Page 109 of The Betrothal

“Uh-huh,” she confirmed.

I smiled at Alex and swung open the door of the next room.

The huge bay windows flooded the room in sunlight, the heavy cream curtains pulled wide, the door to the bathroom sat open showing the clean marble tiling and the classical bathroom suite.

The four-poster bed took up the centre of one wall, the bed under a huge dust cloth which highlighted the pillows and blankets that remained in the room. The rest of the furniture – much like the bed – was hidden under sheets of their own, but otherwise the room was restored.

Chilly but beautiful.

Pale walls, freshly stained floors.

The only thing this room was missing was a person living in it.

“Perhaps I should show you another?” I offered.

Killer nodded silently and I checked Alex, his face a picture of betrayal.

The next room was much the same, colourways darker, the bathroom suite different, no four-poster in here but the gigantic bed sat in the middle of the room.

Izzy had stilled as soon as the door opened. This was my favourite too.

“They’re all so beautiful,” she marvelled, breaking away from me to softly finger the curtains, the heavy linen falling in soft creases and cascading over the floor.

“They’re not ready,” Alex grumbled.

“For what? Royalty?” she snipped, silencing him.

Slowly I took her around the hallway. Granted, the further we made it around the less ready the rooms were, glass needed replacing in some, the floors unfinished in others. Several still had the telltale signs of water damage to the plaster which required repair, but I knew the roof had been mended just before winter fell.

The only major task that had been outstanding to get the property liveable was making the orangery watertight. Something Killer had helped with.

The creak of metal and whir of water in pipes announced that Ben was finished in the cellar, his footsteps pounding up the stairs not long after.

“It will take half an hour or so, given we’re only heating half the house.” Ben beamed and Killer frowned. She’d seen very little of the house. “And the generator is running, although I think we are getting some power back through the mains, so the weather must be improving down the line.”

Alex flicked a switch and the bedroom light came on.

He said nothing.

“What do you think, Sugar?” Ben took up his spot at her side, excited for her reply.

“It’s the most beautiful home I’ve ever seen,” she answered, sharing in his happiness.

“I want to show you the library,” he announced, dragging her from me and pulling her from the room, her laugh echoing off the hallway.

Alex and I stood in silence, his shoulders tight with irritation and his permanent frown back on his face, a total contrast to the way I found him relaxed into my Killer just hours ago.

He huffed, dragging his hand over his face in resignation. I’d outed him and he didn’t like it.

Eventually he pursed his lips then blew out a huge breath, shoulders dropping with his façade, the tension between us easing a bit.

“No other bedrooms.” I chuckled just before a rag hit me square in the face.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

ISABELLE

The ceiling was lower in this room. The bookshelves – stained black – covered every inch of the walls, and ladders attached to rails curved around both sides of the room.