Page 69 of Waking Roslyn

He let out a sigh. “Let’s head back.” He crossed to me, indicating the path back with one arm while the other curved toward my back, not touching it but guiding. Protecting? I set the staff aside and headed toward the path.

As we walked, the rain fell lightly. With the cover of trees, we could hear more than feel it, so we didn’t move quickly. It was always like this with John. I always wanted to delay the moment of separation, draw out our time together. Even with the risk of getting soaking wet, I didn’t hurry.

“How is your face?” John asked suddenly.

My hand went to the scab on my cheek. “It’s well enough,” I said, even though it was still tender and a bit swollen.

“Has his lordship done anything else atrocious in the past week, or has he managed to act like a decent human being?”

His indignation made me smile. “I believe Marilee’s words might have had an affect on him. He hasn’t been violent at all. I think maybe he’s even trying to make up for it?”

John’s face said he didn’t believe it for a moment. “And how is he doing that?”

“He’s been more solicitous of Lisette, and he even apologized to me.”

His brow shot up. “That is something.”

“It is. Of course, then he had to go and ruin it by trying to give me a bit of brotherly advice.” I rolled my eyes.

His look of disgust was comical. “And what subject does he consider himself an expert in?”

“Courting,” I said with a laugh.

His eyes narrowed. “He’s giving you advice on courting?”

“Yes, and it would have been amusing if it weren’t insulting. I think he got the idea—” The skies opened, and the simple patter of rain became a downpour.

“Run,” John prompted, touching the small of my back to nudge me into motion.

We’d been practicing closer to Sutton today, so we hadn’t even made it to the stream yet. We’d be completely soaked through by the time we made it back to Bridgefield, but I gathered my skirts and dashed down the path anyway.

The rain pelting my face made it difficult to see, so when John grabbed my elbow and said, “This way,” I didn’t hesitate to follow where he led.

After several steps, it was clear that we were no longer on a path, but I trusted that John knew where he was going. We were nearly upon the tiny hovel before I even saw it. Wooden walls, a thatched roof and enough room inside for both of us to squeeze in after he pulled the door open. I stepped into the dim interior, grateful to be out of the rain. John closed the door behind us as I tried to wipe the water out of my face.

The door did not fit well in the frame, leaving large gaps around the edges that allowed enough light to filter into the windowless space that we could see one another. John was hunched over, too tall to stand straight, as he shook the water from his hair and hands. “This used to be the gamekeeper’s cottage.”

“You call this a cottage? It’s tiny. Was the gamekeeper an extraordinarily small man?” I asked.

He chuckled. “No, actually. That’s why the new one was built years ago.”

I looked around for something dry that I could use as toweling, but there was nothing in the space aside from a broken stool and what might once have been a small table. When I looked back to see him glaring up at the too-low ceiling, I laughed a little. “You might as well sit on the floor. It cannot be comfortable for you to hunch over that way.”

He lowered himself to the ground. “The hazards of being too tall,” he muttered.

“I don’t think you’re too tall.”

His eyes darted to mine, but I looked away, unsure why my mouth had felt the need to comment. It was true, I admired his height. I found it enticing.

“Are you going to sit?” he asked.

I looked down at my dress and at the dirt floor. “I don’t wish to ruin my clothing, and I’m perfectly comfortable standing.” My head did not quite touch the ceiling.

He leaned back against one wall and looked up at me. “But then I have to strain my neck if I want to look at you.”

“Now you know how the rest of us feel,” I teased him.

He chuckled and then sat forward to shrug out of his coat. “Here,” he said, laying it on the ground. “My clothing made friends with the dirt long ago.”