“How do you plan to spend your new life now that your estate is fully restored, Elena?”

“I’ll go back to my easel in the morning,” I said.

At eleven o’clock, I walked down the stone garden path toward the gatehouse.

The iron lanterns along the blue gravel drive threw warm golden diamonds across the dark lawn.

Marcus stood near the tall black iron arch at the edge of the property, double-checking the heavy brass padlocks on the outer gate chains.

He turned when he heard my shoes on the flagstones and immediately stood at rigid attention with his hands clasped behind his back.