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

And yet, I am not confident I can keep my word to Simonsen. I could tolerate never seeing you again, as I will not return to Boston, and I do not expect you to risk a visit to Wroxham. If Simonsen learns you have sought me out a second time, I fear the consequences. But I could never tolerate losing you completely. The world would be a weary, desolate place without your words. I write these words with a heavy heart, but perhaps Simonsen is correct. Perhaps your innocence is a gift to your verse, and I would be wrong to “corrupt” you.


Chapter 43