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Josephine stared into the flames, obviously thinking through my proposal. “Your father could make her an outfit that would disguise her figure.”
Now that she mentioned it, who better than my father to help us? “He would keep our secret.”
“Could he pad the pants and coat to make her look bigger?” Josephine asked.
“No,” Fiona said firmly. “Weight would slow her down. She needs an outfit made of the smoothest materials.”
“Yes, that makes sense,” I said.
“But what happens if she’s discovered?” Fiona asked.
“What if she was discovered?” I asked. “Would it be so bad?”
“She might be publicly humiliated,” Fiona said. “Which would be embarrassing to her and Papa. To our whole family, perhaps.”
“What if we don’t care?” Josephine said. “Maybe we care more about proving that anyone who can compete shouldn’t be cast aside.”
Fiona clasped her hands together. Brow furrowed, she nodded her head slowly as if growing accustomed to the idea. “It could work. As long as she wasn’t discovered until after she’d won. If not, they won’t let her compete.”
“We have to keep it a secret until after it’s all over.” I smiled, imagining the moment when it’s revealed that a woman has beaten them all.
“It’s scary,” Fiona said. “I’m frightened for her. The repercussions might push her right back to where she was before. Given Flynn’s attitude tonight, he’s surely not the only one who wishes to keep women away from sports.”
Josephine turned toward her sister. “Yes, but think of all the other women in her position who would benefit from her bravery.”
“It will be her decision,” I said. “But if she wants to try, we’ll all be there to help her along the way.”
“You two better be right that she can beat the men’s scores,” Josephine said.
“I’m right,” Fiona said. “I’ve seen her with my own eyes.”
“Who wants to ask Cym?” Josephine asked.
“Ask me what?” Cymbeline said from behind us.
I jumped at the sound of her voice, but Fiona jumped up to give her sister a hug. “Nothing of consequence, dearest. Just that he’d like to take you for a walk under the lovely moon.”
Josephine stood as well and took Fiona’s hand. “Therefore, we will leave the two of you to it.”
Fiona and Josephine exchanged a conspiratorial look before heading toward the porch, leaving me alone with the object of my affection and my big idea.
“Would you mind if we walked?”Cym asked. “The moon’s come up, and I’m feeling too antsy to sit.”
“Whatever you want,” I said.
She nodded toward the barn. “Let’s walk out to the pasture. I love the way the moon hangs over the meadow this time of year.”
“Lead the way.”
“Let’s go together,” Cym said. “You may take my hand.”
I grinned at her in the light cast from the fire. “That would be my pleasure.”’
We walked in silence for a moment. She’d taken off her gloves, and her hand was small and warm in mine. From somewhere far away in the woods, the hoot of an owl whispered into the night.
As we roundedthe house and out to the driveway, I gasped at the beauty of the autumn moon that hung low and large in a purple sky. “I see what you mean about the moon.”
“On nights like this, I think I shall never want to leave here,” Cym said. “But I wonder if I should?” We came to the fence that encircled the horse pasture. She loosened her hand from mine and leaned against the top rung. I stayed close to her, marveling in the warmth of her body next to mine, as I rested my elbows on the rough railing.
“Why do you say such a thing?” I asked. “Where would you go if you left here?” The very thought made my blood feel as if it cooled in my veins.
“I’ve no place to go, and I don’t want to anyway.” She lifted her face toward the moon. Her skin, white and radiant in the moonlight, reminded me of a bowl of cream.
Without realizing what I was doing, I brushed my knuckles against her cheek. She turned to look back at me.
“I can see the moon in your eyes,” she said.
“I can the stars in yours.”
“My mother and father want me to go to college.”
“Oh, I see. Why?” My blood further cooled until I was nothing but ice.
“They think it’ll tame me if I’m at a women’s college learning, using my mind, instead of fretting over things like races.”
“Do you want to go?”
“No, I don’t. I can learn anything I want in the library of our home. I don’t need to go to college where I’ll study books I’ve already read. But they’re at a loss as to what to do with me. I cause so much trouble. The problem child.”
“What did you tell them?”
“I told them no.”
“And?” I asked. There was more. I could tell by the way she hesitated.
“And they said that it was either I settle down with a man or I go to school. There was nothing else.”
I swallowed back the panic that rose from my belly. “A man?”
“You, in fact.”
