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He didn’t answer for a moment, then a sly smile stretched across his lips. “Not if ye decide to join me.”

Her stomach jolted forward, as if her body wished to join him as much as her spirit did. Heavens, but this was not the response she’d been expecting.

And yet, it was the exact response she’d hoped for. Now she knew. There was no way August would invite another woman in the middle of the night to walk with him if he was engaged—or even attached—to another. She would not believe it. She could not believe it.

“Miss May?”

She looked back down at August, who stared up at her with a curious tilt to his head. “Did ye ’ear me?” he asked.

She swallowed. Yes, she’d heard him. She simply didn’t know how to respond. She glanced over her shoulder, her door still closed tightly. Father was no doubt downstairs, still asleep on the settee as he recovered from his night of drinking. Cook had already left for the night, and Sarah was still home ill. There was no reason for Livvy to worry about being overheard, and yet…the man had just asked her to do something that could be conceived as highly improper.

At least she thought he did. She wasn’t exactly sure now.

“What do ye mean, join ye?” she whispered softer than before.

He took a step closer, craning his neck to see her better. “I mean, Miss May, that I wish for ye to join me for a walk this evenin’.”

This evening? Surely he meant this late night, or even better, early, early morning. What can he be thinking?

“Be ye mad, sir?” she whispered. “Be ye truly askin’ me to go on a walk with ye, unaccompanied, in the middle o’ the night?”

His grin was her undoing. “I s’pose I be a bit mad. Or per’aps I merely wish to get to know me new friend better by speakin’ to ’er without the pryin’ eyes of others.”

That sounded logical enough. But it wasn’t as if she could risk her entire reputation by sneaking out alone with a man.

But then, what reputation did she have to risk? The odd one on the Mount might benefit from such a scandal.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. She was thinking nonsense. No, she could not risk this. It was too much. But then, was this not what she’d dreamt of her entire life? Having the man she’d been in love with for years want to spend time with her? Of course there were better ways. In the daylight. With a chaperone. But where was the fun in that?

“Where would we go?” she asked after another moment of thought.

A devilish glint gleamed in his eye. “To the castle.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Ye can’t be serious.” He meant to sneak all the way to the top of the Mount?

“Well, not exactly the castle, but near it. I can tell ye no more. Ye simply ’ave to trust me.”

She blew out a breath from her nose, scoffing. “I hardly know ye, August Moon.” Now that was a lie. She knew him, and she trusted him. “Who’s to say me reputation wouldn’t suffer?”

“We’ll keep to the shadows.”

Such a simple response. Such a logical response. Was it just her, or was he making complete sense?

“I can promise ye more fun than the book ye be readin’.”

The book. She’d forgotten entirely about it. She needed to see how Emily fared in that castle. But a part of her—a part of her that was growing vaster by the second—wished to see how Livvy would fare in the castle. Or near it, rather.

She chewed her lower lip. She was out of her right mind. Clearly. And yet, how could she not accept August’s request?

Her father’s words slipped around her memory, and she paused. He’d made her swear to accept whatever activity someone asked her to do next.

Well, walking was an activity. And she had promised to say yes. So say yes, she would.

“Very well, Mr. Moon,” she whispered down to him. “I’ll go with ye.”

His eyes registered surprise, then he broke out into a smile. “I’ll wait for ye down ’ere, then.”

Livvy nodded, then swept the curtains closed. What had she gotten herself into?