Dawn's Prelude Read Online Free

said, getting to his feet. “She was nothing to my father. He hated her. She made his life unbearable.”
    Lydia steadied her nerves and listened to the Gray children argue with the two lawyers. She wanted to smile at the uncanny manner in which the situation had played out. It was a sweet revenge. The fates had not been pleased with her circumstance, after all. Her mother would have said that God had looked out for her, but Lydia didn’t believe God even cared about such matters. He especially didn’t care about her. If He did, then He had some explaining to do as to why He would allow her such a heinous existence for twelve years of her life.
    Marston and Mitchell, along with their sisters’ husbands, had moved to the front of the room to discuss the news with the two lawyers. Lydia felt lightheaded by the knowledge that she now held control of the Gray and Rockford fortunes. Never again would any Gray man impose his will upon her.
    She frowned as ugly memories came back to haunt her. Floyd had been a terrible husband without any affection or compassion. And while Lydia had grown used to his lack of concern for her comfort or interest in her desires, she had never been able to reconcile his brutal abuse in exercising his husbandly rights. When word came about the accident, she was unable to muster any concern whatsoever for his condition. When told that he had been found dead beneath the carriage, Lydia didn’t shed a single tear. The shock of her liberty—her sudden freedom from the unbearable misery that had been her fate—was more than she could withstand. She had fainted dead away.
    “Are you all right?” Evie whispered in her ear. “You look pale.”
    “I’m fine,” Lydia replied. Evie had never allowed her siblings to see her get too close to Lydia, so her act of kindness was unexpected.
    “Have nothing to do with her, Genevieve,” Jeannette snapped and pulled her sister away.
    “Then we will simply investigate the matter on our own,” Mitchell declared, turning away from the table where the lawyers had delivered the bad news. He came back to his chair and took up his walking stick. “We will not allow our inheritance to be stolen from us. We will reconvene at my house.”
    Marston came to Lydia as Mitchell bounded from the room. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll sign everything over to us and be done with it. Otherwise, you will never know a moment’s peace.”
    Lydia got to her feet, pushed past him, and went to Mr. Robinson. “Would you please take me home? I find the day has been most taxing and would like very much to consider all that has happened.”
    “But of course.”
    She could feel the gaze of every other person on her as she moved across the room to the door. Mr. Robinson quickly caught up and took her by the elbow to lead her into the hall.
    “You know they will torment you over this,” Robinson whispered.
    Lydia smiled ever so slightly. “They will certainly try.”

    “I’m not about to sit by and watch Lydia take advantage of this family,” Marston declared to the small audience seated in Mitchell’s parlor.
    “What do you suggest we do?” Jeannette asked. “The lawyer said it was legal. I can scarcely believe it, but it seems to me—”
    “Oh, shut up.” Mitchell was not one to brook his sister’s nonsense for long. “I don’t care what it seems to you. The fact of the matter is, we are in for a fight. Robinson is obviously happy to stand on Lydia’s behalf. After all, he will, no doubt, receive a tidy sum.”
    Marston paced, tightening his facial muscles as he often did when disturbed. “Do you suppose we could pay someone off? We have connections amongst the judges. Surely we can get someone to take up the case on our behalf.”
    “But even if you do,” Evie’s husband, Thomas, interjected, “she could do the same. The money will be tied up for years. You will be destitute by that time.”
    Mitchell got to his feet and motioned Marston to take