LovelyMay

    Stories 93
    Chapters 1,516
    Words 6.7 M
    Comments 0
    Reading 23 days, 5 hours23 d, 5 h
    • Chapter II — Father and Son Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter II – Father and Son unfolds within the silent walls of Hermiston, where distance defines the relationship more than any shared blood. Adam Weir, Lord Justice-Clerk, governs not only the court but also his household with the same sternness and absence of warmth. His role as a judge has consumed whatever gentleness may once have lived in him, leaving behind a man whose affection is buried beneath command. His son Archie, bright and perceptive, senses this void from early childhood. Though provided…
    • Chapter III — In the Matter of the Hanging of Duncan Jopp Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter III – In the Matter of the Hanging of Duncan Jopp begins with a courtroom scene that shakes young Archie Weir to the core. Watching the proceedings unfold under the command of his father, Lord Hermiston, Archie is confronted by the sheer finality of justice rendered without mercy. Duncan Jopp’s guilt may be established, but it is the spectacle of his punishment—and the cold, almost theatrical authority behind it—that unsettles Archie most. He sees not only the law at work but a system that…
    • Chapter IV — Opinions of the Bench Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter IV – Opinions of the Bench begins in the shadowy quiet of evening, as Archie arrives at Lord Glenalmond’s home with a restless energy that suggests inner conflict. The visit, though unannounced, is not unexpected. Glenalmond, calm and thoughtful, receives him with kindness, insisting gently that Archie first eat, knowing well that troubled minds are not soothed on empty stomachs. Though Archie resists at first, preferring to move straight to the matter, his host maintains a calm presence,…
    • Chapter V — Winter on the Moors Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter V – Winter on the Moors settles into a time of stillness, but the quiet is not without tension. The landscape seems frozen, yet emotions stir beneath the surface like roots under snow. Archie, in speaking with Kirstie, touches on her complicated feelings about the family at Cauldstaneslap. She answers plainly, implying that love and loyalty are not decisions, but conditions of the heart—unchosen and unavoidable. When asked whether she would like to see the others more often, her response is…
    • Chapter VI — A Leaf from Christina’s Psalm-Book Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter VI – A Leaf from Christina's Psalm-Book begins with a morning stirred not by habit, but by an emotion so tender it startles even Kirstie herself. Awakening with a calm smile before the household rises, she greets the day as though it were carrying a secret just for her. The usual grogginess is replaced with clarity and joy, surprising her young maid, who remarks with curiosity. Kirstie’s reply, light-hearted but heartfelt, reflects a deep contentment she can’t quite explain aloud. Though she…
    • Chapter VII — Enter Mephistopheles Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter VII – Enter Mephistopheles begins with the unexpected arrival of Frank Innes at Hermiston, bearing an ambiguous invitation from Archie that even Archie does not fully recall extending. Despite their past as school friends, the warmth between them quickly cools under the weight of unspoken tension and growing differences. Archie, introverted and guarded, regards Frank’s bold and meddlesome manner with increasing discomfort. Where Archie values quiet and discretion, Frank thrives on amusement and…
    • Chapter VIII — A Nocturnal Visit Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter VIII – A Nocturnal Visit unfolds under a sky wrapped in stillness, where footsteps carry weight and whispered words feel louder than daylit truths. Kirstie’s approach to Archie is not tentative—it comes from a place long held back by patience, now released by worry and unresolved love. Her questions, though calmly spoken, arise from sleepless nights and silent suffering. She has sensed the growing closeness between Archie and the younger Kirstie, and what once seemed innocent now feels…
    • Chapter IX — At the Weaver’s Stone Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter IX – At the Weaver's Stone opens in the quiet hush of late afternoon, where the landscape reflects the weight between two hearts meeting under strain. Archie arrives with a heavy purpose, already braced by prior warnings from his family, knowing that the encounter with Kirstie must shift from tenderness to reason. The looming shadow of local gossip has reached him, and it now shapes the language of his approach. Though the location holds past memories of warmth and shared secrets, today it…
    • To the Right worshipful Cover
      by LovelyMay To the Right worshipful John Offley, the dedication of The Compleat Angler carries more than a courteous salutation—it frames the entire book as a tribute to shared appreciation for the quiet art of angling. The author speaks not with empty praise, but with genuine admiration for Offley's practiced skill, elevating him as a model angler whose talents stem from patience, understanding, and a natural affinity for the water. In this opening, angling is not framed as a mere diversion but as a refined…
    • The epistle to the reader Cover
      by LovelyMay The epistle to the reader opens not with pride, but with gentle humility. The author speaks plainly, stating that his intent is not to impress but to share. He notes that the book was written to please others more than himself, prompted by kind encouragement rather than ambition. If it fails to entertain, he only asks that it be forgiven, not judged too harshly. There’s a quiet grace in that appeal, one that softens the expectations of the audience. He doesn't boast of polished rhetoric or deep literary…
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