Comes The Dawn (The Wonderland Series: Book 5) by Irina Shapiro

Author:Irina Shapiro [Shapiro, Irina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Merlin Press LLC
Published: 2016-10-11T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 38

Hugo turned out the light, threw open the window, and sank into a comfortable armchair. Sitting in the dark was comforting somehow, a reprieve for the senses after the glaring light of electricity, which he still found harsh after the soft light of candles. A pleasant breeze caressed his face, and the smell of spring was in the air like an intoxicating elixir beckoning one to abandon the apathy of winter and embrace life and all it had to offer.

The brief trip to London to see Neve and the children had been heartbreakingly joyful, but it made Hugo feel his isolation more acutely after leaving them. They’d only had a few hours together, reminding him of how much he was missing every single day that he wasn’t with them. Valentine barely let go of his hand, and Michael clung to him as if he’d come back from the dead. The children chattered incessantly, their need to fill him in on all the new things they’d discovered overwhelming after weeks of separation.

They’d changed so much in such a short time. Valentine seemed more grown up somehow, suddenly interested in all the girly things a child her age would be. And Michael seemed much less timid than he had been in the past. He asserted himself when Valentine tried to cut in on his time with Hugo, and proudly showed Hugo his new favorite toy, a motorized police car with doors that opened and closed, real flashing lights, and a siren. The carved wooden horse that Michael never parted with since Archie gave it to him in France lay forgotten on the bedside table.

Hugo barely had a chance to talk to Neve, but was glad to see that she seemed to be adjusting well. Neve looked more animated, more relaxed than he’d seen her in months. Things weren’t necessarily simpler, but her mood was much improved. Neve had things to accomplish, and was rediscovering what it was like to be able to have some control over her daily life again. She’d often complained of having to wait around helplessly while events took place which had the power to change her life. That had been the role of a woman in the seventeenth century, but now she had the power to make decisions and fend for herself.

She’d started wearing make-up again, which made her features appear more dramatic and exaggerated. Hugo knew he’d get used to the change in time, but for the first few minutes, Neve seemed like a stranger, some other man’s wife who vaguely resembled his own. Gone were the gowns, hose, and elaborate hairstyles. Neve was wearing a comfortable pair of jeans paired with a silk top, her wavy blonde hair loose about her shoulders. She looked young and graceful without the voluminous skirts and full sleeves. Hugo supposed that he looked different to her as well. He felt different, and would have liked to talk to Neve for a while, and share with her all the things

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