Page 57 of Just a Little Daring

“Stop dithering and come and see. It’s astonishing,” Louis’ brother called, gesturing to them to move away from the centre of the gondola and look over the side.

Evie took a nervous step closer to the edge, but Louis shot out his hand and grasped her arm.

“Don’t you dare,” he said, tugging her closer.

“We’re up here now,” Evie replied gently, aware he was fretting. “We may as well enjoy it.”

“Enjoy it?” Louis retorted, looking somewhat outraged.

Mr Demarteau turned to study his brother in consternation. “Mon Dieu, Louis. Surely… you cannot tell me you’re afraid of heights?”

His brother found this utterly hysterical and went off into whoops.

Louis muttered something in French that sounded exceedingly rude and most uncomplimentary.

“Well, he has a point,” Evie teased gently. “I mean, you climbed up to the rafters at the Fancy Fair without batting an eyelid, and you hung onto that rope over the side in mid-air too, and that didn’t seem to bother you.”

“Ce n'est pas pareil! That was within my control,” Louis growled unhappily, his accent far more audible than usual. “If I fell, it was my own damn fault. This… this feels like being at the mercy of a gust of wind. I dislike being at anyone’s mercy.” He rubbed the back of his neck irritably and Evie regarded him with concern, realising he really was wretched. Though she knew she ought not, she took his hand, lacing their fingers together, and held on tight. He was her friend, after all, and in need of comforting.

“It’s all right,” she said softly. “Mr Green has done hundreds and hundreds of these flights. He even flew all the way to Germany. Can you imagine it? We will be fine, I promise.”

Louis stared at her, his blue eyes electric.

“You’re not afraid,” he observed with a little huff of laughter. “My, Little Miss Stay at Home is enjoying herself.”

Evie’s lips quirked. “Well, I would not have chosen to come up, certainly not in these circumstances, but now we’re here.” She turned and gazed out around them. “Yes! Yes, I am enjoying myself. Though I wish it were not so dreadfully c-cold.”

She shivered, and Louis frowned. “Come here.”

He pulled her against him, her back to his chest, and wrapped his arms about her waist, resting his head atop hers. It was dreadfully scandalous and quite inappropriate, but August and Vivien only had eyes for each other, Anna was obviously a scandal all by herself, and his brother would be unlikely to say anything. Only Mr Green might tattle, and she suspected customers willing to pay double for a safe landing could be assured of discretion. Besides which, the heat of Louis’ body radiated from him, warming her, and she relaxed into his embrace. Louis sighed, some of the tension leaving him as he held her. It felt good to be enveloped so securely in his arms. Evie stared about them. The beauty of England was simply breath-taking, with its dark forests nestled snug upon velvet pastures and twisting silver blue skeins of rivers unravelled around them, glittering in the sun.

“I shall never forget this,” she whispered, leaning her head upon Louis’ shoulder, filled with a sense of wonder and wellbeing of the like she had never known. “Not so long as I live.”

Louis’ arms tightened about her. “Moi non plus, ma petite. Jamais.”

Evie smiled, pleased he felt the same now, despite his concern. She tilted her head to look at him, finding his blue gaze warm, if not entirely relaxed.

“Assuming we live long enough to remember it always,” he added with a wry smile.

“Such a pessimist,” she chided him.

“Ah well, if I must die, I should like it to be with a beautiful woman held in my arms,” he murmured, his voice low and wicked.

“Louis!” she exclaimed, surprised, and a bit scandalised, even though she knew he was only teasing her, the wretch. “Hush. If Mr Green hears, he will get entirely the wrong impression.”

“Will he?” he asked with a sigh. “Forgive me. It must be these dizzying heights making me misbehave.”

Mr Demarteau turned and regarded them. Something in the way he looked at her, held in his brother’s arms, made her blush and realise the dreadful impropriety of the situation. Louis was her friend, though, and she was no fool. She knew the embrace meant nothing to him. It was not as if he would ever glance twice at her in that light when he had women who truly were beautiful throwing themselves at him from all sides, but others would not understand their friendship. Surely he had explained it to his brother, though, so why did he look at her in that odd way? Suddenly embarrassed, Evie straightened and went to move away, despite the cold, but Louis held tight, refusing to relinquish his hold on her.

“Non, stay. Nic won’t tattle, and you’re cold. I’ll be good, I promise.”

She heard the sincerity in his voice and subsided. He was deliciously warm, after all, and it was freezing.

They floated in silence for some time, and little by little Evie found herself once more relaxed in his arms, and far more at home there than she ought to be. She knew she must not get used to such things.

“I don’t want to return to earth.”

Evie bit her lip, wondering where that observation had come from, but her worries about the future seemed far away up here, the decisions she must make of less moment, when set against the surrounding vastness.