The morning sun did not merely rise over Hamilton House; it announced itself with a bright, cheerful arrogance. It spilled through the gaps in the heavy velvet curtains of the Blue Suite, casting warm, golden shapes across the thick carpet. Outside, the birds were chirping a lively, joyful tune in the elm trees.
Delaney woke up.
She blinked against the bright light, her mind slowly pulling itself out of the deep, dreamless sleep she had finally fallen into hours before dawn. For a brief second, she did not remember. She only felt a strange, lingering warmth in her chest.
Then, she touched her lips.
The memory hit her like a runaway carriage.
The dark study. The scattered ledgers on the floor. The terrible, crushing secret of the railway contract. And then... the kiss, the hug.
Delaney let out a soft, horrified groan. She flipped over onto her stomach and buried her face deep into her soft feather pillow.
