With those words, he got to his feet and tried to put his hands in his pockets. Only then did he realize that he wasn’t wearing his jacket and shirt but had been carrying on this whole conversation clad only in his undershirt and suspenders. Oh gods. No wonder Luna didn’t want to look at him. He couldn’t imagine what a dirty, smelly wreck he must appear to her. Hastily, he donned his shirt, then almost immediately wished he hadn’t. Because it was simplytoo hot.He couldn’t bear to do up any buttons, decency be damned. But at least his arms were covered.
He moved to stand by Luna’s side, keeping a good several yards of space between them. “I doubt very much,” he said, “that we will require Mrs. Goddard’s help in the end. Garden should self-correct and let us out long before her arrival.”
Luna swallowed hard, still refusing to look at him. He studied her with a sideways gaze, taking in the stern set of her profile, the hard line of her jaw and brow. Her features were so sweet, it was always such a contrast to see them like this—a glimpse of the iron core at her center. She did not let fear rule her, but channeled it into determination, stubbornness, and a sheer force of will which he could not help but admire.
“I’m thirsty,” she said abruptly.
Nigel nodded. He was too, actually. In fact, he was parched. “I know a place with running water.”
“Is it far?”
“Shouldn’t be.”
“Is it safe to leave the door?”
Nigel shrugged. “It’s not going anywhere.” He motioned with one hand. “Come on. Let’s get you something to drink.”
Ordinarily speaking, it wouldn’t have taken more than five minutes to reach their destination. Garden would simply open paths before their feet, guiding them swiftly through its many winding ways and depositing them safely where they meant to go. But for some reason, the grounds remained fixed today. There was no shifting of the landscape for their convenience, and no unexpected shady arbors to relieve the oppressive heat. Nigel was obliged to dig into memories from long ago, recalling the way. It took nearly twenty minutes of trudging. By the time he at last smelled the bright freshness in the air, Luna was looking quite limp and melty. All the bounce had gone out from her pin curls, and her hair hung in sweaty strands down her neck and shoulders.
At last they came to a little break in the landscape and looked down upon a surprisingly idyllic scene. “Oh!” Luna gasped, her eyes brightening. “Oh, how lovely!”
The river which ran through Garden widened out here into a series of small waterfalls—ten feet tall, maybe twenty at most—each of which poured down into separate dark pools, full of roiling bubbles, before continuing on to the next dropping point. At the base of this series of cascades was a larger pool, almost perfectly round and lined with smooth stones, not even pretending to be naturally-hewn. There were rivulets and side pools branching out from this one, some of which brimmed with water lilies.
“Here,” Nigel said and stepped to a smaller waterfall which trickled off to the side of the main series. This served as a sort of drinking fountain, and the water it channeled was always cool and fresh. He motioned to Luna and waited for her to drink her fill. She cupped her hands under the stream, gulped deeply,water spilling down her chin and neck and splattering on her sweat-stained shirt, which clung to her body and . . .
Nigel looked away. He rubbed a hand down the back of his neck, his cheeks puffing out as he exhaled deeply.
Luna splashed water on her face, then shook out her limp hair and declared, “Oh! That’smuchbetter. Is it just me, or is the air cooler down here as well?”
“It is,” Nigel acknowledged. He moved in to refresh himself, but kept half-an-eye on Luna as he did so. She walked away from the fountain and gazed out on the waterfalls and pools once more, one hand on her hip, the other shading her eyes. Then, suddenly, she bent down, unfastened her shoes, and kicked them off. Next, she hiked up her skirts, and Nigel caught a flash of thigh and garter.
“Miss Talbot!” he gasped, choking on the water he’d just gulped. He backed away from the fountain, coughing, one fist pressed to his chest. “What are you doing?” he managed.
She yanked off first one stocking then the other. “I’m putting my feet in,” she said, casting the words over her shoulder without looking at him. “I need a cool-down, and this looks like it might just do the trick.” So saying, she marched from the water fountain to one of the pools, sat, and swung her feet over the edge. There she perched, kicking gently, before finally turning to look back at him. “Come on,” she said, motioning with her head. “It’s nice.”
Nigel hesitated. But he didn’t want to be rude, did he? And it would certainly seem rude if he refused to join her. Besides, the water did look inviting. Setting his teeth, he knelt and swiftly untied his shoes, removed his socks, then rolled his pantlegs up his calves. He felt ridiculous, like a little boy in cut-offs, but tried not to let his embarrassment show. Taking a seat beside her at the pool’s rocky ledge, he put his feet into the water. It was bitingly cold, and he hissed in surprise.
“Good, right?” Luna said. Her hands were propped on either side of her, her shoulders hunched, her face tilted forward. A little spray from the nearest waterfall dotted her face, washing away the sweat stains. A single strand of damp hair clung to her forehead and curled around her temple, and Nigel resisted the urge to reach out and smooth it back. He looked down at his feet instead, kicking slowly in the dark water. And tried very hard not to let his gaze slide over to Luna’s lovely, bare feet beside his. He still remembered the delicate shape of them, held in his hands. Still remembered the sensation of planting his lips to that arched instep . . .
He cleared his throat and tipped his head back, looking up at the sky. “Erm. It would seem whatever is troubling Garden hasn’t made it this far.”
Luna peered up at him with concern. “What do you thinkistroubling Garden?”
Nigel shrugged. “It could just be one of his off days.”
“Does he have those?”
“Sometimes. Ever since my father’s passing. I think he misses the old man, and his feelings get the better of him now and then.”
Luna nodded. He felt the moment when her gaze left the side of his face and he could suddenly breathe easier again. She looked out at the view before them, the waterfalls, the dark pools, the bubbling fountains, the clusters of water lilies, and the lovely overhanging greenery. It was quite the picture. “This all looks ratherpurposeful,”she said musingly. “Not quite natural.”
Nigel nodded. “My father designed this place. I believe he meant it to be a sort of playground. For his children.”
“Really?”Luna blinked, taking in this information. “That doesn’t sound much like the man you’ve described.”
Nigel snorted softly. “He had random impulses of playfulness.” Surveying the view before him once more, his hearttightened suddenly in his chest. “As I understand it, he built this when Fabian was small and my mother was still alive. They’d hoped to fill up their home with children, you see, only . . .”
He couldn’t finish. He couldn’t articulate the truth:Only I came along and destroyed all their hopes and dreams.Because one didn’t admit such things out loud.
