Mistress of Darkness by Hazel Hunter

Author:Hazel Hunter [Hunter, Hazel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-03-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Gwen sat in her bedchamber, about to open one of the last remaining journals, when she heard Robert’s voice out in the hall.

“A message?” he was saying. “From whom?”

She emerged to see Parks at the top of the stairs, his coat dripping with rain. The poor man was shivering. Bless him for going to Renwick in such weather.

“From your family, I was told, sir,” Parks said, handing over the letter.

Robert took it and said, “Thank you, Parks. That will be all. Go warm yourself by the fire.”

“Thank you, sir,” he said with a small bow. He nodded quickly to Gwen, “Miss.”

Scowling, Robert opened the letter. He read it slowly, once, and then twice. Looking up at her he said nothing but she saw the blood drain out of his face.

“Robert,” she said, going to him and taking his hand. “What is it?”

He held out the message to her, and she read it quickly, her hand flying to her chest. “Oh, Robert,” she whispered, her voice catching. “I’m so sorry.”

His mother had written to inform him that his father had died, and that her sister, Robert’s aunt, had joined her.

Robert’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I knew Christopher’s disappearance would be too much for him. I shouldn’t have told him.”

She shook her head, reaching up to cup his cheek with her palm. “It isn’t your fault,” she whispered. “You did what you had to do, what any responsible son would have done. You had to prepare him for even more tragic news, should it come. Keeping the truth from him would have served no purpose. He was already gravely ill.”

“Yes,” he whispered and nodded, though he didn’t sound convinced. “I’m sure you’re right.”

“I am,” she said, “because I always am.” She smiled up at him. “So I’m afraid there’s nothing for it but to believe me.”

“Ah, my dearest Gwen,” he said, putting his hand to her cheek. “How I wish it were that simple.”

As she gazed into his shimmering eyes, the sadness there broke her heart. Tears sprang into her own eyes as she turned her face to his palm and placed her lips there.

He took in a sharp breath and then didn’t move. She felt his gaze as surely as if it had been a heated brand. When she finally dared to look up at him, he took her by the shoulders and slowly drew her to him. In moments only inches separated their lips, as though an unstoppable force attracted them.

Warmth suffused her, as it had just after the storm, heated by his touch and his nearness. He was so close that his breath brushed across her lips and her head filled with his musky sweet scent. If he were to stop now, she thought she might go mad, but then his lips pressed into hers. She wavered a moment, before she surrendered to him, wrapping her arms around him to steady herself.

As though she’d unlocked something in him, he ravished her with his mouth, his tongue flicking against her lips.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.