Aleezabeth Eileen Devecheaux’s bones were recovered at last. She’d been buried in a shallow grave at the back of Henri’s grandmother’s property. He couldn’t believe it, since the area had been searched so thoroughly when she went missing. The current theory was that she’d been kept alive for a while before she was killed and buried, but who really knew? And although Trevor Devecheaux had been questioned, there were still no solid answers about what happened to Aleezabeth. Even the coroner was unsure. After Henri and Detra Ann’s honeymoon, the four of us were traveling to Dumont, and I was scheduled to spend the night in the old homestead. It was our wedding gift to our best friends. At least Ashland no longer saw Aleezabeth.
Ashland and I clapped for the quartet, and Henri turned and gave us a thumbs-up. Ash turned his attention to the crowd, but I didn’t think he saw any of their faces. I suspected he was searching the room for invisible visitors. During the cake cutting ceremony, he whispered to me, “Mostly the living.”
“They are at rest now.”
“I hope so.” He kissed my neck and whispered in my ear, “Muncie is here. I wish you could see him. He looks different, but I know it’s him. Same eyes, same expression. And she’s here too. Calpurnia. They are together but always apart now. I feel sadness between them, but I don’t understand it.”
The musicians played a slow song, and the serious mood vanished. I glanced at the sea of faces. Angus was bringing Rachel a glass of champagne, and Chip sulked not far away. He’d brought a date, but she was old enough to be his mother. I felt sorry for the guy but happy for Rachel. Angus? The jury was still out on him. Ashland smiled at me with his easy, college-boy grin and pulled me out of my people-watching. Such a flirt, and I loved every minute of it. Still I couldn’t help but feel that things were brewing.
“Something is about to happen, Ash. You ready for whatever lies ahead?”
“Something is always about to happen! It’s Mobile! And whatever it is, we will be fine. At least Libby’s seen the light and dropped her lawsuit. Although I don’t know why.”
“Because she’s a liar, plain and simple. And on that note, Mr. Stuart…” I took my plate and tossed it on a nearby table. I giggled like a teenager as I practically dragged him from the ballroom to the Blue Room. We’d miss a few of the “first” dances, but I was in the mood for a first of my own. It was cool here in the Blue Room and surprisingly free of ghosts, shades, wraiths.
That was nice. And rare here in the old house.
Then I was lost in the wonderful warmth of Ashland’s arms, the smell of him on my skin, the laughter of guests in the other room, the tinkling of glasses as the toasts began. They’d be wondering where we were, not thinking at all that we were making love in the room where it all began.
It was good to be home again.
Read more from M.L. Bullock
The Seven Sisters Series
Seven Sisters
Moonlight Falls on Seven Sisters
Shadows Stir at Seven Sisters
The Stars that Fell
The Stars We Walked Upon
The Sun Rises Over Seven Sisters
The Idlewood Series
The Ghosts of Idlewood
Dreams of Idlewood
The Whispering Saint (forthcoming)
The Haunted Child (forthcoming)
The Heart of Idlewood (forthcoming)
The Desert Queen Series
The Tale of Nefret
The Falcon Rises
The Kingdom of Nefertiti
The Song of the Bee-Eater (forthcoming)
The Sugar Hill Series
Wife of the Left Hand
Fire on the Ramparts (forthcoming)
Blood by Candlelight (forthcoming)
The Starlight Ball (forthcoming)
Athena’s Revenge (forthcoming)
The Sirens Gate Series
The Mermaid’s Gift
The Blood Feud
The Wrath of Minerva
The Lorelei Curse (forthcoming)
The Island Jinx (forthcoming)
The Fortunate Star (forthcoming)
The Southern Gothic Series
Being with Beau
Connect with M.L Bullock on Facebook. To receive updates on her latest releases, visit her website at M.L. Bullock and subscribe to her mailing list.
About the Author
Author of the best-selling Seven Sisters series and the Desert Queen series, M.L. Bullock has been storytelling since she was a child. A student of archaeology, she loves weaving stories that feature her favorite historical characters—including Nefertiti. She currently lives on the Gulf Coast with her family but travels frequently to exotic locations around the globe.
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