Godric and Lady Margaret where brought together through unusual circumstances. Pregnant and unmarried, Margaret's brother hastily arranged for Godric to wed his sister so that she would not be involved in a scandal. Godric, a widower, agrees. He's still mourning his wife and has no problem helping an old friend and his sister. Megs (Margaret) is immediately sent to the country and Godric and Megs don't see each other for two years. Their only communication is through letters that Megs sends Godric.Fast forward two years and Megs has arrived in London with a mission. She surprises her husband with his arrival. His house is dusty, dark and barely staffed. Megs goal is to whip Godric's home into shape while she's in London and also to get pregnant and avenge her fiance's death.I love the Maiden Lane series. It is one of my favorite historical romance series. Unfortunately, Lord of Darkness got off to a slow start for me. If felt like a retelling of Winter's story, Thief of Shadows, with just different characters and some plot variances.I understand that both Godric and Megs are dealing with grief. They aren't looking to have a real marriage with each other. They're both stagnant in their lives. Megs can't move on until the person she thinks is responsible for killing Roger -the Ghost of St. Giles- is dead and preferably by her hands. Godric doesn't want to move on at all. He's resigned himself to being alone and celibate. But their grief dragged down some of the book, especially Megs'.I felt that Megs was at times selfish in her grief. Quite often she would forget that Godric lost someone as well. At times it came across as if she felt her grief was greater than his. And when they finally have sex, it is difficult to read. Megs treats Godric like a stud. She doesn't want to be kissed, fondled. She doesn't want to feel. She was abrupt and mean. And through all this, she completely ignores the fact that being with her could be just as difficult and heartbreaking for Godric as well. Megs really ticked me off with that.Overall, I enjoyed the story despite the slow beginning and Megs ticking me off. I liked watching Godric and Megs let go of their pasts and move forward with each other.The next book in the series is setup and we find out at the end who the next hero will be. This hero is also the Ghost of St. Giles. Honestly, I'm kinda tired of the Ghost. Can we have another pirate like Charming Mickey? Either way, I love the series and will be reading the next installment.
