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

“My plans are utterly disrupted,” he said with a hint of a smile. “Could this be how Simonsen thinks you mean to corrupt me?”


Jefferson looked down to his own stained pants and the drying, white fluid on his hand. “This is precisely how Simonsen thinks I mean to corrupt you. But perhaps we can still salvage your plan? The night is still young, after all.”


Micah shook his head. “I’m of the mind to simply wallow in your arms a trifle longer. Or all night, if you will let me. I’ll reclaim my plans in the morn. They are likely better suited to Christmas Day anyway.”


“If we are to wallow in each other’s arms, we should retire to the bedroom. It is far more comfortable than the floor.” He released Micah and stood. Micah took his offered hand, and allowed Jefferson to pull him to his feet. “But I must admit an intense curiosity about a plan better suited for Christmas Day.”


Chapter 52