Here goes:
Clinton Briggs wrote out his first letter to the Sacred Heart Convent in South Wales where his daughter Emily was resting. Clinton had entrusted his daughter into the care of the nuns at the Sacred Heart because he felt he could turn to no one else; his cousin Angela, had once told him of the place. He was truly frightened for his daughter and he was not sure that even this plan would work to keep her safe.
Clinton had been spying for quite some time and it seemed that nearly every time he took on a new contract for his country his enemies always found where he and his daughter resided. He could no longer be so careless about his daughter’s life and so this was the reason he had decided to end his days of espionage after this last adventure.
Dearest Anna,
I thank you so much for taking Emily in for me. It has become hard, as she has grown, to keep watch over her and her mischievous ways. I look forward to meeting the person who has been so generous to me as well as my daughter; Emily writes often and tells me of your kindness and she says the interest you take in her makes her feel so welcome! You may never know how much it makes me happy to hear that…thank you. I shall bid you adieu until we meet in a fortnight!
Sincerely,
Clinton Briggs
Clinton put down his quill and smiled to himself; he really was glad to hear that Emily was getting along well. Hopefully when he visited her next they would get a chance to talk about her engagement to Mr. Montgomery Hanson. There was no doubt that Emily would be thrilled by the prospect of marrying such a nobleman. Emily had wanted a family of her own for so long now; Clinton knew how bored she was becoming with living alone with only maids and servants to confide in. Emily needed someone of her own. Clinton was no longer enough. The thought truly hurt him a great deal. After Emily’s mother died, Clinton had promised to take good care of Emily and so far he felt as though he was letting Brianna down.
Brianna was another story completely; he had failed her too many times to count and he could never make anything up to her now. All he had was the fact that he could raise Emily in the proper way. Brianna had been raised in a convent and so Clinton felt that the Sacred Heart Convent would have been a place that Brianna would have loved. Gosh, he missed her; he missed her so bad sometimes he felt like if he did stop spying he would have nothing left in his life; Emily would be married and gone and Brianna was never coming back. It had taken him too many years to finally accept that fact. And he now knew that he would never find another woman like Brianna, in fact he didn’t even expect to find another woman at all. He knew all of his friends whose wives had died before them had said the same thing but Clinton had truly meant it – there would never be any woman for him but Brianna, and she was gone now.
Clinton shoved himself up from his desk and strolled to the mantel above the fireplace; he glanced at a picture of Brianna, himself, and Emily. He sighed slowly and turned around to see his butler, Edward, waiting for him to turn in.
“Ah, Edward, I am so sorry; I just caught up in responding to letters and business, well you know.” The look on Clinton’s face told Edward enough.
“Do not fret over it sir, I was really just checking to see if you needed anything before I myself, retired?” Edward was always so attentive; he was a good butler and an even better man.
So, there it is, hopefully the start to my earliest novel :) Goodnight all and have a greate weekend!
*always.
caitlin
Sometimes those most worthy of love are not made happy by it. ~Dangeous Liaisons
It is on the strength of observation that one finds a way; so we must dig and delve unceasingly. ~Claude Monet 1840-1926