Read The Letter for Free Online Page A

smiled. “Did you know, Jamie—may I have the honor of addressing you as Jamie?”
    Jamie nodded. “Yes, sir.”
    Diana wondered at the warmth in Daventry’s eyes when he looked at Jamie. There was something there, something she didn’t understand. At Jamie’s nod, a grin lit up the man’s face. Interested in spite of herself, she waited for what Daventry would say next.
    He reached across and tapped Jamie on his knee. “Thank you. You would not give me leave to have the use of a favored name if you did not consider me a friend. I am honored. As I was saying, did you know there was once a man who was very lonely?”
    Jamie shook his head. “What did he do?”
    “Well, he woke up one morning and found his house gone, also his horse and furniture, everything just disappeared. The only thing left was the bed he slept in and three pennies. What do you thing he did next?”
    “I don’t know. What?” Jamie moved to the edge of his seat.
    “Why, the only thing he could. It was a lovely bed, a soft one and because of all the covers, a very warm one. He took his soft, warm bed along with his three pennies and went to see a witch.”
    “A witch?” Jamie breathed. “Was he afraid?”
    Daventry’s voice lowered, drawing her in. “Oh, yes, very much so. But he called on all his courage because there was one thing he wanted more than any other.”
    “What did he want?” Diana asked, startling herself. She pushed back into her corner and clamped her lips together. What was wrong with her? She turned and looked out the window, but couldn’t stop listening.
    “He wanted a dog.”
    A dog? She had fallen into his spell only to hear that?
    “Why?” Jamie asked.
    Yes, why? That was a stupid thing to want. She would ask for food and plenty of money to care for Jamie. She would ask that the ten years she had spent under Leo’s cruel hands disappear from her memory. There were a thousand things she would ask for over a dog. She waited for the answer. Silence. Against her will, she turned back to Daventry to find him looking at her. It seemed he only awaited her attention to continue.
    “Because he was lonely and remembered that, as a boy, he had a dog that barked with joy whenever he came near. Whether he was happy or sad that dog was always his friend, always there for him.” His gaze bored into hers. “Because, all the soft beds and pennies in the world don’t mean anything if you don’t have a true friend.”
    Diana tore her eyes away. Was he offering friendship? There had been a time when he was her dearest friend, one she believed would stand by her no matter what. Such a naïve fool she had been. He had proven he could not be counted on. He had not always been there for her.
    “I don’t have a friend,” Jamie said.
    Her heart cried to hear the longing in Jamie’s voice. It also hurt her feelings.
    “Now, there is where you are wrong young man. First of all, there is no one dearer to you than your mother. Then, you have me.”
    She turned away again, refusing to listen to the conversation between the man and boy. She wanted to put a stop to it before he broke Jamie’s heart, too. She thought of running. If not for Jamie, she would slip out tonight after everyone was asleep, but she could not take him into an uncertain future. There was no consideration of leaving him behind. So, here she was with a man she no longer knew, and no matter his words, he was not her friend.
    Jamie laughed at something Daventry said. Leo had repeatedly ranted over all the ways and reasons that Lord Daventry was a villain. Had Jamie already forgotten?
    ****
    Michael glanced at Diana. She sat across from him, squeezed into the corner and pretended to ignore them, but tension pulsated from her. He continued to try and draw her into conversation, but with the exception of her interest in his inane story, she offered no more than one word answers to his questions. Although why he was trying so hard, he didn’t understand.
    He turned