by Ranae Rose
Tension Elsie hadn’t realized she’d been carrying left her as she considered Damon’s news. It had been five months since they’d married, and although Damon’s parents had come to accept her as his wife and part of the family, she was never completely comfortable during the relatively little time she spent in their presence. With the Atlantic Ocean between them and peaceful, if distant, relations still maintained… She couldn’t keep from smiling. She would have felt guilty over her gladness to see her mother and father-in-law go, had Damon not been so obviously overjoyed. And then there were London’s factory workers to consider, who would benefit from the humane standards Damon had spent years waiting to introduce. “This is all so perfect.”
“I know.” Damon pulled her into a tight embrace, resting his cheek against the top of her head. “Let’s go out,” he said, pulling away from her after a few moments and turning his gaze toward the window. “It’s a beautiful night. Will you join me for a walk to celebrate?” He extended his hand in invitation.
“Do you mean it? Weren’t you going to go out tonight?”
“It’s Lucy’s turn.”
Elsie placed one of her hands in his, snatching up a bonnet and a spencer jacket with the other. “I thought you two were taking turns every other night?” The crime level in London had returned to the realm of the ordinary after Lord Griffith and Véronique Renard had met their ends nearly five months ago. Still, Damon continued to patrol the nighttime streets, though he was no longer alone in his task. After helping to rescue Elsie, Lucinda had decided to continue ‘lending a helping hand to the oppressed’, as she put it. Rumors had begun to circulate around the city of a beautiful ‘avenging angel’, spoken mostly in hushed, almost reverent whispers. Lucinda took pride in the title, and while Damon seemed to find the stories amusing, Elsie knew he was grateful for her help.
So was Elsie. Damon’s moods had improved markedly since his sister had joined him in his crime-fighting efforts. He blamed himself for less and had seemingly finally accepted that he was not responsible for every misdeed that was done within the city’s limits.
“She’s been eager for extra nights lately,” Damon replied. “I think the avenging angel rumors have gone to her head.”
“She had her favorite dressmaker come today to measure her for some new black gowns,” Elsie said, smiling as she pulled on her jacket.
Damon helped her by tying her bonnet’s wide emerald green ribbon – the color to be seen in, according to Lucinda – beneath her chin. “Ha. I’m not surprised. She’ll use any excuse for a new wardrobe.”
“Where shall we walk to?” Elsie asked as they strode out into the hall.
“Over London Bridge?” Damon suggested. “The moon is full tonight – we’ll be able to see its reflection on the Thames.”
Elsie agreed as they descended the staircase.
Jenny was crossing the foyer with a small stack of linens tucked under one arm. A steel ring hung from her apron, jingling with dozens of keys. The previous housekeeper had retired a few weeks ago, and Mrs. Remington had chosen Jenny – at Elsie and Lucinda’s suggestion – as a replacement. She was probably the youngest housekeeper in London, but she was more than competent in her new role, and the Remingtons had never been known for being hampered by tradition anyway.
“I heard the news,” Jenny declared, smiling. A thin white scar crossed her throat, but the wound had healed cleanly, and she bore no other evidence of that night in the townhouse.
Elsie beamed back at her, buoyed by Damon’s happiness. “Wonderful, isn’t it? Damon and I are going for a walk to celebrate. Will you join us?” Though it had left only one physical mark on Jenny, that dark night had forged an intangible bond between her, Elsie, Damon and Lucinda. They almost never spoke of it, but the closeness endured nonetheless.
Jenny shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. The new housemaid needs someone to show her how to make a bed properly.” With a regretful smile, she was gone. Unfortunately, not even bonds forged by facing and overcoming undead peril together had swayed Jenny’s strict work ethic.
“It seems it will be just the two of us,” Elsie said as she and Damon turned for the front door.
Damon touched his hand to the small of her back, sending a shiver of delight up her spine. “That’s all right. You’re all the company I need.”
About the Author
Ranae Rose lives on the US East Coast and is an avid reader and writer who can’t resist a good love story, and the hotter the better. To learn more about Ranae and her books, please visit: www.ranaerose.com
Ranae loves to hear from readers! She can be reached at: [email protected]
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