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His lips set in a grim line and held her gaze for a moment before saying, “I suppose she is.”
What Evelina wouldn’t give to have someone love her with such fierceness. Who was she kidding? What she wouldn’t give to have Ryan love her in that manner. However, he readily admitted he had never felt that way or ever would. The only thing Ryan loved was the sea. And as it stood, Evelina held on to the one thing that could truly bring him happiness. The Lady Evelina. If she never wanted to lose him, she best remember that.
A chill swept over her body. She would have thought it was from her sudden dark thoughts as it had been such a beautiful summer afternoon weather wise. But the blowing of her dress sleeves accompanied by a sudden cold front had her taking note and drawing her attention away from Ryan. It had been horribly hot and the cool breeze was a welcome relief. Just as she glanced down at her sleeve flopping in the breeze, the sun slipped behind a cloud and gave her momentary relief from its sweltering rays. Instinctively she glanced up and froze. There on the western horizon, a darkness was sliding toward the park rather fast and headed straight to where they sat.
“I think we should leave.”
He sighed. “If you wish.”
She thought she detected a trace of melancholy in his voice and knew he mistook her desire to leave on account of their conversation. In no uncertain terms, he made it clear he could never love Evelina.
“There’s a storm approaching.” She gestured toward the sky and he followed her gaze and saw the looming dark clouds making their way remarkably fast toward them.
“I’m afraid there is.” But he almost whispered it to himself and Evelina wondered if there was a double meaning there but before she could ask him to elaborate, a piercing crack filled the sky. She flinched and immediately shot
her attention back to the sky, alarmed at how fast the storm was approaching. It was nearly upon them.
Ryan leaped to his feet and immediately started packing up the chess game and collecting their lunch items before placing them all back inside the picnic basket. Evelina struggled to her feet, feeling a sense of unease beginning to build. He must have noticed her struggles for he stopped doing what he was doing and reached out to pull her upright.
“Here let me help you.”
She muttered a thank you just as she caught a flash of lightning in her peripheral vision. “Did you see that?”
“No, I missed it but we best hurry. We are sitting ducks out here in the open.”
Most of the folks who were also picnicking in the glade had already cut their afternoon short and hurried out of the park.
“There’s a pavilion down by the lagoon we can take shelter under until the storm passes.”
“I’d rather just want to go home.”
He glanced at her briefly but she caught the sombre look on his face before securing the latch on the basket and turning to lead her out of the park. “If you wish.”
She hated that she upset him but she really couldn’t be anywhere outside if it stormed.
She had just merely thought the words when she felt the first drop of rain hit the back of her exposed neck. She glanced up, craning her neck all the way back only to realize the black sky was hovering just overhead. A raindrop hit her directly on the tip of her forehead.
“Please Ryan, we must hurry.”
He glanced heavenward just as the rain began falling. With a swift look around his surroundings, he gestured to a stone bridge in the pathway not far from where they stood. “There, we can take shelter under that bridge.”
It was a small bridge, not more than ten feet off the ground with a narrow culvert underneath. It was clear Ryan intended to use it as shelter from the rain. The apprehension that had been slowly building inside accelerated quickly. “No, no. We must get home.”
“We won’t make it.” He said before the rain splattered them heavily, confirming his words.
“Yes, we will if we hurry.”
“’Fraid not.” He pointed toward the western sky in the direction the dark cloud had originally rolled in from. A band of heavy rainfall followed in its wake. But what was more menacing was that it was advancing rather quickly.
Oh good Lord.
“Ryan, I insist we leave now.”
“Sweetheart, we’re moving as fast as we can. I can’t slow the storm’s approach.”
She wasn’t sure if he was patronizing her because no matter how much she insisted they hurry, she hadn’t actually moved a muscle. Fear had suddenly made her immobile.
A funny squeak escaped her throat and when he glanced back at her, she had no idea that her complexion had gone ghastly white or that she gazed up at him in desperation.
