Madeline was careful not to let her cool exterior crack. “You’re not a stranger, Mr. Coates. Not entirely. I did know you once. A long time ago.”
“Yes,” he replied thoughtfully, “it was a long time ago, wasn’t it? Who would have guessed the years would pass so quickly?”
She lifted the needle high over her head to pull it through the seam. “They do pass quickly, don’t they? It seems like only yesterday that you rode into our yard for the first time.”You wore a long, black cloak.
The firelight flickered across his face as he held her in his contemplative gaze. Madeline felt her blood rush. She hoped it was not coloring her cheeks.
“Refresh my memory,” he said with interest. “Did we speak to each other much?”
She took time to clear her throat. “Not very much, no. I was young.”
“Not so young that you didn’t enjoy a magic trick, as I recall.”
A warmth moved through her. She hadn’t thought he remembered anything beyond her bothersome presence—intruding upon his private moments with Diana and refusing to leave when they asked her to.
“You used to make a shilling disappear. Then you would retrieve it from behind the butter crock.”
He smiled. “I do the same trick for Penelope now, but instead of the butter crock, I retrieve the shilling from her nose.”
Madeline laughed. The beat of her pulse eased a little.
“You were Penelope’s age then,” he said.
“I was.”
“Looking at you now helps me to remember.” He stared at her for a long, lingering moment. “You seemed curious about the farm last night at dinner. Or were you just making conversation?”
“Someone had to,” she said with a hint of humor, which garnered another smile from him. “But I was genuinely curious as well.”
“If you like, on the way to the fort tomorrow, I could show you around the area. It’s the least I can do after what happened.”
Madeline felt her mood lift slightly. “I would like that very much. Would we see some dykes? I’m curious as to how they work.”
He nodded, looking pleased with her enthusiasm. “Do you enjoy riding?”
“More than anything.”
“Then I’ll take you down onto the marsh in the morning.”
She eagerly agreed and the conversation turned to Yorkshire. Madeline told Adam news about some of the people he once knew, and he asked about the earl who had been his landlord, and how the tenant farmers were faring with all the rent increases.
An hour later, it was time to retire. The boys went upstairs and Adam stayed behind to snuff out the candles.
As Madeline climbed the stairs, feeling invigorated from her first pleasant discourse with Adam, she found herself anxiously anticipating their morning ride. There was a sweet fluttering in her belly, not unlike the way her belly had fluttered aboard ship, when they were nearing the coast.
She stopped on the landing halfway up the stairs, and squeezed the railing tightly in her hand. This nervous, giddy feeling was not a good thing.
Perhaps she should not have accepted Adam’s invitation. Perhaps she should have feigned disinterest and requested that he take her straight to the fort.
But that would have been lying, and she had truly wanted to go, so much so that she had momentarily forgotten about her unbending intentions to protect her vulnerable heart. She could only hope there would be no harm in it.
Before breakfast the next morning, Madeline passed by Mary’s open door. Mary lay quietly on the bed, her blond curls splayed out upon the pillow, her expression solemn as she gazed at the bright sash window. Her head turned when she heard Madeline’s heels across the threshold.
“Madeline. I’m so glad you’re here. Please, come in.” She tried to sit up.
“Am I disturbing you? You look melancholy.”
“Melancholy? I was thinking of Jacob and our baby and hoping all will go well.”
