Matthew tells her this happens every year as if to remind them what is to come: a few hot days in spring, cracking thunderstorms in the evening, then cooling off until Christmas. Isabella finds the warm, moist air enervating. She is tired deep in her joints. Every afternoon, while Matthew sleeps,...
She closed the door behind her—a signal to Nell to stay away—and dropped her suitcase on the floor. Somewhere in the bottom of that case was the letter from Laura Mornington. She had almost thrown it into the water on the steamer journey back to the island, but couldn’t bring herself to. Should s...
Aware that Hansel was lurking nearby, she forced a polite smile and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Honeychurch-Black, but breakfast service is finished. Can I have something sent to your room?”Sam glanced around, then leaned in and said, “Meet me at Lovers Cave as soon as you’re free.” Then he straightene...
It had happened almost by accident, not by design. They had two dates together before he had to return to Canberra for parliament. He hadn’t so much as held her hand, let alone kissed her. It wasn’t time yet for sharing her shady past with him. He was gone for two months, wrote periodic letters f...