Set
in a scary mansion in the north of England, Gatehaven by Molly Noble Bull is a Gothic Historical Novel with a
strong Christian message. Read
the first six chapters at no cost to you. Then click below for
A Chance to Win a $100.00 Amazon Gift Certificate
and books by Molly, Barbara Derkson and Cheryl Colwell.
Gatehaven
was divided into ten parts. Each day for ten days one of the ten parts were to
be posted on a different blog. Below
is the list of blogs so you will know exactly where to go each day. But if you
miss a day, no problem. Molly will post each of the ten parts at her Writers
Rest blog on the day after each posted date.
Writers Rest: http://writersrest.blogspot.com
. Daily Chapter Excerpt Schedule for Gatehaven can be found at:
March
5: #3 Molly Noble Bull http://writersrest.blogspot.com
March
6: #4 Cheryl Colwell www.inspiredfictionbooks.com
March
7: #5 Carol Brown www.connectwithcarolbrown.blogspot.com
March
10: #6 Laura Davis www.interviewsandreviews.com/book-of-the-week
March
11: #7 Emma Right emmaright.com/blog
March
12: #8 Kimberly Payne www.kimpayne.wordpress.com
March
13: #9 Martin Roth www.martinroth.com.au
March
14: #10 Molly Noble Bell writersrest.blogspot.com
Now for Part 3 of the Gatehaven series.
Part Three of Ten
Shannon had only planned to go as far as the road that lined
the farm where they lived. When she reached the gate that fronted the property,
she stood there a moment.
Apparently, her parents thought her brother was perfect;
therefore, Peter never had
problems like this. He was three years older than Shannon, but if Peter had
wanted to go to England when he was nineteen, he would have been given
permission as soon as he asked.
“Peter is the sort of boy a man can be proud of,” her father
once said.
Then her mother had added, “And he takes his responsibilities
seriously.”
Her mother didn’t actually say that Shannon never took her
responsibilities seriously or that she acted like a child, but she might as
well have. In Shannon’s mind, her parents’ true feelings were clear enough.
Peter wanted to immigrate to the colonies where Uncle Henri
and his new wife lived, and he’d convinced Grandma and their parents to travel
with him. Mama and Papa would insist that Shannon immigrate too. But how could
she? If only she could convince them that her future was with the earl.
The early autumn air felt cool on her face. The bushes and
grass that edged the road clung to the thin, rocky soil like a lifeline, and
though there weren’t many trees, the few she saw pointed upward to a clear and
windless sky.
In the distance, heather bloomed sweetly, coloring the
hillsides in shades of pale purple and gray. She took in a deep breath and
released it slowly. Despite everything, she savored the moment.
The farm didn’t front the loch like Ian’s farm did. But
sometimes when the wind was right, she smelled the faint odor of the sea.
Today, a mist slowly draped the landscape like it often did
over the Loch.
Shannon shivered. There was something haunting about a
mist—especially when it hung over the smooth yet deep waters of the loch like
old lace. When they were children, Ian had often taken Shannon and her brother
out on his small boat on sunny afternoons in summer when the sky was clear.
They picnicked on a nearby shore, and sometimes on their way
home, she would lean over the side of the boat, dip her fingertips in the cold
water, and gaze at the rocky shore. She never tired of studying her
surroundings—green hills and a lake as big as the sky.
“Do not do that, lass,” Ian would say. “Sit right in the
boat. If ya lean over like that, you could upset the balance. We could go
tumbling into the loch.”
Ian was the tallest and handsomest young man in Luss.
Everybody thought so. He watched after her like an older brother might, but
Shannon already had a brother. She would love Ian forever, but he didn’t make
her heart beat faster. Just looking at the earl did.
The Earl, Edward.
Thoughts of her recent conversation with her parents blocked
out everything else. She longed to see the earl—needed to see him—at once.
He was staying at his hunting lodge, but sometimes he came to
church in town.
“To see you,” he had said.
The village of Luss beckoned. She never went to the village
unless Mama or her brother went with her. Today, she would. She would stroll
down the country road until she reached the village and pay a visit to her
grandmother. Grandma Aimee might be the very one to convince Papa to change his
mind and let her go to England with the earl.
The earl had men working for him. Shannon called them his
spies because whenever she entered the village, she found them watching her.
Sometimes the earl would appear a few minutes later whether at church or at the
shop where she and her mother bought bread. Maybe she would see him again
today.
Her heart beat faster with the hope.
She was about to cross the bridge over a small stream when
she noticed Ian strolling briskly at the water’s edge. Ian’s father was the
second son of the Laird of the village, and though his family lived as modestly
as hers, Ian’s last name had always given him a certain prestige among the
villagers that newcomers, like the Aimee family, had never known.
Ian didn’t appear to have seen her yet.
The soles of her shoes tapped the wooden bridge. He probably
couldn’t have heard, but he looked up.
