Page 77 of The Duchess' Replacement

His eyes were shining with mirth and a calmness had settled around him. She wanted nothing more than to live in the ease of this moment forever.

“You could kiss me. That’ll quiet me.” She said with a smirk.

Charles tilted his head. “It will be my pleasure.”

Sarah sighed into his mouth as his lips caressed hers.

The peace of the moment was interrupted by the sound of running footsteps approaching them.

She turned her head to the side to break away from the kiss. A girl was running towards them.

“Nora!” She yelled.

Charles’s eyes flew open as he turned his head to see his sister running towards them with her hands in front of her face.

“Nora?” He called to her as he scrambled off of Sarah.

They both stood up. Sarah’s body hummed with satisfaction at seeing Charles needing to adjust himself as he stood.

Her mood quickly soured when she realized Nora looked like she was crying.

Sarah took off towards Nora. “Nora! What is it?”

Nora stumbled into Sarah’s arms. Tears marked her face as sobs wracked her body.

The sun had winked out behind her.

Charles.

He pulled Nora from Sarah’s arms. “What happened? Are you all right?”

The poor girl couldn’t get any words out. She just clung to her brother’s hulking frame as she cried.

Sarah heard snickering coming from the lake. She looked and she saw the boys from before standing in a circle looking in their direction. Derision and sneers colored their expressions

Sarah cocked her head at the sight. What happened to cause them to look at Nora that way?

Sarah turned her body back towards Charles and his sister when she was pushed out of the way by a meaty arm.

“You!” Charles shouted at the three young boys as he began to move towards them.

Sarah instantly threw her arm out and luckily caught his as he passed her.

“Stop! Charles, no!” She yelled.

She dug her heels into the ground, her efforts barely affecting her husband’s strength.

She looked at the boys frozen in their spots. “What are you doing?” She yelled to them. “Run!”

Still pulling on Charles to get him to stop Sarah looked over her shoulder to a horrified Nora. “Go back to the house, Nora. Now!”

Nora took off running.

Sarah struggled to keep a hold of her husband. “Charles!” She pulled as hard as she could. He turned.

“What?” He bellowed.

“Your sister needs you!” She pleaded.

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