Student of letters, Micah Yardley wants one thing: to meet the poet Jefferson Dering. After hearing his idol speak at Harvard, Micah travels to Jefferson’s home in nearby Wroxham, entertaining visions of discussing poetry over dinner and drinks. What he experiences exceeds anything he ever anticipated.<br><br>Jefferson finds Micah mesmerizing and passionate, everything he has ever wanted. But after getting caught in a compromising position with another young man a decade earlier, he exiled himself from Boston and from affairs of the heart. Jefferson represses his longing for Micah, but his tumultuous emotions cannot be contained.<br><br>Micah denies the truth of his desire for Jefferson. Jefferson refuses to act on his passion for Micah. But all it takes is a single kiss in Wroxham's haunted church to change the course of their lives ... and ignite the flame that could fulfill a generations-old promise.

A Hidden Beauty

“I think a reading could be arranged. But only if you return the favor.”


Micah tamped down the relief that threatened to loosen his tongue yet again. “I could probably be persuaded with enough drink,” he joked. Lifting his cup, he held it out in toast. “To a most entertaining evening. May my verse prove worthy of your ears.”


Jefferson touched his cup to Micah’s. “And may my verse prove worthy of your long journey.”


Micah smiled and sipped at his coffee. The journey had already proven more than worth it.2


Chapter 4