Abandoned to the Prodigal - Mary Lancaster Page 0,43
a pleasant day for a walk,” he observed. “I passed a disused hut on the other side of the river.”
“There’s a cave closer by,” she replied. “Along the riverbank. Come.”
As they broke from the trees, he threw one arm around her shoulders, presumably to keep her steadily under the umbrella. She was not used to such easy contact. Even waltzing was more formal. But Dan seemed to be a very physical man. It excited her in some inexplicable way, but she didn’t dislike the feeling in the slightest.
The riverbank was slippery, and twice they almost ended in the water before she located the gap in the bank, overhung by willow roots.
“It seemed much larger before,” she said as he crawled in after her.
“When you were ten years old?” he suggested. “But it is dry, and I’m not complaining.” He took off his hat carefully and emptied the water collected in the brim outside the cave. He glanced at her. “Actually, I didn’t think you would come.”
“I almost didn’t. I nearly went back to sleep, but I would miss the walk.”
“Me, too,” he said vaguely.
“But where is Gun?”
“I left him at home, much to his outrage. He’s impossible in weather like this. I’ll take him later when I hope the rain will have gone off.”
“I got some honey cakes from Cook last night,” she said, fishing in her reticule. “They might be a little stale.”
“But very welcome. A cup of hot coffee would be good, too.”
“It’s not very civilized,” she agreed.
“Do you want to stop?”
Her eyes flew to his. “Do you?”
“I asked first.”
“I’m here in the pouring rain,” she retorted, “so I suppose I don’t.” She bit into her cake and considered. “Though after yesterday, I presume we can call at each other houses in the normal way.”
“Not sure my grandfather would agree,” he said wryly. “Mind you, I saw Patrick, the steward, coming out of his rooms yesterday, and he didn’t look unhappy, so it’s possible the old devil is softening in some ways.”
“Does he receive you all in his bedchamber?”
“He won’t allow anyone in unless he summons them—one at a time, of course, to lessen the chances of rebellion. But I don’t think he’s seen anyone more than once. Except me, because I barged in and took him by so much surprise that he forgot to throw something at me.”
“Maybe the others should do the same.”
“Colin tried. He threw the teapot at him.”
She couldn’t help her hiccup of laughter. “The secret is clearly to judge one’s moment.”
“Or duck and keep going, though that’s certainly a risky tactic.”
“Perhaps he just likes you.”
Dan appeared to consider that. “No.”
“Why not? People do, you know. Besides, he probably prefers people who defy him. He must be bored with servants and toadies. In fact, he sounds a very sad, lonely person to me.”
“Sad, lonely, and very bad-tempered.”
“Maybe he didn’t bring you all to Myerly to fight, but to provide company.”
“Well, he doesn’t take much advantage of it.”
“But he must hear your voices sometimes, your footsteps, all the bustle that comes with extra people. And even though he’s improving, he hasn’t asked anyone to leave Myerly, has he?”
“No,” Dan allowed. His lips quirked upward. “You’re quite wise and compassionate for a social butterfly, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know about any of that,” she said hastily. “Except that I’m not a social butterfly. I just like people. They interest me.”
“I know. It’s part of your charm.”
She couldn’t help her flush of pleasure, though she said, “Stop. I’m always suspicious of flattery.”
“Why, in case I kiss you again?”
Butterflies jumped in her stomach. “No,” she managed. “That was a kiss of friendship. Friends don’t flatter.”
“But they do tell the truth.”
“Hmm.” She brushed the crumbs off her hands. “You just like teasing me.”
“I do. But much as I hate to say it, you should go home and change into dry clothes before you catch a chill.”
“So should you. And you have further to go. You shouldn’t come with me this time.”
He shifted position and stretched one long leg out under the tree roots. “I’ll come part of the way and see if the sun comes out.”
“Optimistic,” she commented. “It looks to me as if the rain is on for the whole day.”
“At least there’s no wind. Or lightning.”
Dan crawled out of the cave first and clapped his hat back on his head, while she drew up her cloak hood and they scrambled up the bank, sometimes sliding backward again until Dan dug the point of the umbrella into the mud