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In the shadowy darkness of the hallway, she paused

The bell tinkled again Louder this time

Frowning, Tessroom The bedroom door slammed shut behind her She jumped at the unexpected sound "Hey, what the "

She smelled smoke And roses Tess's frown deepened

Fro sound of fine silk Suddenly the shadows parted A pale, rose-hued cloud rolled into the hallway, swirling around Tess's bare feet The sly sweet

Tess reached blindly for the bedroom door, and found it locked

"Jack" His name was a whisper from her too dry mouth

She took a deep breath to calm down Somehow she'd

396

accidentally locked the door Exceptexcept the door didn't have a lock

"Tess," ca"

She told herself not toon She just wanted to stand here, waiting for Jack to open the door

But before she knew it, she wasroom In the corner of the rooes, seeht The dozens of candles that Tess had blown out an hour ago were burning brightly, sending plumes of smoke into the air

The holiday scents of brandy and candied orange peels and evergreen were still thick in the house, but now there was another s, heady s roses

"Is someone here?" she asked quietly