Page 141 of A Time of Witches

“It’s been a lot of work, and even more money, but yes, it’s livable.” Lilith beamed proudly up at Brackenmere Manor. A new coat of limewash covered the grime and made the darkness of the new roof stand out in stark contrast.

“So, you own this place now?” Essie asked as Lilith unlocked the door. “How does that work again?”

“Time altering,” Lilith said in an exaggerated spooky voice with a wink for Amara.

The little girl giggled, revealing that dimple Lilith had always loved, the one that perfectly matched Essie’s.

“Sybil didn’t die by fire, so Robert Walsingham was never awarded the property. In fact, Asher was able to help me find the original deed showing it was in my family and ensuring my ownership. He’s also been helping me with the rebuild on weekends.”

“So, when’s he moving in?” Essie lifted a brow.

Lilith shot her friend a look. “Maybe never.”

“Come on.” Essie groaned in exasperation. “You need your happily ever after.”

“Asher and I are more of a happy-for-now kind of couple.” Lilith put her hand on the door latch. “As for my happily ever after, I found it.” She pushed the door open, revealing the restored Great Hall.

“A woman must have money and a room of one’s own,” she quoted Virginia Woolf as Essie took in the newly upholstered furniture, the massive hearth with those gorgeous Grecian statues, and the freshly polished floor.

Essie’s mouth dropped open. “Lilith…this is incredible.”

They went through each room, restored with a blend of old and new, a mix of Sybil and Jacinda, with some of Lilith.

The task had been considerable and costly. Funded through the investments that had made Lilith so wealthy, and through the sale of her home in Savannah.

They went up to Jacinda’s bedchamber, where Essie and Amara would be staying, and found Aunt Jacqueline there, straightening a small basket of toiletries. She and Asher were now Lilith’s neighbors, and she’d insisted on helping Lilith ready the manor for guests. She spun around with a smile. “Is this Essie, whom I’ve heard so much about? And sweet Amara?”

As they all hugged like old friends, Lilith couldn’t help but smile at how Aunt Jacqueline’s health had improved. What had been lost from her gifts had been made up for in the absence of the burden of her own legacy. There was a glow about her that seemed to emanate from within, leaving her cheeks rosy, her eyes bright, and her body as mobile as someone three decades younger.

While she admitted to missing the hum of the earth, she still delighted in her garden.

“Skunk,” Amara declared with a squeal of delight.

“’Mara, don’t be so—” Essie gave a shriek. “It is a skunk!”

“Oh, that’s Lord Wimbleton the third,” Aunt Jacqueline said with pride as the little animal waddled after her, still her constant companion despite no longer having the earth’s gifts. “Don’t worry—he is a gentleman who keeps his smells to himself.”

“The third?” Essie asked, dumbfounded. “There were two more?”

Lilith grinned. “Nope.”

“As long as he doesn’t spray,” Essie said dubiously before turning to the room with its elegant four-poster bed and lush velvet covers and curtains. “But look at this place. Lil! You live in an honest-to-God manor. Call Eugene right now and tell him I’m not leaving. He’s just going to have to move here with us.”

“There is enough room for you all to move in,” Lilith teased.

“Don’t tempt me.” Essie hugged Lilith. “Truly, this is amazing. You are amazing. I never thought I’d see you so happy.”

The broad smile on her face showed exactly how glad Essie was for Lilith. A woman’s greatest cheerleader was her best friend and Essie was the best they came.

Lilith warmed with love and appreciation for her dearest friend, who had flown across the ocean—with a child no less—just to see her.

“Wait until you see the garden,” Lilith said. “Aunt Jacqueline has been helping me.”

“Want to see the garden, Amara?” Essie asked her daughter.

The little girl nodded her head vigorously, setting the beads in her hair clacking.

The garden truly was a sight to behold with vibrant blossoms of roses and bluebells, and, of course, Suffolk county’s flower, the oxlip. Amid the lovely blooms were herbs of every kind for any spell that might be needed.