Page 30 of Absolution (Favorite Malady Trilogy #3)

ABIGAIL

Two days later

“ I can’t believe we’re in Whitby!” I exclaim, twirling on the spot so that I can take in a full view of my surroundings.

The ruins of the famous abbey on the clifftop are every bit as gothic and atmospheric as I always imagined.

It’s overcast, but it’s not raining. Beneath the gray sky, the grass is such a vibrant green that it’s almost otherworldly.

There’s an eerie quality to the midmorning light that glows through the dense clouds, and I can’t wait to try to capture it at my easel.

“Sorry about the weather,” Dane apologizes. “It’s England.”

I stare out at the heavy fog that completely obscures the beach and North Sea, and I let out a happy sigh.

“I don’t want to be anywhere else,” I declare.

Back in Charleston, Uncle Jeffrey’s death is all over the news. There’s wild speculation that he either drank himself into a stupor or started the fire on purpose.

No one has suggested murder, so it seems Dane did a thorough job of coving up what I did.

In any case, I’m more than happy to be out of town until it all blows over.

“The weather is perfect,” I say. “Everything about this place is perfect.”

He shakes his head. “Its…soupy.”

“I want to walk in it.”

I’ve never seen such thick fog. It almost looks velvety, and the prospect of feeling it on my skin calls to me like a siren’s song.

He gestures out at the beach, incredulous. “In the fog? At least we can see three feet ahead of us up here on the cliff. Don’t you want to explore the abbey?”

I grab his hand and lead him toward the steps down into town. “We can come back to the abbey. We’re here for the whole week, right?”

His eyes glint with mischievous light. “Oh yes, we have time to come back up here.”

“Good,” I declare. “Then you can stop questioning me and join me on the foggy beach.”

He barks a laugh. “I don’t know how you make this dreary place so beautiful.”

I beam at him. “That’s because it is beautiful.” My tone drops to a more serious register, and I squeeze his hand in a pulse of understanding. “I know you spent time here when you were growing up. I understand if you don’t have the best memories of this place. Thank you for coming here with me.”

He lifts my hand and brushes a kiss over my knuckles. “I’m making new memories with you. The past has no power over me anymore.” He shakes his head ruefully. “Although, I can’t say I enjoy the weather.”

I continue our progress toward the beach, steadfast in my goal. “We’ll see how you feel when we get onto the beach. If you hate it, we can walk back into town and get fish and chips.”

He doesn’t protest again; he seems content to follow me anywhere.

The thought elicits a warm glow at the center of my chest, and I flush despite the slight chill in the air.

We make our way through town and then descend a steep hill.

As we near the beach, we walk into the fog.

It starts to lap at our ankles, then reaches our torsos, before it closes over our heads.

We’re engulfed in a pale gray cloud, and the rest of the world disappears.

There’s only Dane and me and the damp sand beneath our feet.

Even the gentle waves sound muffled, but we make our way toward the surf.

In the distance, a dog barks, and a child laughs. But they’re so far removed from us that we might as well be on our own planet.

I kick off my shoes, and my toes sink into cool sand. The salt water is icy when it rushes over my bare feet, and I laugh in shocked delight.

“Abigail,” Dane admonishes. “It’s too cold.”

I shake my head and dance out of his reach, wading in to my calves.

“I have to touch the sea,” I insist. “I’m making a memory of this moment.”

His expression darkens to something forbidden. “Not without me.”

He kicks off his shoes and strides into the cold surf with grim determination. I giggle when he grabs me in a fierce embrace, pulling me in for an almost punishing kiss.

“You’re mine ,” he growls. “Every moment of every day for the rest of your life.”

I trace the harsh slash of his lips and tease, “Such romantic threats.”

I love his possessiveness. Mine is every bit as intense.

I killed for my husband, and I’d do it again a thousand times over. Anything to keep and protect him.

I thread my fingers through his midnight hair and pull him in for a soul-searing kiss, imprinting my claim on his mouth.

Dane is all mine. Always.