Tears of Endurance (Romantic Drama) Book #1

Tears of Endurance

by

D.G. Torrens

Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible - it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could ~ Barbara de Angelis

Copyright © 2013 by D.G. Torrens

Edition

License Notes: This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author.

Cover design by David C. Cassidy

Formatting by
Jo Harrison

This is the work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Contents

Acknowledgements
Chapter one
Chapter two
Chapter three
Chapter four
Chapter five
Chapter six
Chapter seven
Chapter eight
Chapter nine
Chapter ten
Chapter eleven
Chapter twelve
Chapter thirteen
Chapter fourteen
Chapter fifteen
Chapter sixteen
Chapter seventeen
Chapter eighteen
Chapter nineteen
Chapter twenty
Chapter twenty one
Chapter twenty two
Chapter twenty three
Chapter twenty four
Chapter twenty five
Chapter twenty six
Chapter twenty seven
Chapter twenty eight
Chapter twenty nine
About the Author

Acknowledgements:

I would like to thank my family for their unwavering support. I can’t thank you all enough. I love you.

Thank you to David C. Cassidy my book cover designer, for producing a truly incredible image that conveys my story beautifully. You truly are a talented designer and author.

To Jo Harrison, for formatting my book and always doing such a wonderful job at such short notice from me. You make my job so much easier.

To Firstediting.com, for your eagle eye and always doing a magnificent job of editing my manuscript.

Thank you to all my author friends who have been so supportive throughout my writing journey over the last two years. Your encouragement and advice has been invaluable to me. You all know who you are!

And finally, a big thank you to all my readers, for it is for you that I write.

Titles by D.G. Torrens

~

Biographies & Memoirs:

Amelia
’s Story

Amelia
’s Destiny

~

Romance:

Broken Wings

Tears of Endurance

Whispers from Heaven (coming soon)

~

Poetry:

Heart & Mind

Chapter one

Arianna brushed away a tear as it slowly escaped down her pale cheek; she ambled over to her apartment window, which overlooked the quaint coaching town of Coleshill below. As more tears persisted and cascaded down her sodden cheeks, she watched as Justin threw his bags into the boot of his car and slammed it shut. He slowly turned his head and glanced towards Arianna’s apartment window, pausing for a few seconds before climbing into his car and driving off. After four years she found herself, once again, alone; she watched until Justin’s car was no longer in sight. His affair came out of the blue, and she had not been expecting it at all.

With a heavy heart, she slowly made her way from room to room, bagging up the remainder of Justin
’s belongings, things that clearly were not important to him as he’d left them behind without a second thought; these were the meaningful things exchanged between lovers over the years, special cards they’d exchanged, the teddy bear she’d bought him on their last holiday and many photographs of the two of them together.
Why me, why now?
she cried aloud as she cupped her head in her hands and knelt down on her bedroom floor. Arianna thought back to the first time she had met Justin and how he’d melted her heart, unlike anyone before him. Believing he was forever. She never imagined, at 36-years-old, she would once again find herself single and alone.

As she searched the bathroom for anything Justin may have left behind, she caught sight of herself in the silver art deco mirror situated above the sink. She paused and took in a deep breath, feeling her heartbeat increase. She ran her fingers through her natural wavy chestnut brown hair, which fell loosely past her shoulders. She wondered if she had let herself go over the last 12 months. She ran her fingers over her face and pulled it tight.
Don’t make excuses for him, Arianna
, she thought, feeling slightly angry with herself for even allowing the thought to take root in her mind and torment her. She glared into the mirror at her own reflection; her dark brown eyes, which were framed by long thick lashes, stared back at her, slightly red and puffy for crying. She sighed and tied the large bags full of Justin’s possessions into a tight knot.

Justin
’s affair eventually turned serious and he’d made the decision to come clean with Arianna after six months of sneaking around behind her back and the odd “business meeting” which took him away at weekends. Arianna did not react how he’d expected her to; in fact, quite the opposite. She responded with dignity and decorum, like the lady she was and always had been. All she could say was, why? Justin simply shook his head, apologised and, after packing his bags swiftly, walked out the door without a backwards glance.

