Finch stilled beside her, and Felicity cast a glance in his direction. Standing there with his hands behind him, he met her gaze with a furrowed brow.
“I don’t know if I have ever had that sort of support,” he murmured.
*
What possessed him to say such a thing? Finch wondered when he’d taken leave of his senses, but the words were spoken and sent out into the world before he thought the better of it. There was something about Miss Barrows that invited honesty.
Finch shifted from side to side before turning to continue down the path, but Miss Barrows stopped him with a touch.
“From what you’ve said of your family, it sounds as though you are quite close to them,” she said.
Giving her a temperate smile, Finch continued down the path. “Forget what I said. It was a slip of the tongue.”
“I would hazard a guess that it was entirely honest as well.”
“That may be, however—careful,” he said, holding out a hand to steady Miss Barrows as her feet slid beneath her. Eyes wide, she wobbled on the ice, but Finch held her firm, keeping her from taking another tumble.
Miss Barrows laughed, her breath swirling into vapor as a broad grin stretched across her face. “It is a good thing I brought your strong arm along, even if it can only carry a lady a few feet before fatiguing.”
“It is a rum business to follow a compliment with a criticism after that very limb saved you from yet another disaster,” said Finch, giving her a playful scowl.
“That is all it deserves when its owner complains like an old mule about his ‘exceptionally heavy’ burdens,” said Miss Barrows, her voice dropping to a masculine register at those last words.
All reserve was lost at the haughty raise of her chin and the ridiculous attempt to mimic his voice, and Finch laughed.
“You truly are an odd lady,” he said, turning to continue down the path while keeping a firm hand on Miss Barrows’ arm as they crossed the icy way.
“And again, I take that as a compliment,” she replied as they passed the danger. “Better to be viewed as ridiculous than dour.”
Finch shook his head. “I doubt anyone has ever called you dour—”
His boot met the ground, and it took Finch half a heartbeat to recognize his foot had no purchase. Letting out a yelp, he released Miss Barrows and tried to shift his weight, but his balance was thrown faster than he could compensate, and gravity pulled him down. Pain shot from his side and hip at the impact, and it was only by pure luck that his head did not follow suit. With a groan, he rolled onto his back and rested against the frozen path, well aware that once the agony ebbed, his pride would be equally bruised by the display.
Miss Barrows appeared above him with wide eyes, her hands pressed to her mouth. And while there was a definite flash of worry in her gaze, it faded as her shoulders began to shake.
“You would laugh at an injured man?” he murmured.
“I suppose I ought to feel guilty about it, but your hat went flying in one direction and you, the other. And then there was this flapping motion you did…” Miss Barrows grimaced, though her gaze lost none of its mirth. “It was rather comical.”
Miss Barrows disappeared from his field of vision, and Finch lay there for a moment before testing out his aching bones and getting to his feet. When he straightened, Miss Barrows held out his hat, brushing off the flakes of snow that clung to the brim. Finch tried to hold in a grin, but despite his aching joints, it was difficult to fight the humor when Miss Barrows gave him an innocent smile.
“A truly odd lady, indeed,” said Finch, shoving his hat on his head.
“That I am,” she said with a nod as the pair shuffled along, not risking full steps until they arrived at a clear path. “And now, I wish for you to regale me of the story behind your scar. No doubt you gained it during some heroic deed in the army.”
Finch’s brows rose. “Pardon?”
Miss Barrows motioned to the faint line that arced above his right eyebrow. “Your coiffure gives the ladies a peek at it from time to time, which makes it all the more enticing and simply begs them to ask after its origin.”
Shaking his head, Finch chuckled. “That is a coincidence, nothing more, Miss Barrows. I have no need to