The Shadow of Change
The delight of the world had been ours on the golden road. It had enticed us with daisies and rewarded us with roses. Blossom and lyric had waited on our wishes. Thoughts, careless and sweet, had visited us. Laughter had been our comrade and fearless Hope our guide. But now the shadow of change was over it.
The Golden Road, Chapter 33—"The Story Girl Goes"
Once, my comrades and I traversed a golden road. We laughed and dreamed, longing for the days when we would reach adulthood with all its excitement and joy. Excitement and joy, it is true, we have found our share of, but we never knew of all the sorrows life could bring.
"I do like a road, because you can be always wondering what is at the end of it." Sara said that once—Sara, with a voice that must have been given to her by the Muses, a voice that could make you stay and listen forever. Sara found her road—all of Europe knows of the famous Sara Stanley, acclaimed actress. Even now that we're approaching our sixties, she still is the toast of monarchies—at least, what monarchies are left.
But I get ahead of myself. In my last story, I ended with all of our roads diverging—Sara to Paris, Peter to Markdale, and Felix and I to our home in Toronto, while the Kings and Sara Ray stayed in Carlisle. In order to preserve the continuity, I shall recommence with the time when all roads led back to the old King farm…the last time that we were ever all together.
Author's Note: This story is a sequel to The Story Girl and The Golden Road, not Road to Avonlea. So if you're wondering why Sara is the oldest of the cousins, why Felix is a cousin to Felicity and Cecily instead of their brother, or where Gus Pike is, that's why. This story picks up 6 years after The Golden Road ends, in 1896. It also fits into the framework of my story "The Piper," where Bev and Sara reappear…in fact, trying to discover their backstory led to this story being written. Many thanks to my beta-readers, Portia Sue and Maren of Minnesota.
I hope you enjoy the story…feel free to review and let me know what you think is going to happen.