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Despite her frown, a hint of a smile shone through her eyes. That is, until the kissing grew louder. She gave a disgusted moan under her breath again, lifting her hands to her ears next. “They sound like two dogs lappin’ up water.”
The accuracy of her description was his undoing. He stifled a laugh, but only just, a puff of air slipping through his nose.
“Two dogs enjoyin’ lappin’ up water, ye mean,” he corrected.
She moved her hands to her mouth in what August thought was an effort to stop herself from groaning with disgust. But when her shoulders started shaking up and down, he knew she was laughing.
“What ye be doin’ laughin’ now?” he asked, leaning closer until their shoulders touched again. “’Tisn’t humorous. ’Tis romantic.”
Her shoulders shook even harder.
How he loved making her laugh.
“I can’t bear much more o’ this,” she managed to say after another moment passed by. “We need to get out of ’ere ’fore I be sick.”
August nodded. He had no idea how long his friends would remain there in each other’s arms. But now was as good a time as any to make an escape.
He scoured the grounds around them, settling on the best route before relaying it to Livvy. “If we keep to the wall and slide behind the other bushes, we can leave without ’em seein’ us. We’ll ’ave to move slowly, though. And be careful to avoid the plants.”
Livvy nodded her understanding. “I’ll sprout wings and fly if it means I don’t ’ave to listen to ’em any longer.”
He grinned. “Now that’d be a spectacle I’d like to see.”
“Get me out o’ these gardens, and ye will.”
They shared a smile, a moment passing between them in the darkness before Livvy looked away. “Lead the way, sir.”
He did as he was told, and the two of them crouched low to blend in with shrubs, bushes, and flowers, as they moved forward, pausing every few steps to ensure they could—regretfully—still hear the kisses going on between his friends.
With their boots caked in mud, they finally and mercifully, reached the gate. Sidling through the doorway, they continued on in silence until they were off castle grounds. Only then did they pause to catch their breath.
“Thank ’eavens,” Livvy breathed as she wiped her boots on the grass.
August straightened his back that had been cricked as they tiptoed through the gardens. “Be ye more relieved to not be discovered or to not ’ave to ’ear ’em any longer.”
“Ye know, it be difficult to say.”
He smiled, taking a turn to wipe his boots free of mud, too. “Well, let’s see it, then.”
She turned to look at him. “See what?”
“Ye promised me sprouted wings and flyin’?”
Her eyes twinkled. “Sorry to disappoint, but I can do no such thing.”
He raised an appalled hand to his chest and dropped his mouth open. She responded with another delightful smile.
After their boots were cleaned off and their backs no longer ached, they began their descent of the Mount, walking mostly in silence, though a few conversations centered around The Mysteries of Udolpho, which, to his delight, had caused Livvy to cling to his arm again with each tree’s shadow or whisper of wind that crossed their paths.
By the time they reached the houses, they were both yawning from the lateness and exhaustion of the night.
Instead of taking her directly to her home, August paused to the west of the houses, near the outside of the large sail repair loft that cast great, dark shadows around them.
“I be sorry for keepin’ ye out so late,” he whispered.
But Livvy shook her head. “I ’ad a wonderful time. That spot might e’en move into me top favorites.”
“But not the top,” he teased.
