C46 The Dinner Invitation

The scent of roasted thyme and candle wax filled the long dining hall.

Rachel stood in the doorway, fingers brushing the carved frame, her reflection stretching across the polished marble floor. The chandeliers glowed low and gold, throwing trembling light across the table set for two.

Two.

There were never two.

Not for months.

Usually she ate in the solarium, alone