Whispers of the Sea (The Compulsion Bride Series) Book II (Unedited)

Chapter Two

Samantha was not very fond of stormy weathers, particularly constant raining.

What problems do the clouds have to cry? They were as free as the wind, moving whenever they felt like and disappearing when it is necessary. She wished living would have been as simple. A sigh escaped her lips as she gazed at the darkening skies, God knew why he was still keeping her alive. Death was just a breath away but she could not stop breathing every morning she woke was a curse, or should she say every time the sun rises.

Samantha could not remember the last time she slept at nights, a simple task, and common to all living creatures when they are weary, yet it was so unorthodox to her. She never could and she never would. She was like a ghost roaming the Fisher's country estate. Except ghosts were dead and she was not. A very envious notion, her hands tighten around the shawl that kept the biting wind from freezing her to death. She could not do away with herself, not now. Halley needed her since the third child came along, the entire place had been humming with activities, too much for Halley to manage on her own. He brought so much joy and love in everyone's heart including Samantha's, causing her thoughts to do with herself to subside. She smiled remembering those dark blue eyes and the way Halley had fussed over the fact that none of the boys had gotten her eye color or features. Self-consciously, Samantha closed her eyes and touched the soft flesh that covered them, her fingers trickled down to her cheeks like tears then stopped when they reached her lips.

For a moment she would let herself dwell on the outcome of her own child if she had had the chance of a family. A husband and children. Once upon a time she had dreams, dreams of being happy, having a little boy with blue eyes and her features or a tiny girl with a wonderful smile and soft golden curls to braid. An ache shot through her chest, before settling in her heart. She placed her palm over the wildly thudding thing. At twenty-five Samantha was already a mantelpiece, to be left and not bothered in another family's home. Her time of childbearing is long gone, not that she couldn't conceive but who would have her? Or rather who would she have? She had crossed men off her mind a long time ago. She despised them like the plague, after that unorthodox situation with Joshua, it had opened her eyes even more to the dull possibility of her finding happiness was to naught. The man she had thought to love, she killed. The other had already found his soulmate and it was most definitely not Samantha.

"Aunt Sammy! Look at what those naughty boys did!" Interrupted, from such hunting thoughts, Samantha turned to meet the little girl. Anna Cummings stomped her tiny feet, to show how much she was upset as if the tiny frowned on her forehead was not enough. "Rosy is missing her head!" her little arm that held the rest of the doll's body was stretched towards Samantha.

Samantha smile fondly at the little four-year-old minx that was the Earl and Countess of Birmingham's Daughter. The child was the mirror image of her mother. Anna and Jennifer had the same blue eye color and rosy red lips that stretched into an admirable smile when joyous and a cute little pout when angered. The difference was, while the Countess had light blond hair, Anna's were darker and deeper a mixture of The Earl's brown and her mother's. She was perfect.

"Oh, those naughty boys!" She walked towards the little girl and knelt taking the doll's body in her hands which Anna gladly give to her before folding her arms. "Poor little sweet Rosy, we better go look for her head before it is lost forever. Do you know where the boys are?"

Anna shook her head eagerly then turned abruptly, her light pink dress twirled around her feet before she ran out of Samantha's bedchamber. Samantha hot on her heels. Those little Princes always took pleasure in teasing Anna whenever she came over to play and now her mother was living here until the birth of her second child. It had been chaotic in the household. Aundre was a sweetheart who was just following in his brother's footsteps. Aiden creates the plans and when caught, Aundre had a lot of explanations as to why what they were doing was not naughty. That child could talk his way out of anything. His words were like honey. Sweet and smooth. They were spared nothing, when it came to attention and toys, given Joshua's obsession to spoil them even more since they came back from Spain.