The staff, still annoyingly inattentive to his boy, hadn’t seen him. And Cook, who was the only one who could be accused of having a bit of a soft spot for Timothy, had only seen him after luncheon when he’d requested and been granted some of her freshly baked scones and strawberry compote.
Philip made his way to the gardens, trying not to let his mind wander to the cliff edge, or the choppy ocean, or the deep lake, or anywhere else a seven-year-old might meet danger.
It was no use, however. By the time he got outside into the blustery autumn day, he was picturing all the ways that Timmy’s body could be lying broken somewhere.
He took off at a run toward the path that led to the beach. Knowing how much Timmy loved it there, he guessed that would be where his adventurous son would go first.
But as he passed the large oak tree standing by the gate that led to the beach walk, he heard the distinctive sound of a child giggling.
Spinning around, he scanned the gardens for the source but couldn’t see any sign of Timmy.
Another giggle sounded, followed by some rustling.
“Up here, Papa.”
Philip looked up into the branches of the tree and there was Timothy, his legs dangling precariously from the branch, his face flushed and grinning. And beside him, wearing a matching expression of delight, was Selina.
Philip’s ears filled with a curious buzzing as he gaped at his son’s tiny body above him.
A mist of fear and panic seemed to cloud his vision as he took in the spectacle.
And much as he tried to tell himself that Timmy was safe and well, Philip’s mind couldn’t seem to stop envisioning his boy plummeting to the ground. Just like his mama.
“Timothy,” his voice sounded harsh even to his own ears, but there was nothing he could do to temper it. “Get down from there, now.”
As he watched, Selina and Timothy exchanged a look, and Philip felt a burst of anger that he should be made to feel as though he were wrong or an outsider.
He stepped forward to assist them both, knowing that he wanted no harm to come to either of them.
But even as he closed the distance, Selina jumped down, agile as a jungle cat, and was even now reaching up to lift Timothy to safety.
Once both their feet were planted firmly and safely on the ground, Philip at least felt able to draw a breath.
But still his heart raced. Still his anger raged.
“Papa.”
Timothy dashed over, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Miss Selina showed me all the plants in the garden that you can eat to make you better and the ones that you can’t eat because they make you sick.”
Philip quickly schooled his features to ensure that his son couldn’t see his anger, instead adopting a smile as Timothy chattered at a mile a minute.
“And she showed me how to climb the tree safely, only I’m not allowed to do it without her. Or you. Mrs. Healy said she’s too old to save my ar-“
“Timmy.”
Selina’s timely interruption might have saved Philip’s head from exploding clean off his neck.
One week in the company of Selina and her companion, and his son was ready to swear.
What on earth had he gotten them both into?
“Why don’t you run back to the house and change out of those clothes? I’m sure your Papa will want you clean and well-presented at dinner. I’ll be right behind you.”
Without so much as another glance in Philip’s direction, Timmy took off at breakneck speed toward the house.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Philip turned on Selina.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he hissed, leftover fear and panic reigniting his anger. “He could have fallen. Broken a leg or worse.”
To his chagrin, Selina seemed completely unmoved by his fury, her face placid, her dark eyes shrewd.
“He was in no danger,” she answered gently. “The things your son needs to fear are not of this world, Philip. He will come to no harm with me.”
Her cool composure in the face of his hot anger was enough to make Philip feel like an idiot. And her words once more put the fear of God into him.
“I just – the thought of him falling—“
He tried to explain why he had reacted so, but the truth was it sounded irrational because it was irrational.
Selina stepped forward and placed an arm on his own, and a shock of awareness shot through him