For several moments, neither of them spoke.
The park was quiet at this hour, the paths nearly deserted, the air cool beneath the trees. It should have been peaceful. Instead, Beatrice could think only of what she’d done to his face. The way she had struck out. The way she had driven her knee into him. The way she had fought him as though he were?—
No.
She drew in a careful breath to make the apology she ought to have made the night before.
“I am so sorry. I didn’t know,” she said at last. “I didn’t know it was you.”
His arm stilled beneath her hand, but he did not stop walking.
“I would never have—” She broke off, frustrated by the uselessness of mere words. “You startled me. That is all. I was turned around, and I heard someone behind me, and I thought—” Her throat tightened. “I did not know it was you.”
“I know that, Bea.”
“It was… quite uncalled for.”
At that, he finally stopped.
Beatrice was forced to stop with him.
And when Gideon turned to face her, his expression was… grave. “I know you would not have lashed out if you knew it was me.”
She studied his face, but that only made her aware of the cuts again, the bruise, the scrape near his temple. Evidence.
Of her terror, her lack of control.
“I am so very sorry,” she whispered.
“Do not apologize to me for defending yourself.” Before she could argue, he held up one hand. “I mean it.” His voice remained calm, but also low and fierce. “You were right to protect yourself. Never apologize for that.”
For a moment, she could not seem to breathe properly.
“I frightened you,” he said.
“But–”
“I frightened you,” he repeated. “And I will do my best never to do so again.”
The words settled quietly.
Beatrice looked up at him. This time she didn’t see the bruises, just the steadiness of his eyes.
“You could not have known,” she said.
“No. But I know now.” His gaze held hers. “I never want you to be afraid of me.”
Her heart gave a strange, painful twist.
They stood there, just off the path, beneath the shelter of trees whose leaves shifted softly overhead.
Then Gideon asked, “Have I frightened you before?”
She frowned. “Oh, Gideon. No.”
“I wasn’t sure. Yesterday…”
Beatrice thought back to the day before.
