Lover: The Cruel Dark Companion Novella by Bea Northwick

Author:Bea Northwick [Northwick, Bea]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Northwick Books
Published: 2024-03-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

FOR THE FIRST time in perhaps a decade I slept until the late hours of the morning, when the bullying wind of an oncoming storm rattled the bedroom window in its frame, jostling me into reluctant consciousness. I rolled over, reaching out to pull Millie closer, only to find the bed empty, immediately recalling what my memory had misplaced so blissfully for a moment. The shock of this reality was a better cure for my drowsiness than a bucket of ice water, and I had my first taste of what it might be like for Millie to suddenly remember four forgotten years all at once.

Realizing the late hour, I galvanized into activity and began rushing to dress. The caterers and men hired to decorate the dining room would be arriving in moments to begin preparations for the party taking place tonight. I was also due in town to meet Florence, Dr. Hannigan’s niece, and prepare her for what to expect.

I was electric with anxious energy as I attended to meeting the event staff and making final changes and decisions. At a quarter to one I left Willowfield to meet with Florence, being assured when I departed that she was ready for whatever the evening brought.

Upon my return, I checked in with the caterers, took a call from Burt who stated that no one had heard from Jack since he’d happily agreed to attend, but this wasn’t strange enough to award with concern.

When I was certain things were going as they should, I returned to my room and retrieved the box that had arrived days before—the dress Lottie had ordered for Millie. The garment was a true marvel of modern style, with its fine beadwork and scalloping, the low-waisted sash made of satin. I’d never doubted she would come up with something exceptional. Beneath the dress, also prepared by Lottie, lay something that stunned me somewhat. A set of silk stockings and underclothes, lacy and delicate. I flushed like a lad seeing such things for the first time in his life. Though unexpected, the items were for utility as much as beauty, the thin, sleek fabric made to be worn beneath the more revealing cut of the dress. Cotton would have clung, and a slip might have been too long. Still, I was forced to close the box when my mind began to craft prohibited images.

I transferred the care of the package to Ms. Dillard, then set to work on myself. Though I hadn’t worn a tuxedo in ages, rejecting all social invitations after Millie’s disappearance, it was an easy thing to return to, and I was happy for an opportunity to show my wife this side of me again, wishing only that she could be on my arm as she always had been.

The dinners, soirees, galas, and charity balls had all delighted Millie once she’d realized no one expected her to perform perfectly as her mother once had. She was only meant to enjoy herself.

Still, there had been times

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