Table Of ContentP P V
RAISE FOR ARTING THE EIL
“A beautiful, crumbling mansion in the English countryside; a
charming but enigmatic viscount; ghosts; rumors; and a
labyrinth of dark secrets, lies, twists, and well-executed turns
. . . As if that weren’t enough, add rich atmosphere and an
American-heiress heroine determined to settle her own future.
Kennedy has crafted a delicious, romantic gothic mystery that
will keep readers guessing even as they’re feverishly turning
the final pages.”
—Megan Chance, author of A Splendid Ruin
“I was riveted by Paulette Kennedy’s Parting the Veil, a
dazzling debut that hearkens to the best of the classic gothic
tradition but with a sensibility that will appeal to modern
readers. Kennedy writes with compassion, attention to detail,
and the confident prose of a seasoned writer. Deliciously eerie,
passionate, and suspenseful, this book is an emotional roller
coaster that kept me turning its pages long into the night.”
—Jo Kaplan, author of It Will Just Be Us
“If you love a gothic tale full of twists and turns and things
that go bump in the night, Paulette Kennedy’s Parting the Veil
is a not-to-be-missed treat. This debut is the perfect book to
curl up with on a stormy night, but don’t expect to put it down
easily. And don’t forget the Earl Grey and biscuits.”
—Barbara Davis, bestselling author of The Last of the
Moon Girls
“An American heiress with a scandalous past meets a
mysterious British lord in this swoon-worthy gothic thriller.
Parting the Veil takes familiar plot elements—a ruined
mansion, family secrets—and gives them a sexy, modern twist.
This stunning debut from Paulette Kennedy kept me guessing
until the very end!”
—Elizabeth Blackwell, author of Red Mistress and On a
Cold Dark Sea
“Parting the Veil is a gothic romance full of sly and sometimes
shocking twists and turns, with the requisite crumbling manor
house, loads of secrets, and long, haunting shadows of grief.
Kennedy spares no mercy for a bucolic English village that
teems with lies, forbidden desires, and murder.”
—Kim Taylor Blakemore, author of After Alice Fell
“Atmospheric and cleverly plotted, Parting the Veil grabbed
me from the first page and tightened its grip with each
immersive chapter. Whenever I thought I knew how it would
end, Kennedy’s haunting debut surprised me, while delivering
gothic chills alongside each captivating twist. Clear your
schedule to read it in one sitting like I did.”
—Elle Marr, Amazon Charts bestselling author of The
Missing Sister and Lies We Bury
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations,
places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously.
Text copyright © 2021 by Paulette Kennedy
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Lake Union Publishing, Seattle
www.apub.com
Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Lake Union Publishing are
trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.
ISBN-13: 9781542032117
ISBN-10: 1542032113
Cover design by Faceout Studio, Amanda Hudson
For Della . . . who started it all.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
EPILOGUE
AUTHOR’S NOTE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER 1
Port of Southampton
June 1899
England was freedom. For Eliza, there was a certain kind of
irony in that.
A sharp blast of steam announced the SS Evangelina’s
arrival, coal smoke billowing from its twin stacks. Eliza
steadied herself against the railing, her pulse fast behind her
ears. On the other side of a gangway, a new life awaited. A life
free of black dresses and scandal, where no one would see the
spinster in the crepe-shrouded house on Metairie Road. Here,
they’d only see a woman poised between twenty and thirty,
with coppery blond hair and blue eyes set in a foxlike face.
Best of all, there wouldn’t be a whisper of shame to endure.
Not a raised eyebrow or single narrowed glance across a
ballroom.
At least, that’s what she hoped.
The ship found its berth, coming up so snugly abreast a
sleek ocean liner that Eliza could have tossed a ball over its
railing. She repinned her hat and joined the uneven queue
jostling toward the lower deck.
“Liza! There you are. You’re always running off.” It was
Lydia, her skirts beaten back by the wind as she pushed
through the crowd. “Goodness. This weather is a bit cool for
summer, isn’t it? I hope we’ve brought the right sort of
clothes.”
Eliza looked up at the heavy, lowering clouds. It was
beastly cold—colder than she’d ever thought summer could be
—but she would grow used to it.
A life written by her own hand was worth a thousand cold
summer days.
“Allons-y, cher. Getting off this boat and away from the
water will warm us.” Eliza grasped Lydia’s sleeve and led her