Arianna looked around her beautiful Grade II listed, 16th century apartment and thanked God that she had been sensible enough to keep the property in her own name. Only 12 months previously, she was considering adding Justin
’s name to the mortgage so the property would be theirs and not just hers. That was going to be her way of showing him how committed she was to their relationship. Then they’d had an almighty row unlike any other. Justin said some awful things; he’d retracted them later but from then on, Arianna felt less confident about her decision to add his name to her property. Justin had had no idea about her thoughts and that she was considering adding his name. Her two-story townhouse was everything to her; it was the first property she’d bought as a young single woman and her dream home.

With all the original features maintained to the highest standards and the little wooden bridge that connected one end of the property to the other, it truly was a unique building.

A year after she had moved into the partially derelict building, she had had a full historic survey done on the property. The survey revealed some incredible historical facts. Her house was one of the few extremely old properties in the area. The beautiful wooden beams that were featured in every room throughout still had the original carpenter’s markings from the 16th century. Her property was once an old coaching inn and the horse-drawn carriages back in the 18th century used to pass through the cobblestone alleyway to the side of the property and pull up at the back where the horses could rest up and drink water.

When Arianna purchased the property in the old coaching town of
Coleshill in North Warwickshire, it had been empty for a long time and needed a great deal of work doing to it. But she was not deterred in the slightest; the very moment she walked through the door into the partially derelict property, she fell completely in love with it. Seeing past all the work that needed doing, she envisioned the place complete and knew instantly that she had found her first home. The wooden winding staircase that led up to the main living area of the property was enchanting, the high ceilings went on forever and Arianna was completely smitten. The old wooden door to the living area was the original door and had a huge round iron ring, which was used to open and close the door. The bathroom door was the same, but much smaller and she had to bend her head before walking through. Banging her head after a night out and a few glasses of wine became a frequent occurrence!

She loved the beautiful sash windows and enjoyed dressing them with the beautiful curtains she
’d had specially made by a local curtain maker, who leased an exquisite quaint shop on the high street and came highly recommended by the locals. They draped the window perfectly and cascaded romantically to the floor. She’d bought old brass chandeliers for the living and dining area that complimented the rooms perfectly.

Arianna was so very proud of herself as she recalled the day she finally got the keys from the estate agent and walked through the door.
This is all mine
... she shouted, running through the building with child-like excitement, exploring every inch of the old property. There were a couple of old secret wooden doorways that you had to crawl through, which took you onto the roof and led you all the way around the property. It was a magnificent property and one she had bought very cheaply, due to the length of time it had been on the market and the amount of work that needed doing. The beams needed treating to protect the property against woodworm. The roof needed fixing, some rendering work needed doing, and that was just for starters. It took five years and every penny she had to bring the property up to scratch and turn it into her dream home. She maintained all the original features and employed a local handy man to help with all the interior cosmetic work such as painting, decorating, flooring, replacing all the skirting boards, and tiling. It was a labour of love and one she knew she could never part with.

She remembered the first time Justin had seen it
; he too fell in love with her home and was very impressed with what she’d achieved after viewing the before and after photos. Arianna walked back into the living room with two large bags.
The last of Justin
, she thought sadly. She recalled the very first time they made love, right where she was standing in front of the sash windows. Tears welled up in her eyes once more without warning and fell down her reddened cheeks. She really believed he was the one, that they were forever, and she had even dared to imagine a family with him one day. Now it was all gone, four years of her life wasted on a man who was simply passing through.

She grabbed her car keys and headed out of the door after deciding to head into the city of
Birmingham to do some much-needed retail therapy to cheer herself up. The M6 motorway was pretty clear, so within 20 minutes she had parked in the large underground car park directly beneath the Bullring shopping centre. After buying a parking ticket and placing it on the inside of her car window, she headed for the lifts to the first floor. Today she was not going to hold back. Fed up with always being ultra-sensible, she decided to blow the money she’d saved up for Justin’s birthday present and spend it all on a new outfit for herself, complete with shoes.

As she ambled slowly around the shops, she couldn
’t help but notice all the couples walking happily hand in hand, it was like having salt rubbed into a very deep wound, intensifying the pain she was trying so desperately to avoid. Picking up her pace and doing her best to adopt a positive attitude towards her unfortunate but altogether new placement into the world of singletons, Arianna swerved past an overly cute couple, headed into Selfridges and jumped onto the escalators to the fourth floor; the floor with the over-priced shoes and bags beautifully displayed and begging to be bought, the floor that she always avoided as if her very life depended on it!

