Mara's POV

I stared at the mirror, at my own reflection.

The mirror didn't lie, but it didn't tell the whole truth either. It showed a woman in a high-necked black silk gown, her copper hair pinned back in a severe, respectful bun. It showed the "grieving widow" the world expected to see. But it didn't show the ghost of Elias’s touch on my skin from a few nights ago, or the way my heart hammered against my ribs every time I remembered his confession in the study.

“I think I'm in love with you"

His words were a beautiful, terrifying weight. Today was the anniversary of Philip’s death, and...