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“Mother, please—”
“You are barred from leaving your room today. Whatever plans you have made for yourself, they are to be cancelled.” It was then that her mother took her leave like a storm exiting town.
Matilda wanted to scream. She wanted to hit and or kick something in her room but refrained. Instead, she plopped herself down on her bed, stuffed her face in her pillows and let out the loudest yell that she could.
All the excitement, all the hope that she had for the day withered like the women in her mother’s poorly relatable story. Aaron’s face flashed before her mind like a repetitive bolt of lightning.
She wanted to see him more than anything else. No. She needed to see him more than anything else.
And so Matilda sat up on the bed and refused to let pity get the best of her. What had happened with her mother was just a circumstance, an obstacle that could be in one of her books. Obstacles could be dealt with.
It took all day to figure out what to do. Would she climb out her window? No, that would bring all the attention her way. Would she try to send a message to Aaron? Too risky. The only one that could help would be the one who had been somewhat helping her by not sharing her secrets. And that was Ann.
Ann had come in right after supper to clean the room. There wasn’t much to clean that day as the only thing that Matilda had usually made a mess with was her collection of books. With those gone, her room remained tidy.
“I am so full from dinner. It is amazing.” Matilda began, trying to make the conversation as normal as possible.
Ann looked over from dusting one of her family paintings. “What are you going to request from me today? Would you have me watch Aaron steal an elephant for you? Perhaps you will have him steal from the treasury in front of me next?”
Matilda pursed her lips while sitting with her legs folded on her bed. “How do you know that I need something?”
“Because, whenever you are up to trouble, you begin your discussions off in the most unordinary ways. You never speak about dinner.”
“Perhaps we spend too much time around one another. It’s rather frightening that you know me better than I know myself.”
“Get on with your request.”
“Can you help me sneak out of the house to see Aaron?”
Ann gave her a measured look and let out a sigh.
***
Underneath the moonlit sky, among a chilled breeze and talkative trees, Matilda remained close to the walls of Hardon House while walking to ensure that the little light that did exist did not reveal her position.
The anticipation for seeing Aaron was coupled with a reserved fear. Getting caught would bring her punishment to no end. It would probably increase it, if anything. But seeing Aaron, feeling that surge of excitement—it was worth the risk.
Down by the stables, in what had to be a half-mile away, stood Aaron. The way he tossed ropes and moved whatever he had been moving was an indication that he was finishing up for the day. And realizing that, Matilda moved her feet faster, and her breath became quicker. The sound of crinkling dirt beneath her feet grew louder with each step.
And then, she found herself but a few feet away. The mound of hay that Aaron lifted over the fence made his back appear like it belonged to a medieval warrior. He must have heard Matilda’s steps because he quickly turned around and then wore a face of surprise. That face quickly shifted into one that had remembered something, probably that they had a ride scheduled and it had been missed by Matilda.
“Aaron, I have snuck out to see you,” Matilda said, hoping that the one-sentence would sum up the entire day.
He went right back to moving the horse’s hay. “We were supposed to go on a ride today, were we not?”
It pained her to hear him ask it. “My sincerest apologies. I was restricted to my room. My mother has grown agitated, angry, and restless by the day. It would mean a lot to me if we could take that ride now.”
Aaron gave her a measured look. His hesitation was apparent. “It is rather late and dark.”
“I don’t care about time or light. They have no effect on me.”
Aaron’s reluctant stare continued, but not for long. “Fine, we shall ride. But I am not liable if you get caught.” He dropped his hay and made his way to the phaeton. Matilda instinctively followed.
After securing the horse and getting comfortable, they were off. Matilda could not help but consider the scene romantic. The starry night, the little sounds from crickets, the company of Aaron, everything about the ride epitomized her fantasies. If she were to write her own book, her own story, she would not have been able to recreate it better.
Matilda watched Aaron’s mannerisms. She watched the muscles in his arms dance a masculine dance as he controlled the horse up ahead. All she wanted was his lips. The tease from the last time was enough to make her lose control of her thoughts. The sensation of his stubble brushing up against her as their lips embraced was one that she knew she could not live the rest of her life without.
“Thank you for agreeing to this,” Matilda said.
