“My mother,” she said shortly.
“I wish my mother had taught me how to cook,” he said.“She passed when I was a baby, so I never got to learn.My uncles never had the foresight to learn how to cook well from their mother before she passed, either.Apparently, they depended on my mother or just ate bad food.”
“And with all their resources, they couldn’t find someone to teach you how to cook?”she asked.That seemed rather far-fetched.
“They said that their cooking was enough to keep me alive, and that my time was better spent learning more important things,” Darian said.“Though, frankly, I don’t understand why they had me learn all the things they did.I suppose I know more than most grocery store owners ever will.”
“Oh?”she asked.
“They had Conrad, the new schoolteacher, teach me more advanced subjects since he’s been here.I just graduated from what he said he can teach me.I don’t know why they think I need to know more than basic math.What use does a general store owner have for public speaking?”He shook his head.“I think they’re ridiculous.”
“Or they’re not telling us the truth,” Celia pointed out, “Because you’re right.That does seem like they were preparing you for more than being a general store owner, and it’s odd that they say the only thing they know about you is your last name.”
“Did you see the way they were looking at each other?”Darian asked.“I know they know more, but I didn’t want to press them on it.Perhaps they don’t want you to know.”
“I’m the reason you even know to ask questions,” Celia protested.“That seems unfair.”
He shrugged.“If it’s so secret that they don’t even want to tell me, I can see why they don’t want to tell someone who’s a stranger to them.”
The words stung for some reason.She swallowed hard.“I’m not really a stranger, am I?”
“Not to me,” Darian agreed.“You’re more than a stranger.”The words felt heavier than the tone he’d said them in.
What did he mean by that?
But before she could ask, a deer came crashing through the trees as if running from something.Something big.Celia looked around, all her defenses on alert.Deer didn’t run like that for no reason.Something had spooked it.
They were at the edge of the forest, so maybe whatever it was, was in the meadow.
She paused at the edge of the woods to look out, hoping to see whatever had spooked the deer, but all she saw was a couple standing in the meadow.
That was odd.
The man held a basket while the woman had shears and was clipping plants, placing them into the basket.That seemed less odd, but the deer had seemed spooked by more than humans—almost as if it had seen a bear or some other predator.
As much as she didn’t want to be seen by other people, she didn’t want to sit and wait or walk all the way around them.The meadow stretched on as far as one could see.There was no way to avoid being seen.
Celia sighed.It wasn’t often that there were people in her meadow…but it was always inconvenient.
Before they should have been able to hear them, the man turned, his brown eyes piercing through her as if he were investigating a threat.
How had he noticed them already?
Before she could caution him to stop, Darian stepped out, a grin on his face.“Hello,” he called, sounding genuinely thrilled to come across humans in her meadow.
She almost shook her head at him as she followed him out into the meadow.He was far too innocent.
“What are y’all doing out here?”Darian asked as the strangers turned to them.
The man didn’t respond, but the woman with him turned with a smile.“Hello,” she said.“I’m just out gathering some plants.It’s not often that we see anyone out here.Out for a romantic stroll?”she asked.
“Oh no,” Celia said quickly, even as Darian nodded.She whipped her head around and glared at him, and he stopped nodding.
“I wanted to come see the Gloaming Mountains,” he said, glancing between Celia and the woman.“They’re beautiful.”
The woman smiled.“I’m Guinevere.It’s nice to meet you.”
“I’m Darian,” he said, stepping forward and offering his hand to shake.“I’ve seen you in the store before.”
