Chapter 5
Sir Christmas,
Are you getting my letters? This is one you may not wish to receive. Oh, how I wish you were here. I fear you are either dead or held captive somewhere in France, but I cannot know for certain and my cousin is decided to discover the truth for my peace of mind.
The inexplicable happened and I have never felt lonelier.
Coastal erosion is still wreaking havoc, stealing Reculver’s buildings and history.
St. Mary’s was demolished. That act of vandalism left the Two Sisters as navigational landmarks.
Mama took sick, and she and Papa died last week of the malady afflicting Hillsborough.
We buried them together on a foggy Sunday.
I also regret to inform you that is not all the terrible news I bear.
Your brother, Noel, did not survive his malaise, and your mother, who never left his side, weakens by the day.
She, being the compassionate woman that she is, attended my parents until their deaths, refusing to allow me near them because of some oath she’d made to protect me.
Against my wishes, she is quarantining at Claverfield, quite unhappy and inconsolable.
She is missing her sons, and I fear she is not long for this world.
Your father, the viscount, has graciously taken me in as his ward. I reside at Milne Manor, though my heart still longs for Claverfield. Please know that we are doing everything in our power to help your mother, and I will continue praying for your protection wherever you may be.
Emma