A long, drawn-out creak split the silence of the room, jerking Grace from restless sleep. She blinked blearily into the shadows, disoriented, her eyes adjusting to the blackness. The faint click of her door closing sent a prickle of unease crawling across her skin. How long had she been out? It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes—yet the lamps were extinguished, and the hot water bottle at her feet had cooled to a clammy lump.
Voices carried through the crack beneath the door, low and hushed.
“How is she?” Kaleb’s tone was rough, just above a growl.
“She’ll be all right,” Margaret answered, steady as always. “She’s sleeping now.”
Grace expected them to walk away, their boots creaking against the old wooden floor. But instead, silence pressed down.
When Kaleb spoke again, his wo
