Gates of Paradise (Casteel 4)

rejected her. She led a lonely life here. I was in the

inidst of a very bad time myself, convinced I would

not live long. I was bitter and withdrawn. Your

mother and I met, and for a time she filled my life

with hope and happiness. We talked about marriage

and made wonderful plans.

"Then Heaven left to pursue her lost family,

and while she was away, as you know from the letter

you read, Jillian told me the truth: Tony was Heaven's

father; she was my niece. Knowing we could never

marry, I wrote her a letter and left Farthy to travel and

try to forget.

"I returned while she was away- and, as you

know, rode Jillian's horse Abdtilla Bar into the ocean,

convincing everyone, even Tony, I was dead. "And I was dead, dead to anything warm and

hopeful, just wandering about, waiting for the inevitable end of my wretched existence.

"But it didn't come. I lived on past the time I

had drea4t I would die. Once again, hopeful, even renewed, I returned, dreaming of some kind of existence

with Heaven, but by then she had reunited with Logan

and they had married. I was living in the cottage

secretly and secretly watched their wedding receptite

at Farthy, my heart shriveling.

"For a while I wandered about the grounds and

even entered the building surreptitiously, behaving as

one of Rye Whiskey's spirits, just so I could see her

ueobserved. Your mother sensed my presence and

carne to the cottage. I tried to hide from her in the tunnels, but she pursued and . . discovered me, dis

covered I was really still alive.

"We both mourned the love we had lost, but"--

his eyes lifted to gaze upon my face--"we didn't leave