I'm so tired, so very tired but I have to finish this, thought Adrilla. I'll sleep when it's done. She stared down at the music box in her hands. She had found it after Michael's mother had died. As she was examining it she had gently passed her hand over the intricately engraved top. As she did, a small circle shaped object on a finely shaped pole had popped up. It took her by surprise. Upon further examination, she found the small peep hole and looked inside. There was a small picture profile in it that matched the blue portrait tile on the music box. Now how did that get in there? thought Adrilla. It was beautiful. She had worked long hours in private hiding place discovering the secret of opening the little picture frame. It would now serve as the hiding place for her secret. All Temperance could think of was how much comfort and love she found in John's arms. She never knew she could find the kind of love she had found with John. Not only was he strong and handsome, an extremely hard worker, but he was warm, caring, gentle and loving. The one thing she didn't know about him was the vast amount of knowledge he had...the many secrets he held. She had loved Michael for so many years thinking this was true and everlasting love. How wrong she had been. The love and comfort she received from John was what she needed now. Her head ached terribly right now. The headaches were getting worse and nothing seemed to relieve them. John always seemed to understand and not only held and comforted her but would gently rub her temples in an effort to help alleviate the pain. He knew her secret. She had confided everything to him and understood that she did not want anyone else to know. He had kept her secret even from Michael. He had kept Michael's secret from her but wanted so badly to tell her To ease her conscencious about Eli. To let her know he was dead, not that he had left her, but he given his word to Michael and his word meant everything to him. Michael would never understand about Temperance-after all, he was going to leave Adrilla because she couldn't give him children for a woman he didn't love who could. What would he do when he found out Temperance was going to die?
John's love for Temperance was more than that. He loved her with all his heart and soul. He loved her with every breath he took. When he was away from her, it hurt. He thought his heart would break. He knew she was going to die, but he wanted to spend every minute of her life with her. He wanted to raise and love her child-their child. The child would be his memory of her and he would love it and raise it the way the Lord would have one of His precious souls raised.
As Temperance lay in John's arms, she was safe. She also knew she had truly been blessed with a love that would last through the eternities. She knew her unborn child would have a good father who would always love him and be there for him.
Adrilla was finished. The music box was clean and she had hidden her secret. No one would ever know but Michael and she knew he would never tell anyone. He would never tarnish his precious name-his precious empire. They meant too much to him-even more than his love for her. Love everlasting? What was that? All it had done was bring her misery. Well, if misery was what Michael had intended, then misery was what Michael was going to get.
