When the Heavens Fall Read Online Free Page A

hand. Brandon took it and followed his father’s example
    â€œIt is my honor to meet you, Princess. My father has told me so much about you.”
    â€œNot everything, I hope. I was beastly to him at times.”
    â€œI can’t remember anything like that,” Stuart said. “I remember we had some fine times playing with your dolls.”
    â€œYes, indeed!” Mary smiled, and her eyes lit up. “I remember those tea parties. I had all my dolls named, and you could never remember them.”
    â€œI’m afraid you’re right—that was never my forte—but I enjoyed my visits.” He shifted from one foot to the other and lowered his voice. “I miss your mother.”
    â€œNo more than I.” Sorrow clouded Mary’s face. She looked down for a moment and said, “Every day, Stuart, I miss her, think of her.”
    At that moment a young girl came into the room, and Mary turned and said, “Oh, Elizabeth, come here. Stuart Winslow has come. Do you remember him from his last visit?”
    The young Princess Elizabeth was quite striking. She had a fair complexion, cinnamon-red hair, beautiful skin, and bright, intelligent eyes. She came over to them at once. “I remember you, sir, although it has been some time. And I can see that this is your son. He’s very like you.”
    â€œYes, Princess Elizabeth. This is my son, Brandon Winslow.”
    Mary studied him and then asked, chin up, “And are you a good boy, Brandon?”
    â€œNo, Princess. I’m afraid not.”
    Both Mary and Elizabeth laughed at this. Stuart frowned. “And why are you not good?” Elizabeth demanded
    â€œBecause I was shaped in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
    Mary and Elizabeth both stared at him. They recognized the quotation as being from the Bible, but Mary found his answer amusing. “Well, I must confess I am quite shocked,” Mary said. “I always considered your father a good man and believed his son to be the same.”
    Elizabeth was delighted. “I’m so interested in sinners! Sister, you visit with his father, and I will take Master Brandon’s confession. Come along, Master Brandon.”
    Brandon smiled, and his father could see he liked the young woman. “Princess Elizabeth, you’re neither priest nor old enough. I fear my iniquities would quite shock you.”
    Heart palpitating, Stuart said, “Now, that’s quite enough, Brandon—”
    â€œAnd how old are you, Brandon?” the princess asked, ignoring Stuart
    â€œFourteen.”
    â€œWhy, I am only one year younger, but everyone knows that women are more mature than men. So, come, let me hear your confession.”
    Mary laughed and sat down. “Be careful of her, Brandon. She’s wild as a hawk.”
    Stuart and Mary watched them leave, and they could hear Elizabeth’s voice even after the door closed. Stuart frowned in the direction of the closed door. “Do you think they’ll be all right unsupervised?”
    â€œCease your fretting, Father Winslow. The children will be fine—and shadowed by Hanson, no doubt.” She pointed to the chair across from her, clearly wanting him to take his ease
    Stuart breathed a sigh of relief and sat down. “She is quite a girl, isn’t she? The last time I came to visit she was only about four or five, and yet clearly she remembers me.”
    â€œShe’s actually quite brilliant. She’s learning Latin andGreek so quickly that I keep needing to find more learned tutors. Now please sit down and tell me about your family.”
    Stuart sat down and gave her a brief summary of his life. When he ended, she said, “Oh, how I’ve missed you, Stuart! It’s so good to hear about you and Stoneybrook. It sounds as if you are in exactly the place you wish to be.”
    Stuart shifted in his seat. “You know it wasn’t my decision, Princess, to