The Lost Bride Trilogy, #3
The Seven Rings
by Nora Roberts
Contents
Chapter Nineteen
Overview
Owen arrives for dinner as Sonya presents Trey with her sketch and account of seeing Collin and Deuce, reinforcing the portraits’ importance. The group discovers the sixth wedding portrait—Catherine Poole Cabot—and hangs it in the music room, confirming an exact seven-piece layout.
Owen notes the rings sometimes vanish from the paintings, implying Dobbs holds them. Fear for Sonya triggers a heated argument; Trey and Sonya confess their love, and vow to stay together while delaying marriage until the curse is broken.
Summary
As dinner prep begins, Owen arrives with cookies. Trey shows up worn out from work, and Sonya gives him a manila envelope containing her sketch of Collin and Deuce and a written account of her recent vision. Trey and Owen quietly absorb the details, recognizing the depth of Collin and Deuce’s friendship and affirming that the portraits are part of the solution.
They discuss patterns: five portraits up, two to find; Sonya’s father and Collin may have painted “in dreams.” After dinner, they decide to check Cleo’s closet together. With focused optimism, they open it and discover the sixth portrait: Catherine Poole Cabot in a white, ermine-trimmed wedding gown, ring visible, her joy captured by Andrew MacTavish’s skill. They carry the painting to the music room.
Owen measures and determines the wall spacing is exact for seven equally sized works—no accident. They hang Catherine with the others, noting evolving fashion across generations and the significance of seven brides over roughly two centuries. Sonya catalogs commonalities—oil portraits, white gowns, flowers, visible rings—and differing backdrops and fates. Owen reveals he sometimes sees the rings disappear in the paintings; Sonya confirms, and they conclude Dobbs is wearing them.
After Cleo and Owen head up, Trey’s fear and frustration flare. He questions the cost of living under constant threat and briefly suggests leaving, then retracts it, acknowledging Sonya can’t abandon her legacy. Emotions peak; Sonya confesses she loves him. Trey, after venting, confesses he loves her and admits he cannot propose while the danger remains, fearing marriage would make Sonya Dobbs’s eighth bride-victim.
They reconcile, affirming a shared future once the curse is broken. Trey promises they will face it together for as long as it takes. Sonya silently vows before the six bridal portraits to free the trapped women and build a life with Trey in Lost Bride Manor.
Who Appears
- Sonya MacTavishProtagonist; shares her sketch and account of Collin and Deuce; discovers Catherine’s portrait; confirms ring anomalies; declares love and commits to fight the curse.
- TreySonya’s partner; shaken by danger; fears Sonya could be number eight; confesses love; refuses to propose until the curse is ended; commits to stand with her.
- OwenFriend and builder; hosts grilling; helps hang the portrait; calculates exact seven-piece wall; observes rings sometimes vanish in the paintings.
- CleoFriend and artist; champions positive focus; stores the hidden portraits; helps mount Catherine; frames the logic of seven and Dobbs’s persistence.
- CloverGhost ally; signals approval through music, underscoring friendship and love scenes.
- Catherine Poole CabotSixth bride; newly revealed portrait in white wedding dress with ring; symbolizes progress toward completing the series.
- CollinDeceased friend; appears via Sonya’s vision and sketch; his dream-painted portraits guide the solution.
- DeuceCollin’s friend; featured in Sonya’s sketch; his bond with Collin echoes Trey and Owen’s.
- DobbsAntagonist sorceress; slams doors during argument; believed to wear the stolen wedding rings and seek an eighth victim.