Homespun Bride

Jillian Hart 151Tiny pings against the window glass announced thatit was snowing again. Henrietta’s words drifted throughNoelle’s mind. The greatest gift is to be loved as I havebeen loved. As I love.It was a while before he broke the silence betweenthem. “There’s nothing wrong with dreams and tryingto make them come true, Noelle. I might not knowwhat I’m doing when it comes to horses, and I alwaysmight make a better banker than a horseman, but at leastI got to try. I would be wise to go back to the bank, Isuppose.”“Didn’t you just say that you decided that it wasfoolish to chase dreams?”“That I did. But I just went about it the wrong way.That’s all. I wouldn’t listen, and that wouldn’t be thefirst time.” Robert fell silent. “Thad is the young manyour father wrote us about, isn’t he? The one you meantto elope with.”“I didn’t know Father had contacted you.”“He and Henrietta kept in close touch. Letters everyweek without fail.”“I remember.” There was the lump again, back in themiddle of her throat, blocking off every word and everyfeeling. Noelle groped for the hard-backed chair sheknew was nearby and once she’d found it, she collapsedinto it. “My father would never have approvedof Thad.”“He is not a wealthy man.”“No. And my father thought wealth was important.”She thought of Thad working hard to send wages home.“I suppose Henrietta remembers, too?”“I don’t think she’s realized that Thad was the manyour father disapproved of so strongly. I can still