Some 30 minutes later, she had blown all her money on a black leather patent handbag and matching shoes and no outfit, as she was all spent out. Feeling deliciously guilty and in shock at her impulse purchase, she headed straight for her favourite coffee shop opposite Mama
’s and Papa’s Baby Boutique. She took a seat and ordered a large slice of cheesecake and a coffee latte. Smiling to herself, she placed her bag neatly on the spare chair beside her.
Here’s to a new life and a new beginning
, she thought to herself as she popped another spoonful of cheesecake into her mouth. After she had finished her latte and spent a few minutes’ people watching, she was ready for home.

As she made her way to the car park, the upcoming event at her gallery sprung to mind.
At least I can throw myself into my work
, she thought as she picked up her pace and ran to catch the lift, which was about to close. Arianna had roped in the help of her two part-time assistants to hand out flyers for the event as well as placing a handful in all the local shops and restaurants. She had placed a small advert in two local papers and sent out personal invites to those on her important mailing list.

Having only acquired the small art gallery two years previously, Arianna was putting in all the hours God sent. It was a lifelong dream, one she thought would never come to fruition
; but her hard work and determination were finally paying off. As well as showcasing local artists from time to time, Arianna also sold limited edition prints and cards to make ends meet, as well as original works of arts from local artists. The prints sold very well and helped to keep her gallery afloat. Arianna was very innovative and was constantly conjuring up new ways of using her gallery to its fullest potential. She was well aware of how difficult the market was in her business and being situated in a small North Warwickshire town made it all the more challenging. The gallery was spread out over two floors. The first floor displayed all the prints and original artwork for everyday customers and the second floor was her exhibition space, the heart of the gallery and where she showcased local artists. This was also the space she hired out to local businesses wanting somewhere more distinctive to entertain their clients.

She leased a small two-floor studio on the high street in her local town of
Coleshill; the rates in Birmingham City Centre were far too high and way outside of her humble budget. Arianna called it the Freedom Gallery of Contemporary Art. It had always been a name that inspired her, the freedom to express yourself through art. She had showcased a few wonderful local artists over the last two years as well as one or two upcoming names in the region. The gallery had seen a small and much welcomed profit over the last 12 months and this upcoming event was to be her most profitable yet. The future of her gallery relied on it; this event could possibly put her gallery on the map and more work would hopefully be sent her way. She was extremely excited about her latest discovery, Oliver Steen, an incredible artist with a unique talent that knew no boundaries.

Arianna was well aware that the plaudits don
’t just come rolling in. You’re suddenly out of the studio and into the art world where a unique protocol prevails, and getting to know the territory, particularly from the perspective of the critics, collectors, consultants and advisors, was paramount to the success of the gallery and the artists. Art had to be displayed at its ultimate best in the right exhibition space, the best layout, and under perfect lighting. These factors made the difference between sales or no sales. Arianna could not afford for her event to go badly, knowing all too well that as the owner of the gallery, she has to sell enough art to make her expenses. In order to minimize the chances of losing out financially, she had developed her own special skills, talents, rules, preferences and ways of doing business. Creatively presenting and selling the merchandise as seamlessly, productively and mutually satisfying for her and the artist as possible. This was what she did best and she loved what she did with a great deal of passion.

Arianna made a mental note to call Oliver, the artist she was showcasing the following weekend. She needed to be sure he was ready and there would be no last minute hiccups. Oliver was a superb artist with exceptional talent, he’d approached Arianna’s studio six months before and a great partnership had formed. She had loved his work and immediately offered him the exhibition space in her gallery. A few weeks later, the contracts were signed and the date was set.

A few hours later, Arianna picked up her landline phone and punched in Oliver
’s phone number.

“
Hello.” Oliver’s quiet, understated voice echoed down the line.

“
Hi Oliver, it’s Arianna. I’m just checking in with you regards your show next weekend. Are you ready?” There was a long worrying pause at the other end of the line. “Look, Oliver, you have to be ready now, there is no going back. The invites have been sent and the word is being spread all over town as we speak. This is your chance to express your creative ideals and inspirations into previously unexplored territory by debuting your work in a serious venue. You have an incredible talent, Oliver, and I really believe this show will catapult you into the world of upcoming artists. You are one of the most talented artists I have seen in a long time. So please, trust me on this and no getting cold feet, okay?” Arianna waited patiently for a response. Oliver was a man of few words and did all his expressing through his work.