“Well, pick one thought, and tell me about it.”

“Why we’re here, I suppose. How we’re going to find out any information about my past, and if we find the truth, I’m frightened of what the truth might be.”

“First of all, remember Magda said the knowledge of your past would find us, and two, whatever the truth is, we’ll get through it because we are a team, and we can face anything.”

Amelia turned around so her head was now on Byron’s chest. “I’m so lucky to have you, Byron. You don’t just make me feel safe, but you make me feel like I can face anything. When I met you…”

“What?” Byron asked.

“I was full of anxiety, generally felt afraid of what people would think of me. My parents told me I wasn’t good enough for so long that I started to believe them. You make me feel good enough.”

“I’m glad you feel like that, but I’m the lucky one,” Byron said. “You always were good enough—you just had to see yourself through my eyes. A beautiful woman who makes my blood run hot, and now a businesswoman in your own right.”

Amelia smiled. It meant so much to her to open her own shop, making her own money and giving jobs and apprenticeships to young women entering the tailoring business. Now she wasn’t Amelia Debrek the wife of the billionaire businesswoman, she was the businesswoman.

“I hope Uncle Simon is okay.”

Since Amelia was going away so soon after opening, she didn’t want to leave Daisy on her own. Uncle Jaunty was busy running his tailor shop next door, so his husband Simon was insistent on helping out.

Byron had been friends with Jaunty for years but had never met Simon until she and Amelia got together. She and Jaunty had built a mutual respect and trust, but Simon took nothing on trust. He was at first highly sceptical of Byron as a suitor for Amelia, whom he thought of as his daughter, but Byron respected that. Anyone who put Amelia first and had the strength of character to go up against a born vampire was to be admired in her book.

“Simon will be fine. He’ll be fussing around Daisy and having a whale of a time.”

“So, what is the plan for tomorrow?” Amelia asked.

Byron rolled them both over so she was on top of Amelia. “I’ll take you to all the places that are related to the New Forest coven and see what happens, but don’t be scared. I’ll be with you.”

“I won’t. How do you think Alexis and Katie are getting on?” Amelia asked.

“Alexis is probably tiptoeing around Katie, afraid she’ll say the wrong thing.”

“Do you think she’ll tell her about that night?” Amelia was referring to Alexis nearly turning her.