“Titania—” Oberon warned.
Titania placed her fingers over his lips with a giggle. “Just the tiniest nudge in the right direction—” She wiggled the fingers of her left hand. “Oops! Look at that!”
Below them, just ahead of the two oblivious humans, the path through the woods shifted. In the blink of an eye, moss and ferns swept over the existing well-trodden trail, erasing any evidence of the prior group’s passage. Tree roots receded to reveal an entirely new footpath, edged with wildflowers. Branches curved overhead until they almost touched, creating a welcoming tunnel of green that appeared to have been there for centuries.
“There! Perfect.” Titania sent her husband a mischievous smile. “Is it my fault if these foolish mortals just happen to get lost in the woods?”
Oberon narrowed his eyes. “Where does that path lead?”
“To my grotto. I think it’s time I let these humans rediscover it. It’s been years since I allowed anyone to go there. It’s beautiful; very conducive to romance.” Her eyes twinkled. “If only we could give them the tiniest sip of love potion?—”
“No. You promised.”
Titania tossed her head with a decided flounce. “Fine. No love potions. And this is the last bit of meddling I’ll do. From now on they’re on their own.”
Chapter Nine
Kitty frowned as she marched along the path. She hadn’t been paying much attention on the way to the village, being too intent on avoiding Charles, but it seemed to be taking much longer to reach the castle gardens than she remembered. Had she been so distracted that she’d taken a wrong turn?
She could hear James behind her, his tread soft but sure, but no voices came from ahead, not even Lady Snaresbrook’s carrying tones.
They must have fallen quite some distance behind. Kitty glanced around, searching for a familiar landmark, but one tree looked very like another. Still, they were following the path. They would get to the castle eventually.
The woods were beautiful at this time of year. Everything seemed to be in perfect harmony. Tiny purple violets clustered at her feet, and the faint scent of wild musk-roses teased her nose. A playful gust of wind caught her hair, swirling the strands around her face, and bringing with it the faint tang of salt and brine from the sea.
The path curved to the left. Kitty rounded the bend—and stopped in surprise.
Instead of the formal gardens of Castle Keyvnor, a delightful arched folly stood, nestled into the side of the cliff. One side of it was almost completely overgrown with a canopy of honeysuckle and woodbine, but Kitty brushed the curtain of flowers aside and stepped into the domed interior.
Whimsical barley-twist pillars supported a barrel-vaulted roof, and she couldn’t contain her gasp of delight as she gazed upward. Tens of thousands of shells had been embedded into the interior walls, forming a dizzying series of patterns. Fantastical shapes encrusted the ceiling; hearts and flowers, scrolls and mythical creatures. It was like stepping into a mermaid’s grotto, deep beneath the sea.
“How extraordinary!” she breathed.
James’s booted feet crunched on the floor as he, too, stepped inside.
“This must have taken hundreds of hours.” His deep voice echoed around the arches and alcoves. “But it doesn’t look as if anyone’s been here for years. I wonder if the current earl knows it’s here?”
“It used to be all the rage, to have your own ruined folly.”
“Complete with a resident hermit,” James added dryly.
Kitty shivered, only partially because of the cooler air inside the structure. The enclosed space made her acutely aware of being alone with James. “I hope they’re not still here.”
He gave a snort. “We’re more likely to encounter smugglers. This whole coastline is a hotbed of illegal activity.” He stepped over to the sea-facing side of the grotto where the pillars were open to the view and gazed out, over the cliffs.
Kitty stepped up beside him and together they looked toward the horizon. “We must have taken a wrong turn somewhere back there.”
He nodded, and she bit her lip at the unintentional double meaning in the words. They’d taken a wrong turn somewhere in their relationship, too. And she had no idea how to get it back onto the right path. This awkward formality between them just felt wrong. She missed him.
“Still, it’s a long time until sunset,” she said bracingly. “We have plenty of time before we’re missed and cause a scandal.”
In truth, the thought of the two of them causing a scandal didn’t bother her at all. But the thought of James feeling honor-bound to marry her against his wishes to salvage her reputation did. They shouldn’t be here, a man and a woman, alone.
He turned toward her, crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned his shoulder casually against the nearest pillar, a study of careless masculine elegance. “It’s almost the longest day of the year. Tomorrow’s the summer solstice.”
Nervous under his steady regard, Kitty turned and ran her fingers over the unevenly textured walls, idly tracing the tail of a sea-monster.
“That’s why Gwyn chose it for her wedding. She said she wanted her happiest day to be the longest.”
