Penny sat in Lord Warenne’s parlour clutching the silver locket, nike heels her embroidery forgotten on her lap as she stared into the fire. The dark circles around her eyes spoke of sleepless nights spent worrying about Lord Warenne. What if he died because she wasn’t allowed to nurse him or send him a message?What if he thought her the most impertinent woman ever born for moving into his house jordan high heels uninvited? What if he decided he didn’t want to marry her after all, but felt obligated to marry her anyway? He’d loathe her. The thought made her chest ache and the flames blur.
     Mrs Smirke had insisted that the delirious Lord Warenne would rather his Penny was safe than being carried off to Scotland against her will. It was logical, nike high heels but Penny was finding it difficult to see the happy side of the coin. It was true staying in a bachelor’s home made her an undesirable wife to Strathmore or any other man who valued public opinion, but if Lord Warenne didn’t want her she’d have no where to go; none of her relations would acknowledge her. If Lord wholesale uggs Warenne didn’t want her… Her morbid thoughts were suspended as the sound of a carriage pulling up outside made her freeze with fear. Was it the neighbours’ carriage? No, she could hear the front door opening. The servants’ sudden flurry of activity meant the master was home. Penny took a deep breath as she set aside her needlework and wholesale ugg boots stood to receive her life’s sentence. “Where is she Collins?” The words were filled with anxiety and distress. Was he happy or infuriated at her presence? Feeling sick to her stomach, she smoothed her skirts and turned to face the open door. At least there were only two sides of the coin; a broken heart or marriage to the uggs wholesale man she loved. Running footsteps slid past the door and then he was standing there clutching the door frame with both hands staring at her with a strange expression. She folded her hands and looked at the floor as his silence promised nothing. “You’re wearing my necklace.”

    She rolled her eyes. "You were doing something. You were wholesale ugg boots doing my chores."
     He shrugged again. "It wasn't enough. I felt bad about . . . I just wanted to help."
     "You felt bad? How do you think I would have felt if I couldn't pay you back?"
     "I never intended for uggs wholesale you to pay me back. Anyway," he smiled wryly, "when we get married it will be my bill."
     She stabbed the pitchfork into the dirt floor. "Now there's a good reason to get married," she said sourly.
     He crammed his hands ugg boots wholesale into his pockets and stared down at her. "We have a lot more reasons than that, don't we? We've been dating since high school. Has there ever been anyone else you considered marrying?"
     He was watching her intently. He wanted nike heels to know where she stood with Alex. Actually, until she met Alex, even she had assumed that Josh would eventually be her husband - though she wasn't in any big hurry. But was it Alex who had come between nike high heels them, or did he simply show up at a critical time? Hadn't she been drifting from Josh for the last few months - before she knew anything about Alex? And what did it matter? Alex was interested in Lori, nike dunk heels so he was out of the picture anyway. Still, marrying Josh while another man was so capable of lighting her fire didn't seem fair - especially when Josh couldn't.

    He leapt off the backhoe and directed me in lowering nike heels the cover onto Count's vault. With another dull thud, it fell into place. I lowered the loader to the ground and Steve unhooked the chains. Nodding as he finished, nike high heels he stepped aside. Biting my lower lip, I plunged the loader into pile of topsoil. With a full bucket, I swung the backhoe around and crawled to the edge nike dunk heels of Count's grave. My chest heaving, I dumped the bucket. The topsoil avalanched atop Count with a sickening clunk.
     After closing the grave. I used the front end loader to nike dunk heels contour it. I motioned for Steve to hop back on when he finished raking the mound. He looked at me puzzled. Knowing what was next, I broke our silence, nike high heels "Hop on."
     Shrugging his shoulders, he threw the rake into the front end loader and hopped on. As we lumbered across Fernwood, I glanced into the rearview mirror; clad in jordan high heels her black dress, Shannie emerged from behind the tree line carrying her last mudpie.

    He never called me James. I opened my eyes. Flashing nike high heels red lights filled my darkened room. "The house on fire?" I asked bolting up. I heard my mother cry underneath the din of unfamiliar voices. The crackle of a police radio and the rattle of nike heels a diesel engine shook the windows. In the strobe-like effect of the emergency lights I saw fear painted on my grandfather's face. Wrinkles etched his forehead, his eyes wide and alert. I tried to ask wholesale uggs what was happening but words failed me.
     "They have to take your mother to the hospital."
     "The baby? She's having the baby?" My heart raced. I was exhilarated. I was going to have a baby brother. "I'm wholesale ugg boots going to be a big brother," I mumbled throwing on my clothes.
     "Slow down James," Grandfather told me. "Listen to me," he placed his hands on my shoulders. "Your father is going with your mother in uggs wholesale the ambulance. I don't know the way to the hospital. Do you know how to get there?"
     "Good. Good." There was hesitation in his voice.
     Outside the ambulance pulled away. The dim glare of the street lights ugg boots wholesale splintered the blackness. "I got to take a whiz," I said.
     "We don't have time. Wait till we get to the hospital."
     "It'll only take a second."