Dex was so familiar with Linwood Castle that he no longer noticed its grandeur. It was a ducal castle, but everything about it felt comfortable and welcoming. He’d run wild here as a child, larked about with his sister and cousins, raced up and down staircases and along miles of corridors, played thousands of hours of hide-and-seek, climbed trees and splashed through ponds, slid down bannisters and constructed furniture forts. Linwood Castle might overawe the casual observer, but to Dex, it was family and laughter and belonging. Clarges Street was where he resided, but this castle was home, just as much as his parents’ estate in Surrey was home.
He found himself viewing everything with new eyes as the post-chaise made its way through the acres of parkland. What would Eloïse think of the w
