It was darker in here than in the kitchen, the original dark wood wainscoting still in place, the same dark wood surrounding the windows and appearing once again in the beams overhead. At one end of the living room was an enormous river stone fireplace with a plain, broad mantel. On that mantel sat more books. One wall held a large cross of intricately carved dark wood. The protection he’d hinted at? Audrey had a feeling that whatever wards he had in place here, most of them wouldn’t be visible to the naked eye.
“You can put your bags there,” Michael said, pointing with his free hand at the bottom step. “All the bedrooms are upstairs — there’s a guest room where you can sleep.”
“Okay.” Audrey set down her bags in the spot he’d indicated, glad to know that she’d have an actual room to sle
