“Your father would not approve,” she said, noting with satisfaction the stiffening of his shoulders.
“Since my father isn’t here to object, there’s no reason you
can’t simply call me Teach. Now come. It’s not far.”
“What’s not far?” she asked, deciding not to call him anything at all.
“This way.”
Anne froze, the hair on her neck standing up as she realized how stupid she had been. She’d been so eager to escape
the confines of the household that she’d ignored the hazards of
going off alone with the young master. He was becoming far
too familiar with her.
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Teach, no doubt sensing something amiss, turned back to her. In three long strides he closed the distance between them.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, scanning her from head to toe.
“I wish to return to the house,” she said.
“Why?” he asked, clearly puzzled. “I want to show you
something.”
A hysterical laugh rose in her throat. “I’m sure you do, but
I have no desire to see it.” She spun around. Several leaves clung to her skirts as she returned the way they had just come.
Teach leapt in front of her, blocking the path. “You promised you would come with me.”
“And you promised to behave yourself!” she snapped. What
a fool she was! Anyone who could be friends with someone like
the Earl of Lorimar was not to be trusted.
Teach’s eyes grew wide. “What have I done?”
“You’ve led me here,” she said, gesturing to their surroundings.
He waited expectantly. When she remained silent, he nodded. “Yes, I know.”
“Well, what is this place?”
“Blast it, that’s what I’m trying to show you.” He raked a
hand through his hair. “I am not in the habit of bringing helpless maids to the middle of the forest.”
“I might not have a pail handy, but I would not characterize
myself as helpless. Why can’t I return to the house?”
“Because I simply wanted to show you something. Why is
that so hard to understand?” His voice echoed around them, and a 15 5
quail, upset by all the shouting, shot upward, wings flapping wildly to escape. After a few failed attempts at flight, it settled several paces away. Just because it had wings did not mean it could fly well.
She studied Teach’s face, but his expression revealed nothing except for his annoyance. In return he continued to watch
her, waiting for her to make a decision.
“All right,” she said at last. Catching her lip between her
teeth, she nodded, indicating that he should lead the way.
As they walked, Anne heard the distant sound of running water. The farther he led her into the forest, the louder it became. Soon they happened upon a small stone cottage with two chimneys, set in a clearing. The old rock wall surrounding
it was in ruins. Teach proceeded past the cottage, toward a stone ledge. Holding out his hand, he motioned for her to join him.
His fingers clasped hers, firm and warm, and she took a
tentative step toward the edge, gasping at the beauty before her.
Far below, a river meandered through a rocky gorge. Both sides
of the ravine sported uneven and precipitous cliff faces with a
broken line of hawthorns visible near the water’s edge. Upon
closer inspection, Anne also recognized the golden leaves of the whitebeams.
“Well?” Teach asked.
She could only shake her head and cast a quick glance at
him, noting the satisfaction in his features. “I don’t know what to say,” she said at last.
“‘Thank you’? Or ‘I shall endeavor to trust you in the future’?”
15 6
A grin tugged at her lips. “I would not go so far as that.”
Teach opened his mouth, but Anne continued before he could
say anything. “But yes, thank you for bringing me here. How
did you find this place?”
Teach leaned back against a tree, releasing her hand. “My
mother had my father build this cottage for her. It was a place
for her to get away.”
His own mother had needed to escape the house, Anne
thought. Somehow, she was not surprised
“It’s lovely,” she said, no longer anxious that it was just the
two of them. “She must have come here often.”
He shrugged. “As often as her illness would allow. Toward
the end she wasn’t able to move much. My father would bring
out a chair for her and set it right here.” He indicated a spot in the center of the ledge. “She would hold the dog’s lead in one hand. When she was ready to go inside, she’d release the dog,
and he would go and find my father.”
“Your father wouldn’t sit with her out here?”
Teach tore a leaf from an overhead branch and ripped it to
shreds. “My father can’t remain still for too long. He never went far, but he could not stand to see her in that state. I think she preferred the solitude as well. He would go and look for willow bark or other roots and plants to ease her pain.”
“No herbs or medicine could cure her?”
Teach’s voice was bitter. “The doctors claimed nothing
could have saved her.”
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Anne swallowed around the unexpected lump in her throat.