Fredrick approached Emilia and offered his arm. “May I escort you to the coach?”
With a gracious smile, Emilia replied, “Yes, I would enjoy that greatly.” She hoped her eagerness to be close to him didn’t appear too obvious.
They left the drawing room and made their way to the waiting coach outside. Once they were all situated, with Fredrick by her side, the coach merged into traffic.
Emilia couldn’t help but inquire, “How is Caleb faring?”
Both Lord and Lady Roswell grew solemn at her question. “He is in pain, but he will recover,” Lord Roswell explained. “He took quite the beating.”
“I am sorry to hear that,” Emilia said.
“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to leave his side, but Fredrick was quite insistent that we join you at the menagerie,” Anette shared.
Fredrick spoke up. “That is only because Caleb didn’t need you to fuss over him. He has a mother that can do that.”
Lord Roswell reached for his wife’s hand. “Fredrick is right. It is a good thing that we are away, even if it is just for a few hours.”
“I just worry about Caleb,” Anette sighed.
“I know, my love, and that is why I love you so much,” Lord Roswell remarked.
Emilia didn’t quite know how she felt that Anette had shared that Fredrick had been insistent that they join them. Did Fredrick not want to spend time alone with her? Or was he just simply trying to help his brother and sister-in-law? Regardless of the reason, it seemed to be further proof that Fredrick harbored no romantic feelings for her.
A brief silence descended over their conversation before Anette shifted her gaze towards Emilia. “Do you want to hear something utterly terrifying?”
Her curiosity was piqued. “I do.”
Anette gestured animatedly with her hands as she shared, “When I was younger, the menagerie had a monkey room, where the creatures roamed freely. On one occasion, the monkeys conspired against me and all threw their excrement at me. It was terrifying, and all Caleb did was laugh. It was awful.”
In an amused voice, Lord Roswell interjected, “That does sound like Caleb.”
Anette continued. “It took many baths before I felt clean again. Fortunately, the monkey room has since been shut down and good riddance.”
“That is because the monkeys hurt someone. Not because they threw excrement at you,” Lord Roswell clarified.
Turning towards her husband, Anette asked, “You would have protected me from the monkeys, wouldn’t you have?”
Lord Roswell puffed out his chest. “The monkeys wouldn’t have stood a chance against me.”
“My hero,” Anette gushed affectionately as she leaned into her husband.
Emilia thought it was sweet how much Lord and Lady Roswell appeared to be deeply in love. Their affection was evident, and they seemed to only have eyes for each other. It made her hope that one day she might find a love like that. If she did, she doubted that she would be as opposed to marriage as she was now.
She snuck a glance at Fredrick and noticed his stoic expression. She had seen him smile and even laugh before, but there was a sadness to him that she saw lurking within. How she wanted to help him, but it wasn’t her place to do so. She may be his friend, but he still kept a part of himself hidden from her.
How could she get him to trust her, and perhaps, confide in her? Was that even possible? She truly hoped so because she cared for him far too much to let him continue sufferingin silence. She would find a way to help him, even if it meant chipping away at the walls he had erected around his heart.
Fredrick led Emilia down the row of cages in the menagerie. Her eyes would widen with amazement each time she spotted a new beast, and she gestured excitedly, her face lighting up with a bright smile. He found her genuine enthusiasm enchanting. Who would have guessed that Emilia had such a fondness for these exotic animals?
He glanced ahead and saw Anette and Roswell engaged in conversation with the guide, patiently waiting for them as they leisurely strolled past each cage. He had no intention of hurrying Emilia along; he was quite content to linger as long as she desired.
Emilia came to a stop in front of one of the cages, her eyes searching for the animal inside. When she spotted it, she gasped in delight. “It is a tiger!” she exclaimed. “I have only seen sketches of them before. I never thought I would see a real one up close.”
She took a step closer to the cage, but Fredrick extended his hand to gently stop her. “I wouldn’t go any closer,” he cautioned.
“You are right, of course,” Emilia said, her gaze remaining fixated on the magnificent creature. “I wish I had my sketchbook.”
“Can you draw?”
