tell you about.” She
crossed her arms protectively over her body.
Morgan stopped grinding the herbs. He touched
her arm gently, and was shocked to see a tear making its way down
her cheek.
“It can’t be that bad,” he said, trying to
give her an encouraging smile.
“Oh, Morgan, it is! And it is all my fault.”
She hastily wiped away her tear, and took a deep breath.
Turning to him fully, she said, “Your mother
was...
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