Lord Andrew Charles Howard The Third and I are now 55 years old, and all our children are grown with children of their own, and I travel out to Beltane Manor.
Tragedy has befallen on our family, I have lost my dear great-grandmother, my grandmother, and mother, along with my great-grandfather, grandfather, and father, my granduncle, two grandaunts, and the only ones left of my great-grandmother's children are Lord Albert Edward, Lord Benjamin Lawrence Carey, Lady Sophia Dorothea, and Lady Karissa Elizabeth Ann.
I have my memories of my dear great-grandmother, Lady Karissa Elizabeth Ann Howard-Carey nee Lowell and I remember what she told when I was only five years old in 2325 " You have a destiny to fulfill and you will be the one to carry the legacy of Lord Patrick William Howard into the next century. "
It has been 45 years since my great-grandmother passed away in her garden at Beltane Manor.
I remember what she told me " Don't forget me and remember me with smiles and not tears because I am with you always. "
"She was not here when I gave birth to her great-granddaughter, Lady Karissa Elizabeth but she at least knows that her great-granddaughter married her great-grandson, and they are both happy with their three children.
I remember the song she used to sing out in her garden to all of us " How Could I Ever Know?"
How could I know I would have to leave you?
How could I know I would hurt you so?
You were the one I was born to love
Oh, how could I ever know?
How could I ever know?
How can I say to go on without me?
How, when I know you still need me so?
How can I say not to dream about me?
How could I ever know?
How could I ever know?
Forgive me, can you forgive me?
And hold me in your heart
And find some new way to love me
Now that we're apart?
How could I know I would never hold you?
Never again in this world
But oh, sure as you breathe I am there inside you
How could I ever know?
How could I ever know?
How can I hope to go on without you?
How can I know where you'd have me go?
How can I bear not to dream about you?
Oh, how can I let you go?
How could I ever know?
All I need is there in the garden
All I would ask is care for the child of our love
Come, go with me, safe I will keep you
Where you would lead me, there I would
There I would, there we would, there we will go
Oh! How could I know?
Tell me how could I know?
Never to know you would ever leave me
How could we ever know?
How could we know?
How could I ever know?
Source: LyricFind
How Could I Ever Know lyrics © Concord Music Publishing LLC
To this very day I can still hear her sing out in her garden as I stoll in the garden at Beltane Manor.
"I wonder how many more years Lord Andrew Charles Howard The third and I have together and we have the most happy marriage.
"I wonder which one of us will go first and how we cope without one another and will our son be able to govern when we both have died.
I can't visualize our son governing Norfolk and Lancaster, and I can only hope that our grandson, Lord Andrew Charles Howard The fifth is of age at that time and my son passes the Dukedoms to him.
"Lord Andrew Charles Howard The fifth is so level headed and so bright, and he is my heir as my grandmother made me her heir. I will make my grandson, Lord Andrew Charles Howard The Fifth my heir.
"Our oldest grandson, Lord Jerome Alexander will inherit the Earldom of Moray like his great-great-uncle, Lord Alexander Andrew Howard inherited the Dukedom of Lennox Territory.
I walk in the garden my late great-mother cherished so much and I long to see her once more as I need her assurance.
I look towards the oak tree where several times I saw her appear to me with the hope she will reappear but at last she doesn't and she is now at rest finally with my great-grandfather, my step-grandfather, and dear Lt. Kevin Thomas Riley and her four oldest children, and my mother, father.
"Please great-grandmother. When Lord Andrew Charles Andrew The Third and I come to be with you and which one of us will go first?" I ask her.
No one knows the answer, only Odin The Almighty father knows that answer and I think back to when I was five years old and how blessed I was to have her in my life.
"I hold onto those precious memories I have of her, my grandmother, and mother and wish they were still with me, but atlas my grandmother and mother have gone to join my great-grandmother.
How I love this garden at Beltane Manor and I know that Lady Karissa Elizabeth Ann has left it to her daughter, Lady Charlene Andrea. And Lady Charlene Andrea has left it to her daughter, Lady Patricia Wilhelmina Howard.
So many cherished memories and if you have those memories they will carry you into the future with hope and inspiration.
YOU ARE READING
Forget Me Not : A Sequel to Remember Me
Historical FictionForget Me Not Is The Sequel to Remember Me I am going to submit for Watty Awards 2023 that begins on July 17 and for Camp National Camp Novel Writing Month July of 2023.
