When Day Breaks Read Free

sorry. I know you went to a lot of trouble, but this just isn’t for me.”
    Stuart remembered taking her hand and raising it to his lips. “There’s absolutely nothing to apologize for, my dear one.”
    Utterly smitten, he could forgive her almost anything. He was attracted to her from the moment she’d first caught his eye as she presided, dressed in queenly blue, as the mistress of ceremonies at a benefit dinner last fall. Then he had worshipped her from afar for a few months, making it a point to get up every morning and watch her on KEY to America. Finally he’d gotten up the courage to call her at the office. Getting through had been easier than expected. He’d left his name with her assistant, and within a few hours Constance herself had called him back. It wasn’t till later that he had admitted to himself why.
    These past few months had been heavenly for Stuart. And even though he would have loved more time with Constance, he was grateful for whatever time they had together. There were some candlelit dinners in some of the city’s finest restaurants, a few hours spent holding her hand in the theater and on hansom-cab rides through Central Park. But by far, Stuart’s favorite activity had been showing Constance his passion for medieval art and architecture.
    The afternoon they’d spent wandering though the museum and gardens of the Cloisters had been his biggest pleasure. He had loved showing Constance the extraordinary collection of artistic treasures and strolling with her in that majestic setting in upper Manhattan overlooking the Hudson River in Fort Tryon Park.
    Constance had been an eager student. She was so bright and interested in the story of how the core of the museum was constructed from medieval French monasteries and chapels that had been purchased and shipped, stone by stone, window by stained-glass window, statue by statue, across the Atlantic Ocean. She was fascinated by the seven magnificent Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries that hung in the gallery and hungry to learn about the symbolism of the one-horned creature. She marveled at the plants that were tended in the cloister gardens, some grown for food, some for medicinal purposes, some for their magical powers. She was awed by the stone coffins with carved effigies of knights and noble-men that lay in the Gothic chapel. It was after they’d viewed those tombs together that Stuart had explained the principle of courtly love.
    “It was the idea that a nobleman would dedicate his life to the love of a lady. The relationship was intended to flatter the lady and inspire the knight to accomplish bold deeds in order to be worthy of her love.”
    What could be bolder than procuring the amulet that King Arthur had given to his love, Guinevere?
    Stealing the ivory unicorn with the golden crown for Constance had been bold, but not enough, apparently. It hadn’t ensured her love. He’d risked his reputation with a deed that went against his principles in order to win his lady’s favor. But Constance favored him no more.
    He’d asked her to wear the amulet only when they were alone together, and she had promised she would. Yet not only had Constance broken her promise to him, she’d broken his heart.

CHAPTER 4
     
    T raveling down the West Side Highway, Eliza stared out at the Hudson River from the rear window of the dark blue sedan. She tried to focus on the day in front of her, but she found her mind turning to Janie’s picnic.
    As far as Eliza knew, Janie was the only child in her class without a father. There were already a few divorces among the parents of the six-year-olds, but those fathers were still alive, still part of their children’s worlds. Those fathers would be at the picnic. Janie’s would not.
    For all the good fortune she’d been given, for all the natural gifts she’d been blessed with, for all the accomplishments she’d achieved, Eliza often reminded herself to be grateful. Yet having lost John was something that could