The Lost Bride Trilogy, #3
The Seven Rings
by Nora Roberts
Contents
Chapter Twelve
Overview
Amid plans for a family barbecue, Cleo confesses she’s in love with Owen, and Trey arms Sonya with an air pistol for safety. Sonya and Trey witness Hester Dobbs’s nightly leap and realize the curse may require ending the original loop. After further searches and a ghostly brush in the gym, the mirror pulls Sonya into the past where she watches Owen Poole propose to Moira on the very path of Arthur’s murder, reaffirming love’s endurance.
Summary
Sonya schedules a family barbecue as Cleo confides she’s deeply in love with Owen. Owen and Trey arrive with two handcrafted outdoor two-seaters, strengthening the group’s sense of home. Trey gifts Sonya an old air pistol for defense against Dobbs’s vulture; after initial nerves, they agree to store it safely and use hag stones first.
That night, Sonya and Trey wake before three and watch Hester Dobbs reenact her fatal leap. This prompts a new theory: even if Sonya retrieves the seven rings, the loop might reset unless they also end the original night’s cycle—ensuring Dobbs “just dies” and cannot restart the curse.
Morning brings small disturbances: Owen experiences a chilling presence in the gym until Jones growls it away. The group continues sorting manor artifacts, enjoys a sail, and the women attend Anna’s pink-themed baby shower. Sonya organizes finds by bride, frustrated by the absence of any intact wedding dresses for several brides.
During a break after rain, a familiar pull draws Sonya into the woods and through the mirror. In a springtime past, she witnesses Owen Poole proposing to Moira; they joyfully pledge love on the very path where Hester Dobbs murdered Arthur Poole. Returning to the present, Sonya reads the moment as proof that love and light can reclaim dark places, a touchstone for the battles ahead.
Who Appears
- Sonya PooleProtagonist; plans a barbecue, debates safety with an air pistol, witnesses Dobbs’s jump, theorizes ending the loop, and sees Owen propose to Moira via the mirror.
- TreySupports Sonya; brings an air pistol, helps place benches, observes Dobbs’s leap, and proposes the need to end the original loop.
- CleoAdmits she’s in love with Owen; manages event menus, searches for artifacts, and attends Anna’s baby shower with Sonya.
- OwenBuilds and delivers outdoor seating with Trey; experiences a ghostly encounter in the gym deterred by Jones; deepens bond with Cleo.
- Hester DobbsAntagonistic spirit; nightly reenacts her fatal jump, prompting theories about breaking the curse’s originating loop.
- JonesOwen’s dog; growls down a chilling presence in the gym, likely deterring Dobbs.
- YodaSonya’s dog; accompanies her outdoors before she’s pulled toward the mirror.
- PyewacketSonya’s cat; watches from the doghouse as Sonya is drawn toward the woods.
- Owen Poole (ancestor)Appears in the mirror vision; proposes to Moira on the path where Arthur was murdered.
- Moira PooleAppears in the mirror vision; accepts Owen Poole’s proposal, symbolizing love reclaiming a dark place.