Read Online The Rose Bride by Nancy Holder - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Nancy Holder
Ads: Link
it cut her deeply to think of her toiling like a scullery maid, giving her meager wages away. Tears rolled down her cheeks, crystallizing as they dropped to the earth. Elise, her
tante
Elise, her only family. How she longed to go to her.
I
could
, she thought. I
could saddle Douce and be gone from here forever
.
But she knew that was not possible. Ombrine would come after her. She would have her whipped, or worse.
She folded the letter into a tiny square. Then she scooped out a hollow beneath the purple rosebush and buried the letter. A tear hit the back of her hand. She was too afraid to leave a reply, but she longed to let Elise know that she loved her, too.
“
You are loved
,” the purple roses whispered to Rose.
And in that moment, she did something she had done only once before. Murmuring, “Forgive me,” she picked one of the purple roses.
She half expected it to protest or groan, but it remained silent. She kissed it and whispered to the petals, “Let her know that my heart is with her. Let her know that she is loved and that I have received the gold coin.”
Then she laid the rose at the feet of the marble statue.
“Let her messenger know to take it to her,” she asked the goddess. “If Tante Elise sees it, she’ll know it’s from me.”
The next night, when Rose stole into the garden, the purple rose had disappeared. Perhaps a deer had devoured it. Perhaps the wind had carried it away.
Or perhaps the statue of Artemis had shot it through the sky on the point of an arrow, to the village far away.
A fortnight passed, and then a month. No second letter followed the first. One night, sleepless and heartsore, Rose walked the stony terraces of thechâteau. She didn’t know that her mother had done likewise, for many years.
Then she stopped, and looked.
Far below her on the path, Ombrine and Desirée walked together, cloaked and veiled. Ombrine carried a lantern. Rose thought she saw a third figure trailing behind. It was either a tall, menacing shadow, or it was a trick of the light and her fretful mind. Rose squinted, trying to see if it was really there. Then clouds choked off the moonlight, and all Rose saw was a weak flicker of lantern light. When mother and daughter were revealed once more, they were definitely alone.
Three heartbeats later, a large dark bird cawed as it flew across the white face of the moon.
Ombrine turned her gaze toward the place where Rose stood; startled, Rose darted behind a hedge row. Her heart pounded.
“I thought I saw her,” Ombrine whispered. The wind carried her voice to Rose.
“She
would
spy,” Desirée hissed.
Ombrine raised her chin as if she were sniffing the air. Her profile was sharp and flinty. At that moment, a zigzag of lightning crackled across the sky. Thunder rumbled; the sky broke open and rain poured down.
“Alors!”
Ombrine shouted.
Rose took advantage and raced back inside the
château
. Hastily, she grabbed off her shoes and tiptoed in her stockings around the perimeter of the room, soas not to leave wet footprints. Then she barreled up the stairs to her room and shut the door. She threw herself into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.
She heard Ombrine and Desirée come inside shortly after. They stomped up the stairs, complaining and arguing. An imperious knock rattled her door.
“Rose?” Ombrine called.
Rose bit her lip. Holding her breath, she lay frozen and afraid.
“She’s asleep,” Desirée said. “She didn’t see us.”
“Perhaps,” Ombrine replied. “We’ll have to watch her.”
Rose stayed silent.
“Come, then,” Ombrine snapped. “It’s late.”
“You heard what he said. We need more money to pay the Circle for more power. Maybe you should marry her off.”
“She’s so thin, who would have her without a dowry?” Ombrine replied. “
Non
. We’ll cut expenses again to get the money.”
“How? What expenses? We already eat scraps. We wear rags.”
“
Silence
. We wore rags before and came
tante
Elise, her only family. How she longed to go to her.
I
could
, she thought. I
could saddle Douce and be gone from here forever
.
But she knew that was not possible. Ombrine would come after her. She would have her whipped, or worse.
She folded the letter into a tiny square. Then she scooped out a hollow beneath the purple rosebush and buried the letter. A tear hit the back of her hand. She was too afraid to leave a reply, but she longed to let Elise know that she loved her, too.
“
You are loved
,” the purple roses whispered to Rose.
And in that moment, she did something she had done only once before. Murmuring, “Forgive me,” she picked one of the purple roses.
She half expected it to protest or groan, but it remained silent. She kissed it and whispered to the petals, “Let her know that my heart is with her. Let her know that she is loved and that I have received the gold coin.”
Then she laid the rose at the feet of the marble statue.
“Let her messenger know to take it to her,” she asked the goddess. “If Tante Elise sees it, she’ll know it’s from me.”
The next night, when Rose stole into the garden, the purple rose had disappeared. Perhaps a deer had devoured it. Perhaps the wind had carried it away.
Or perhaps the statue of Artemis had shot it through the sky on the point of an arrow, to the village far away.
A fortnight passed, and then a month. No second letter followed the first. One night, sleepless and heartsore, Rose walked the stony terraces of thechâteau. She didn’t know that her mother had done likewise, for many years.
Then she stopped, and looked.
Far below her on the path, Ombrine and Desirée walked together, cloaked and veiled. Ombrine carried a lantern. Rose thought she saw a third figure trailing behind. It was either a tall, menacing shadow, or it was a trick of the light and her fretful mind. Rose squinted, trying to see if it was really there. Then clouds choked off the moonlight, and all Rose saw was a weak flicker of lantern light. When mother and daughter were revealed once more, they were definitely alone.
Three heartbeats later, a large dark bird cawed as it flew across the white face of the moon.
Ombrine turned her gaze toward the place where Rose stood; startled, Rose darted behind a hedge row. Her heart pounded.
“I thought I saw her,” Ombrine whispered. The wind carried her voice to Rose.
“She
would
spy,” Desirée hissed.
Ombrine raised her chin as if she were sniffing the air. Her profile was sharp and flinty. At that moment, a zigzag of lightning crackled across the sky. Thunder rumbled; the sky broke open and rain poured down.
“Alors!”
Ombrine shouted.
Rose took advantage and raced back inside the
château
. Hastily, she grabbed off her shoes and tiptoed in her stockings around the perimeter of the room, soas not to leave wet footprints. Then she barreled up the stairs to her room and shut the door. She threw herself into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.
She heard Ombrine and Desirée come inside shortly after. They stomped up the stairs, complaining and arguing. An imperious knock rattled her door.
“Rose?” Ombrine called.
Rose bit her lip. Holding her breath, she lay frozen and afraid.
“She’s asleep,” Desirée said. “She didn’t see us.”
“Perhaps,” Ombrine replied. “We’ll have to watch her.”
Rose stayed silent.
“Come, then,” Ombrine snapped. “It’s late.”
“You heard what he said. We need more money to pay the Circle for more power. Maybe you should marry her off.”
“She’s so thin, who would have her without a dowry?” Ombrine replied. “
Non
. We’ll cut expenses again to get the money.”
“How? What expenses? We already eat scraps. We wear rags.”
“
Silence
. We wore rags before and came
Similar Books
