Prologue
Yorkshire, Five Years Earlier…
* * *
A blush painted the evening sky as Eden Thornton stood quietly, hidden behind the large oak at the edge of Blackstone Manor’s sweeping drive. A sudden flutter rippled through her chest. The crunch of stone under iron-shod hooves sent faint tremors through the ground and into her waiting limbs, each vibration tightening the knot of anticipation in her chest. She had promised herself she would stay hidden. One fleeting glance was all she wanted, merely enough to reassure herself that he was still real, still tethered to the world she feared was slipping away.
At sixteen, she knew better than to harbor childish fancies. Her mother had warned her often enough that dreams of love were luxuries for women. Daughters of earls were expected to marry wisely, not wistfully. Yet her heart clung stubbornly to dreams she dared not voice. Dreams pulled between the dutiful daughter she was expected to be, composed, obedient, and aligned with her family’s expectations, and the reckless yearning Gabriel awakened, a desire for freedom, passion, and something more than what society deemed appropriate. She clung to the memories of lingering glances that held a fraction too long, a brush of his hand against hers that left her breathless, a warmth in his voice when he spoke her name. These moments stirred a thousand questions she dared not ask.
Gabriel Langley had stirred something deeper within her ever since that afternoon he had lifted her onto his horse after she’d fallen in the orchard, holding her close as he galloped back to the house. His concern, the gentle way he had spoken to her through her tears, had awakened something she did not understand. Now it throbbed like a quiet, undeniable truth. Something wonderfully frightening and thrilling. Something that no mere childhood admiration could explain away.
As a child, he had been her protector and guide. In more recent years, he taught her to ride, his laughter ringing in the air as she stumbled over the reins. They had danced together at country dances, the memories of his powerful arms around her still vivid in her thoughts.
In the gardens, they had strolled side by side, speaking of everything and nothing. Those quiet moments now seemed far more intimate than she had ever realized. Gabriel had always listened, his focus on her so absolute that sometimes she felt as though she were the only person in the world.
The rhythmic pounding of hoofbeats grew louder, clearer, and with it came a memory that struck Eden with bittersweet force. A stolen glance exchanged in the rose garden only days ago, when Gabriel’s hand had briefly brushed hers as he handed her a fallen blossom. The moment had set her heart aflutter with impossible hopes. She was a fool to long after her brother’s friend, even if he had given her reason to hope, like the way his gaze lingered when he thought no one noticed, or how he always sought her out first at every gathering, as if her presence steadied him, too.
Eden’s breath hitched as Gabriel, dressed in traveling attire that accentuated his powerful frame, guided his horse along the drive with practiced ease. His black hair glistened in the dying sunlight, framing a face handsome yet set in determined lines.
He was leaving, and Eden felt a raw ache, as if the golden summers that had once defined her laughter and hopes were slipping away with him, leaving behind a future she could no longer imagine. With him went unspoken dreams and secret hopes of one day being seen by him not as a child, but as someone he could love.
She pressed her palms flat against the oak’s rough bark, willing herself to remain unseen. If he noticed her, if he saw the feelings she could no longer hide, it could ruin the fragile thread of friendship between them and expose her heart to a rejection she might never recover from. Why her brother’s best friend held such power over her heart was a mystery, yet the ache she felt at his departure was undeniable.
Gabriel was leaving Blackstone Manor. Leaving Yorkshire for adventure and mystery, far from England’s quiet countryside.
It could be years before she saw him again. Perhaps she never would. More than ever, she needed someone to steady her world, to offer a handhold in the swirling uncertainty. Instead, Gabriel was leaving, and the fear of being left utterly alone hollowed her out from within. The thought struck her like a physical blow, as if the ground itself shifted beneath her feet, leaving her grasping for something solid that no longer existed. Would he even remember her? Would the boy who filled her dreams become no more than a shadow, lost to time and distance?
As if sensing her hidden gaze, Gabriel slowed his mount to a halt, the sudden stillness sharpening the charged air between them. Eden froze, instinctively curling her fingers into the rough bark of the oak, heart hammering so loudly she feared it would betray her. She leaned forward slightly, unable to resist the pull of him, even as fear and hope clashed violently within her.
Her breath stilled as their eyes locked. A tremor rippled through her at the intensity of his emerald gaze, cutting through the fading light and stirring a deep, trembling awareness in her chest.
For a brief eternity, they stared at each other, the charged silence between them heavy with unspoken words, unacknowledged dreams, and the poignant sweetness of something more. In Gabriel’s eyes, Eden thought she caught a flicker of hesitation, a silent longing that mirrored her own, as if he, too, was battling the pull of something deeper, something they were both too afraid to name.
Eden’s cheeks burned, certain he saw every secret she tried to bury, every unspoken yearning flickering just behind her eyes. She wanted to step forward, to call out, to beg him not to leave. Instead, she remained motionless, bound by uncertainty and youthful pride, her limbs stiff with fear and her throat burning with the words she could not bring herself to say.
Gabriel inclined his head, the smallest acknowledgment, and a faint, tender smile tugged at the corners of his mouth before he turned forward again, urging his horse onward.
She stepped out from behind the oak, heart racing, throat tight, driven not by impulse but by a quiet yearning to claim one last glimpse before he vanished entirely. It was a moment of awakening, a silent, irrevocable shift where hope began to outweigh fear, and girlhood gave way to something braver—something dangerously close to love.
The cooling air brushed against her skin, carrying the earthy scent of distant rain. The once vibrant landscape now seemed muted, draped in sorrowful twilight as if mourning his departure in quiet sympathy. It was as though she were witnessing the sunset of her childhood itself, the once-bright certainty dimming into uncertain twilight, leaving only shadows where promises used to dwell. She remained rooted to the spot, holding her breath until horse and rider disappeared completely, the fading echo of hoofbeats a rhythmic farewell that seemed to drum against her ribs.
“Come back to me, Gabriel,” she whispered, a single tear sliding down her cheek—a silent promise cast into the dusk, shaped by hope and heartbreak alike.
But the only answer was the gentle rustling of leaves overhead and the slow ache of a soul awakening for the first time to the true weight of longing.
One
The village of Harrowsgate teemed with fluttering pennants, the sweet scent of sugared almonds, and bursts of cheerful chatter spilling from every corner beneath the warm midsummer sun. Eden moved through it all with a restless anticipation humming beneath her smile, her heart torn between the delight of the fête and the unspoken hope that today might bring a familiar figure back into her life.
She made her way past tents and stalls that overflowed with pies, fresh breads, jars of preserves, and vibrant bouquets of wildflowers. The air buzzed with the cheerful calls of merchants hawking their goods, the rhythmic clink of coins exchanging hands, and the laughter of children darting between booths.
Gravel crunched beneath her slippers as she moved, the scents of roasting meats and sweet toffee mixing enticingly with the summer air. Children scampered past her, their joyous laughter mingling with the gentle music of a fiddler.
Eden smiled softly, breathing in the scent of honeysuckle and freshly baked pastries. The warmth of the midsummer sun kissed her skin, and the lively hum of the crowd seeped into her bones, lifting her spirits higher with every passing moment. She adored the annual fête, cherishing the way it brought everyone together. Her eyes sparkled as she navigated the bustling stalls, greeting familiar faces and exchanging pleasantries.
“You are positively glowing today, Eden,” teased a familiar voice from behind her.
Turning, Eden grinned warmly at Lady Alice Pickford, her friend’s red curls bouncing merrily as she approached. Alice wore a light muslin gown embroidered with delicate flowers, complementing her lively personality.
