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“Ye’ll see soon enough.” He stopped, peered around the corner of the house, then faced Miss May again. “For now, I think it best we remain silent ’til we get farther up the Mount.”
Miss May nodded in silence, and he led the way forward, sticking to the shadows and away from open windows as they made their way to the pathway that led up the Mount. The moon shone brightly, the skies uncharacteristically clear for an April night, and the stars sparkled almost as brilliantly as Miss May’s eyes.
If he would have allowed himself to look at them, that is. He was far too focused on moving forward, anxious to remain unseen. Fortunately, each step they took led them farther from the village, and his nerves lessened little by little until they reached the darkness of the cobbled pathway that curved back and forth toward the castle and its gardens.
Oak, birch, and maples hung over the pathway with thick, nearly impenetrable branches, while both sides of the cobblestones were lined with massive, moss-covered boulders, a few resting benches, and various flowers, shrubs, and bushes. August had been tasked to care for a fourth of the gardens lining the pathway to the castle, and even after nearly three weeks, he was still discovering new varieties of plants he’d never before seen.
Those first two weeks, he’d been in his element. Completely and totally in heaven. But now? Now the gardens put a bad taste in his mouth, for he did not know how long his job there would last. Nor did he know if he wished for it to last. Working for Mr. May had sapped much joy from August’s life.
So how must Miss May feel living with such a man? Did the same happen to her? Or was Mr. May the portrait-perfect father for her?
“Can we speak now?” Miss May whispered after a few more moments in silence.
“Yes, we ought to be safe to do so now,” he whispered in response.
He glanced sidelong at her, the pathway opening up so they could walk side-by-side once again. She no longer looked from left to right. Had she forgotten the ghouls she’d been scared of before? Pity. He would have liked to give her more comfort. Maybe even hold her arm.
No, August, he chided. That would lead to nothing but heartache.
And yet, this endearing, charming woman had agreed to join him that evening, even though the decision—like his—had been utterly ludicrous. So he would take advantage of his time with her. He would forget Mr. May as best he could. He would forget about the dangers—to a degree. And he would enjoy his time with the woman. Because Heaven only knew if he’d ever have this opportunity again.
“Feelin’ any regret with your decision to join me yet?” he asked, ready to distract himself from his thoughts.
“I regretted it the moment me foot left me ’ouse,” she teased.
He smiled, though he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a small degree of truth in her words. “We’ll be there soon. Then we can return, and ye’ll be back at ’ome with your books in no time.”
“Where be ‘there,’ exactly?” she asked.
“Do ye not wish to wait?”
“I fear I ain’t one for surprises.”
“Unless they be in books?” he guessed.
She glanced at him sidelong.
“Ye don’t like surprises in books either?”
She shook her head. “I read the last page o’ the books I read sometimes.”
A surprised chuckle escaped his lips. “Ye don’t.”
“I do. Not all o’ them, mind. Just the ones that give me far too much angst.”
He laughed again. “I ne’er would ’ave thought.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “Ye seem the type o’ woman not to worry ’bout things. Whether in books or reality. Ye seem to live life without fear.”
She stared up at him as they walked, but the darkness prevented him from seeing her expression. Had that comment offended her? Or was she flattered?
In the next moment, she must have tripped over a cobblestone that jutted forth from the pathway, for she stumbled a bit before catching herself.
“Are ye well?” he asked, reaching out his hand to steady her before pulling back.
He shouldn’t be that near to her, even if it was to help her. Because he wanted to be near to her too much.
