Page 49 of Darkest at Dusk (Revenant Roses)

T he carriage jolted to a halt before Harrowgate’s front steps.

Isabella descended and smoothed her skirts, still smiling from the Burns sisters’ chatter in Marlow.

The house rose before her, quiet and watchful, but no longer menacing.

Its windows caught the late sun, glass flashing gold.

In recent weeks, Rhys had hired additional staff to set the house to rights.

Peg hurried down to meet her, cheeks flushed, curls escaping her cap.

“Mrs. Caradoc,” she said, breathless, offering Isabella’s new title with all the weight of delight. It still felt strange to hear it. Only days had passed since she had stood with Rhys in the church and spoken vows. Strange, and wondrous.

“You must come quick. There’s—” Peg lifted her hands, at a loss. “Well, you’ll see.”

Inside, the hush was punctuated by the scrape and shuffle of unfamiliar footsteps. The air smelled not of soot but of polish and fresh timber. Hammers rang from the north wing. Rhys had hired men from London to come and restore the damage.

She glanced at Peg, but the girl only beamed and led her up the stairs.

Her chamber door stood ajar and inside, boxes, dozens of them, tied with twine and stamped with London merchants’ crests, were stacked high along the walls. On the bed lay a gown of cornflower blue, its skirt spilling over the counterpane like water.

Isabella stilled in the doorway. “What is all this?” she whispered.

Rhys stepped from the shadowed corner, cravat loose, hair untidy from travel. His smile was a private thing, crooked and soft.

“Hello, Mrs. Caradoc,” he murmured, taking her in his arms and pressing a kiss to her lips.

“Hello, Mr. Caradoc,” she whispered, and kissed him back.

With his arm looped at her waist, he gestured at the boxes. “This,” he said, “is your wardrobe for Paris. And Italy. And wherever else you choose to walk.”

She laughed, the sound astonished out of her. “Paris?”

“You told me once,” he said, “in the library. That you dreamed of Paris. A dress the color of cornflowers. A book under your arm. Sunlight on the Seine. I listened.” He touched the gown, then her hand. “I mean for you to have it all, my love.”

Her throat tightened with joy, with disbelief, with the sweet truth of it. She set her palm against his chest, felt the steady thud of his heart. “And you, Mr. Caradoc? What is it you mean for yourself?”

His hand covered hers. His eyes, once bleak as a winter sky, warmed. “To walk beside you. Always.”

Mrs. Abernathy bustled in then, carrying yet another box, pretending not to see the moment she had interrupted. “I’ve ordered the footmen to move the boxes to the dressing room,” she declared. “And Peg…mind you begin untying those parcels. Mrs. Caradoc can’t go to Paris without shoes.”

Peg bobbed a curtsy, grinning wide, already tugging at the first knot. Isabella laughed again, freer this time, and let Rhys draw her closer.

And as they turned toward the door, a faint shimmer stirred, no menace now, but a wisp of ghost-light brushing past. Isabella felt its chill slip along her skin and knew she could open herself wider if she wished.

She chose not to. Rhys’s hand on her back was steady and sure, and she sensed the same quiet restraint in him.

The sight was theirs to command now, a gift that answered only when they called.

They stood amid lace and linen and silk, the light scent of lavender curling into the air. The future waited, not with shadows and whispers, but with light woven of love, bright as the dress on the bed, sure as the man who stood at her side, wide as the world they would walk together.

Thank you so much for reading Darkest at Dusk . I hope you love Rhys and Isabella as much as I do! Please consider leaving a review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend!

What should you read next?

1. If you love historical gothic mystery romance, check out my Dark Gothic series. Book 1 is Dark Desires .

2. If you’re a fan of dark urban fantasy/paranormal romance, start the Sins Series with Sins of the Heart .

3. And if you like dark Mafia romance, check out the books I write with a partner under the name Becca Kane.