Love on Trial

By Marvalee Mills

Love On Trial is a gut-wrenching drama about love and deception. It compels the reader to fall in love with the characters. The story takes you on a journey through the lives of its main characters, as each chapter unfolds so does the web of deception. Every aspect of human emotions is brought to the surface as the characters are faced with love, hate, deception, death and fear and one woman desperately trying to hold on to love.

Love On Trial makes compelling reading.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496943545

Marvalee Mills

Marvalee Mills grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She attended the University of Manitoba and is also a graduate of the Canadian Law Enforcement Training College in Toronto, Ontario. Marvalee currently lives in Toronto, Ontario with her five children - Shyane, Jordon, Aleah, Love, and Luke Mills - and works for the Toronto District School Board. Marvalee discovered the love for writing at age thirteen and has since gone on to write dozens of poetry. Marvalee has also written many financial blogs. Her prized project is her first book titled “Love on Trial”.

Book preview

Chapter 1

L ady Ashley had just returned from volunteering at the juvenile centre and was sitting comfortably in the living room of the Thompsons’ estate in the suburbs of New York. Her mother, Duchess Devry Thompson, had acquired it shortly after the death of her grandfather, Randolph Thompson. Ashley was holding a picture that had been taken of her and her parents when she was born. The inscription at the bottom read, Our Little Lady. She knew she was the pride of her parents. Ashley smiled to herself as she remembered the story of her parents’ engagement party, which had been a costume party. Her father had dressed as a duke and her mother as a duchess. Her father had taken great pride in introducing her mother as his duchess. Ever since that night, her mother had become known as Duchess Devry Thompson. Then when Ashley had come along, her parents had taken to calling her Little Lady. Eventually the name grew on her; she was their perfect little Lady Ashley. Ashley stared aimlessly at the large painting of her father that her mother had painted the year before he passed away.

Lady Ashley was startled by the phones unanticipated ring. Remembering that Kathleen, the family’s lifelong housekeeper and friend, had gone to town, she ran hastily to answer it. Instead of Kathleen, who she thought might be calling, she heard Leopold on the other end.

Hello, my love. You know, I was just sitting here thinking, and suddenly I realized how much I miss hearing your sweet voice.

What do you want? I told you never to call me. Stay away from me! Stay out of my life! I want nothing more to do with you!

You know how hard I’ve tried to stay away, but it’s not that easy. The sooner you realize that, the better it will be for both of us. I know you still love me.

"What we had is over! I repeat, is over! It should never have happened. As far as I’m concerned, it never did. Good-bye, Leopold. Don’t call again." Ashley slammed the phone down. She realized she was shaking, and she threw herself down on the couch and cried.

Later that afternoon, Ashley arrived at Devonshire National Airport. She awaited Costello’s flight from London with anticipation. Standing by the huge window, Ashley felt her body becoming weak from the heat as the sun beat down on the dark flooring. She started to move towards the gift shop when she heard Costello’s voice and turned in acknowledgement.

Costello broke into a huge smile as their eyes met. Ashley moved gracefully towards him, and they embraced. As Costello gazed into Ashley’s eyes, his words were like a melody to Ashley’s ears. Darling, though we may have been miles apart, I knew distance could not keep me away from you. I kept dreaming of the way it was when we were together. I knew, in my heart, our love was strong. A lifetime is not too long to hold you in my arms.

Tears gathered in Ashley’s eyes. She drew close to whisper, My love, Costello, I’ve waited so long for this moment, just to look upon your face and feel your arms around me once again. She sighed in happiness. When they were together, it felt as if time slowed, allowing her to explore the depth of her love for him. No more words were necessary, so he simply smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they left for home.

The next morning the sun rose high above the horizon. Ashley, already out of bed, stood by the window gazing at the birds as they were chirping merrily while passing. Making her way out of the bedroom, she turned to close the door behind her. She could hear Costello stirring. Walking down the spiral staircase, she could not help but reminisce on the times they had spent together before he’d left to teach medical school in London—the hot summer days they had spent basking under the sun and talking of nothing but their lives together. How wonderful it would be, she thought, if they were married and living on their own instead of living at the Thompsons’ estate with her mother. The estate was beautiful, with fragrant flowers in the spring and large oak trees for shade in the summer, but she wanted a place to call her own.

Ashley toyed with the two rings on her hand. One was a diamond engagement ring; the other was a silver promise ring that twisted into an infinity knot in the middle. She thought about the day they’d met. A friend of hers had invited her to one of Costello’s lectures. When she’d seen Costello, she’d thought he was a little young to be a doctor but was told that he was quite brilliant. They’d had a lot in common and started seeing each other. They had often talked of marriage but never pursued the issue.

A year later he was offered a four-year position in London. Ashley never thought their relationship would work with the distance, but Costello wasn’t troubled by it at all. He said that their relationship would work if they really wanted it to. He left, and one week later, she received a letter. He never stopped writing thereafter. Every holiday or spare moment he had, he came home. It was almost as if he had never left. He had given her the promise ring the summer before his second year of teaching.

Then during his third year, he came home for Christmas. On Christmas morning Ashley woke up to see Costello kneeling at her bedside.

Good morning, beautiful, he said.

Ashley smiled. Having you here with me is the best Christmas present I could ask for. She gave him a kiss.

I don’t know about that, Costello said. He raised her left hand to his lips and kissed it gently, and that’s when she saw the ring. He must have slipped it on while she was still sleeping. It was a beautiful three-stone diamond ring, and an engraved design wrapped around the white-gold of the band.

Ashley, will you—?

Yes, absolutely!

Marry me? Costello finished. They both laughed.

Ashley held up her hand and admired the emerald-cut diamonds that sparkled brighter than the Christmas snow outside. It’s gorgeous, she said.

I had it custom-made for you. I wanted something as beautiful and unique as you.

Ashley snapped out of her memories as Costello gently wrapped his arms around her from behind. She twisted in his arms to face him, and he drew her closer still. She could feel the warmth of his breath as his lips slowly parted. She gazed into his soft brown eyes and stood frozen in his arms. Feeling the touch of his soft but somehow masculine lips caressing hers, she could not help but melt into his arms. She pressed her body tight against his. Panting for breath, she wondered, Where is the woman I know myself to be? It was as if her hungering soul, which had been waiting for this man whom she’d loved for so many years, came alive with such command over her body that she could not subdue it.

Oh how I wish that last night had not ended, Costello.

Who said anything about ending last night? We have tomorrow night and the night after that and the one after that.

You’ve made your point quite clearly, my love. Oh, how I’ve missed you!

And I, you. You want to know the worst thing about being away from you?

Let me see … I would have to say my cooking.

You’re cooking? Why, you’ve never lifted a spoon in your life—and I did say the worst thing about being away from you, not the best thing.