twenty
Samuel was both happy and worried to see Vivienne.
She was alone, dishevelled, cheeks red, and limping, but she was smiling as she told him about her adventure to sneak out of her house against her mother’s will and come to him.
Her enthusiasm was commendable, but she was going to be in trouble.
“…I fell and hurt my ankle, but I managed to escape from the footman.” She chuckled. “And I felt so free!”
He scratched his chin. Seeing her so delighted was wonderful, but the idea of her sneaking out of her house, getting almost caught, and hurting herself left him conflicted.
She brushed a lock of hair from her flushed face. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”
“I am, but you shouldn’t have escaped like that. It was dangerous. You could have hurt yourself more seriously. Your mother will be furious. I’ve climbed that tree. It’s not simple.”
She pressed her lips in a flat line. “I thought you would understand why I did it. I want to be free and do what I want. You, more than everyone else, should appreciate that. I’m tired of following Mother’s orders. Everyone in my house believesher hysterics are to be tolerated. I think not. If we keep doing whatever she says when she’s in one of her crises, she’ll never get better. I don’t want to live like a prisoner, only because she constantly fears I might get sick.”
“Yes, but…you won’t achieve anything by defying your mother. She’ll grow more worried. And you hurt yourself.”
She frowned. “Fine. I’ll go back home.”
He exhaled. “Don’t be so dramatic. I appreciate your presence. I’m worried.”
“Everyone is worried, apparently.” She shuffled her injured foot.
“Your mother won’t understand why you left.” He took her hand. “Don’t be angry with me.”
“How could I? I’d better go home anyway.”
“I’ll escort you.”
The cold air chilled his lungs with each breath he took as they walked towards the high road to catch a cab to Mayfair. Patches of dirty snow made the pavement slippery, and frost covered the windows, street lamps, and benches.
He nudged her with his elbow. “Don’t be angry.”
“I’m not. You’re right. Escaping like that was foolish.” She winced every time she put weight on her right ankle.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
“I think it’s sprained. At first, it wasn’t that bad, but now it really hurts.”
“Let me help you.” He put an arm around her waist and helped her walk.
She leant against him, and warmth crawled up his neck. With her next to him, his fears were reduced to slight worries.
In the distance, the treetops in The Regent’s Park were covered with snow, and the sunlight glinted off the white caps.
“I heard the lake in the park is frozen. People ice skate on it.” She sighed. “I would love to. If my ankle heals quickly, we should go.”
As they walked close to the entrance to the park, a sudden knot tightened in his stomach. His heart was pounding hard enough to drown out the noises from the street.
Cade, dressed in a dark coat, stood under a tree, watching the street with his keen eyes.
Samuel gripped Vivienne more tightly. Fear surged back to its full strength.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Over there,” he signed slowly as if whispering. “The man with the top hat under that tree.”
