Darkness Unchained by Jane Godman

Author:Jane Godman [Jane Godman]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-04-24T07:00:00+00:00

I rested my head against the cool glass of the window and saw a faint reflection of my own face. A ghostly outline of the features that, according to Finty, so closely resembled those of Bouche Jago. My grandmother. The woman who had overcome the dark secrets of her own past and made Tenebris her home. Bouche, who always put her family first. I closed my eyes in an attempt to shut out our shared image. It wasn’t fair. She had Cad, the man she loved to distraction, at her side. It was easy for her to be strong. I had no one.

Lightly, I ran along the hallway to Uther’s study. The scent of his cologne brought me up short on the doorstep, and a little, despairing sob escaped my lips. Images of us together crowded into my mind. What if we had not waited to consummate our love? If we were already married? Would I still allow these doubts about him to plague me?

The desk drawer was locked, just as I knew it would be. I rummaged around for the key, but I suspected that it would be sitting safe inside Uther’s breast pocket in London. The desk was made of solid oak, beautiful but serviceable. I tried to prise the drawer open with the ornate silver letter opener that sat on the desktop, but I only succeeded in scratching the polished wood. I needed that metaphorical sledgehammer with which Ouma and Rudi claimed I bludgeoned my way through life. My eyes scanned the room and rested on the fireplace with its set of polished brass tools. I was going to have some serious explaining to do later. Without hesitating, I snatched up the heavy poker and repeatedly drove it into the drawer front until the wood around the lock splintered. As I destroyed the elegant piece of furniture, part of my mind dwelt on the Jagos who must have sat at this desk in the past. Poetic Tynan, pragmatic Lucy, tortured Eddie, charismatic Cad, dazzling Bouche.…I hoped my ancestors would be able to forgive me. The drawer gave way with a sound close to a groan, and I cast my weapon aside with a shaking hand. The letter was there, on top of a pile of other papers.

Tristan had written the one-page missive exactly as he spoke, with precision and brevity. There was nothing in the letter that he had not told me earlier that day.

I will give you some time to digest the contents of this letter, my dear Annie. I realise it will have a profound effect on you and on those close to you. I will leave it to you to decide how you break this news to Uther and Rudi. Or you may wish me to undertake the task. I await your reply and remain,

Yours,

Tristan

There was another folded slip of paper under Tristan’s letter, which I lifted from the drawer. How odd that I should still feel guilty about prying into Uther’s things after

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