“No, not at all. I’ve been very busy. Did you stop to speak with him?”
“Yes.” Deliberately, Adam did not elaborate.
“And what did John say?”
It was decidedly rotten of him, making her beg for information like this, but Adam wanted to see just how curious Madeline was about John Metcalf.
Apparently, she was curious enough to press him for the details, and he felt a twinge of disappointment even though he had not wanted to care.
“He asked about you, naturally, and wanted to know if he could visit again tomorrow afternoon and spend another hour with you.”
Madeline stared straight ahead. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him he would have to ask you himself, for I didn’t know what your wishes were, nor did I even know where you were in order to ask you.”
“But you found me.”
“Yes, I found you. Mary told me you had gone for a walk, and I took the chance that you would go this way, along the same route we explored together a few weeks ago.”
They walked in silence for a few minutes. The horse, still plodding along behind them, snorted in the damp air.
“In the future,” Adam said, knowing thathewas the one now pressing for information, “if John asks me if he may visit you, what would you like me to tell him?”
Madeline stopped. Adam stopped, too, awaiting her answer.
“Are you asking me how I feel about John? If Iwanthim to come calling?”
He stared directly into her eyes. “Yes, that’s what I’m asking you.”
Adam felt a surge of impatience.
“Yes, I would very much like John to call on me again.”
Adam squared his shoulders. “Very well, then.”
They continued walking.
Adam tried to subdue the displeasure that was clinging to him, following him like a shadow. God, this was all so bloody confounding. His head was reminding him that he was engaged to Madeline’s sister, while his heart and body were refusing to believe it. There was a full-blown battle raging inside of him.
Just then, Madeline slapped her neck. “Ouch! What was that?”
Adam moved toward her to clap his hands beside her ear. “A mosquito. Looks like they’ve found us.” He inspected his palms, then wiped away the tiny corpse.
Another little fly came flitting, floating around Madeline. She took a few steps backward, but the insect followed.
Adam waved his hand in front of her face. “They must like the way you smell.”
“What do you mean, the way I smell?”
“The flower water you use.”
He was embarrassed for having revealed that he’d noticed.
“Shove off, you nagging beasts!” She began to wave her hands about, then took off in a run along the path.
Adam couldn’t resist laughing. “See? I told you! We should go home! It’s all this damp weather. It will be better up on the ridge.”
Not wasting another moment, Madeline ran back to Adam, who turned his horse around.
