Nathan walked the two men to the front door, and while they talked about how great it was that it finally rained, and the prospects of different SEC football teams, I curled up in Nathan's leather desk chair. I was trying to take it all in, and thinking about the facts of the case.

That is where Nathan found me about twenty minutes later. He closed the door to his library and poured a large glass of whiskey. I stood up, and Nathan took my place in the chair, promptly pulling me back down into his lap. He offered me a sip of his drink, and I could feel its bracing warmth down to my toes.

"I can't believe it's finally over, Nate. Just like that. Months of torment filed away with a fifteen-minute conversation." I felt light headed with relief.

"I know. Nothing is hanging over us now. Mother has her own place and seems happy enough. The case is closed. We are free to act like the happy newlyweds we are." He smiled and looked much younger than his years.

Nathan tickled my ribs lightly when he said that last part. I giggled. We kissed briefly, yet with great passion. I loved tasting the whiskey on his lips and tongue.

"Let's take a walk, baby. Just you and me."

We headed out of the house, and took the first path we saw.

And so we walked for miles, all over the grounds of Peacock Alley. We talked about the trees and the flowers and laughed at the antics of the squirrels. Even though it was now early December, and most of the leaves were on the ground, we could still see patches of green grass in sheltered areas. We spotted several peacocks, and Nathan shared more of the history of the place with me. We made plans for our first Christmas, and we talked about getting a Christmas tree over the weekend. We avoided all serious subjects, and just enjoyed our peaceful walk together.

I looked up suddenly and realized we were at the cemetery. I hadn't recognized it at first because we came upon it from a different direction. We went in the gate and walked over to Savannah's grave.

"We didn't ask when we can claim her body. It probably looks weird that we didn’t." Uh oh.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll call tomorrow. We just heard shocking information, and they know we need time to absorb it all. Plus, they probably wouldn’t expect me to ask in front of you.” He took my hand firmly in his. "You really don't want her here, do you?"

He looked sideways at me, waiting for my answer.

"I think she belongs here. It's a good place for her to rest, and the grave has been waiting for her over a year now. I'm fine with burying her here, but you and I should be on the other end of the cemetery when we die. Mother can have this spot next to her."

Nathan threw his head back and laughed up to the sky. He looked ten years younger.

"Sounds like a plan."

We walked a few steps farther and sat down on a bench under an oak with branches that almost stretched down to the ground.

"Are you afraid of me? Now that you know what I'm capable of?" His light mood had vanished, and the worry lines were back.

Surprised, I turned to him, worried.

"Nate, no! I could never be afraid of you. Put that out of your head, Mr. Randolph." I squeezed his hand in mine.

"Tell me again you can still love me, even knowing all that you know about me." He was demanding and sweet, all at the same time. This was the Nathan I fell in love with in New York all those months ago.

"I love you, passionately and madly, Nathan."

He nuzzled me, and we comforted each other all over again.

I took him to the new Orchard House to show him the remodeling I had ordered. The work had been completed while we were in Europe. Outside, it looked similar to before, although I had made a few changes. It smelled of fresh paint, and the bricks had been power washed. The weeds were gone, replaced by a small flowerbed full of gardenias and pansies. New apple and plum trees had been planted to increase the size of the little orchard, and hazelnut trees were in transit. I already knew where we would plant them, too.

The inside was where Nathan found the significant difference. It was transformed. Painted a bright white to emphasize the marvelous light that entered the tiny building, the room was stunning. Even the floor beneath us had been refinished. Savannah had preferred the black painted floorboards, but I had them stripped and sanded, and now the boards were a soft honey color that positively glowed in the light.

All of Savannah's furniture and personal items were gone. In their place, I had chosen a dark gray-slipcovered sofa and chair, and an old iron bed that had been in storage in the attic of the main house. A new mattress set and linens completed a place for resting or lovemaking. Another attic find, an old trunk held additional blankets. The remainder of the space was devoted to my art hobby, with an easel already in place. My paintings from Silver Falls were still in crates leaned against the wall. I couldn't wait to unpack those and start painting new canvases.

I turned to my beloved husband.

"You have talked a lot about the power Savannah held over you, in life and in death. I want you to understand that her power is gone now." I spoke in a strong, clear voice because I wanted him to really feel it.

Savannah was gone, and I was standing by his side. He would never need to feel alone again.

He looked at me in wonder and growing gratitude.

I wasn’t done. "Savannah can't hurt us anymore. She can't hurt me because now I know you never loved her. She can't hurt you because now you know how much I love you. It's just that simple, Nate."

He look at me with gratitude shining from his eyes. “I just knew somehow, when I saw you twirling on that dirty New York City street all those months ago, that you had what I needed. And I was right.”

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"I'm reclaiming all the spaces she stole from us at Peacock Alley. Our bedroom is full of our memories now, and so is your library. Now Orchard House will be our special place, our love nest. It no longer belongs to her. And I know you said she met men in the maze sometimes, so I have a plan for that, too."

“I don’t know what you have in mind, but I can’t wait to find out.” Nathan kissed me hard, and my heart was so full of love for him, I thought it might burst.