It is our duty to inform you that news has arrived in Great Britain that a battle has been fought in Aboukir Bay off the Alexandrian coast between the French and British fleets. We are receiving conflicting reports as to whom shall claim victory, but at this time, the number for France outweighs those for Great Britain.
Of greater concern for you and the estate of Galloway is that Lord Alasdair Stewart’s name appears on the list of wounded and/or deceased. These are very early reports we have received, so they are subject to change. With that, there is hope. We will continue to pray for your husband and our esteemed comrade, Captain Alasdair Stewart, Earl of Galloway.
Any news we receive will be forwarded to you forthwith.
Your most obedient servant,
Colonel Neil Hughes
I feel the warmth of my tears streaming down my face, turning cold just before they drip onto my chest. Alasdair is gone. He is gone before we can live our lives together…before we can grow old together. Itwashis spirit that came to me in the forest, the magnificent white stag was the vessel he chose to visit me one last time. It was an excellent choice—he knew how happy it would make me, and it did. I was overjoyed to be in its presence, albeit confused by the sense of familiarity. Yet now, it makes sense.
I must go. I must go to the purple meadow and find him again, tell him how much I love him, and that for as long as I live, I will never love again. He must know, somehow, that the short time we spent together as husband and wife was more meaningful than I ever knew possible, and I will thank him for that joy every day for the rest of my life.
But most importantly, I will let him know that his legacy will live on through the child growing inside me.