If only he’d smiled. His smile always warmed her—even on the
coldest day in winter. Merely looking at him made her almost forget her
troubles at home, and she’d always counted on Ian in her time of need. Maybe he
would be willing to talk to her father about the earl on Shannon’s behalf.
“Good morning, Ian.”
“Morning, lass. I am surprised to see you walking out here
alone.”
Normally, dimples dotted both his cheeks, and his wide smile
lifted her spirits. Today, the sun hid behind the clouds, and she saw no smile
at all. Today his hair looked as thick and dark brown as her father’s. Yet on
other mornings, the sun turned it almost as red as her own.
“Where is your brother?” Ian asked.
“You would have to ask Peter where he went this morning.”
“What brings you to the village so early in the day?”
“I thought I would visit my grandmother. She has been feeling
poorly of late. It was time I paid her a visit.”
“Mind if I walk along?”
She turned. “Please do. I would appreciate the company.”
“Maybe we should take the road nearest the Loch. We are less
likely to be seen there this time of day, and we would not want to damage your
good name.”
Shannon looked up at him and smiled. Despite the tender sound
of his words, the flesh around his lips tightened, and he didn’t smile back.
Her head barely reached his shoulders, and he’d always walked
with a long stride. Yet when they walked together, he often set his pace to fit
hers. Today she had to practically run to keep up.
Obviously, his normal good humor had faded. She would need to
find a way to revive it.
“Ian, I’ve known for a long time that you hope to go into the
ministry. Have you found a mentor yet—now that our pastor will retire to his
sister’s home in the country soon?”
“Not yet, I am afraid.”
“My father would be willing to teach you about the Bible. But
that would never make you a man of the cloth. However, I know someone who
might.”
“And who would that be?”
“I am sure you know that the Earl of Northon has a hunting
lodge near here. But you might not have heard that I agreed to marry him.”
“Aye.” He glanced away. “I saw you dancing with him at my
uncle’s ball.”
Then he looked down at his feet like he always did when he
didn’t want to say more.
Shannon scolded herself internally for feeling obligated to
rush into a long explanation. She had the right to marry whomever she pleased.
At the same time, Ian was her oldest and dearest friend.
“I know it seems unlikely that a man of the quality would
choose me—a young woman with no money or high station in life. But as amazing
as it might sound, he loves me, Ian, and I love him. It would so please me if
you told Papa you agree with the match.”
“Apparently, congratulations are in order,” Ian said,
ignoring her request. “But what does any of that have to do with me?”
“I am getting to that.” She was talking much too fast and
probably telling more than he needed to know. “You see, the earl employs a
vicar to tend to the spiritual needs of his family and those who live in the
village nearby, and every few years they select a young man to come and live at
the vicarage and learn from the vicar. They are looking for such a young man
right now. All I would need to do is say the word, and I am sure the earl would
choose you.”
Shannon had tried to fill her voice with the promise of great
things to come. However, Ian’s cold glance indicated that he hadn’t received
her suggestion with interest and excitement as she’d hoped.
“Like your parents, I
am a member of the reformed church,” he replied. “What benefit would learning
the ways of the Church of England be to me?”
She tried not to roll her eyes. “Is it not true that just
last Sunday our pastor said that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever?
So the earl’s church must be more or less the same as ours.”
He shook his head. “I disagree about all the churches being
the same.”
“Still, how could serving under an English vicar not help in
your quest to become a pastor?” Shannon’s lips turned up at the edges.
“Besides, I would miss you terribly if you did not go to England with us.”
“Would you now?”
“Most certainly. You are my oldest and dearest friend. Please
say you will go.”
“I cannot promise. But I will agree to think about it.”
If Shannon were Ian’s judge, she would say that he wasn’t as
happy about her good fortune as she had hoped. In fact, she didn’t think Ian
wanted her to go to England at all.
He gazed at her like a provoked parent might do. “To be
completely honest, lass, I do not trust the earl. I feel it my duty to warn
you. Continued association with this man could put you and perhaps your entire
family in danger.”
Shannon bit her lower lip to keep from saying something she
might regret later. As much as she loved and trusted Ian, she was in love with
the earl. Why didn’t Ian understand?
Her grandmother wasn’t home, and Shannon didn’t see the earl
or any of his servants, so they headed back to the farm. Ian bid her farewell
at the gate of the family farm and went his own way.
“I must finish my chores,” he said.
Before Shannon had reached the front stoop, her father rushed
out the door to meet her. “Shannon.” He seemed relieved to see her. “I thank
the Lord that you are home.”
Shannon halted. Tears moistened the edges of her father’s
dark eyes. He’d never looked so grave. Something was terribly wrong.
“Your mother was so worried about you, Rachel Shannon, after
you ran away like you did. Now, she—she—”
“What is wrong, Papa? What happened?”
“The baby is coming. Hurry, she is in the bedroom. She will
need you now.”
Shannon raced into the house. Her mother groaned as Shannon
hurried into her parents’ bedroom.
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