And then they stopped. In truth, he had not written to her as often as he should have, but the demands on pupils at Eton were extreme. Worse would have been the ridicule if he’d been caught writing to her or trying to post such a letter as the ones he’d longed to send to Lydia.
“Oh my word, do you remember the hare’s nest we had found?” Lydia asked, jarring Matthew from his bitter thoughts with her infectious excitement. “You spoke of it the day you left, telling me to watch over them and let you know how they were getting along. Well that nest has been in use all this time, and Elsie walked right up to it and three of the younglings hopped right into her hands!”
“Impossible!” Matthew answered with forced smile. “We had to always keep our distance lest the mother run at us and the babies hide for hours.”
“I know! That is what was so astounding about it. I must say, that girl has some very odd ways about her,” Lydia said, her expression clouding over for a moment, obviously bothered by some thought about Elsie. She brushed it off and continued to tell of the girl holding the tiny rabbits and showing them to Lydia.
“I must say,” Lydia pointed out, her tone changing to one of almost comical reprimand, “you were always the instigator, and I was the pathetic follower. I was always so eager to prove that having a young girl as your only play friend would not be to your detriment.”
“How so?” Matthew asked.
“You were always daring me to climb the tree, or then to reach the next branch, or to leap across the brook without getting my shoes soiled. And every time, I did it… no matter the consequences!” Rather than look angered, Lydia laughed, as though all of that was behind them now.
“I was only attempting to treat you as an equal, you know,” Matthew said, defending himself against her playful accusations. “I never once told you that you could not—or worse, should not—do something simply because you were a girl.”
“It would have been kind of you to remember that only one of us was wearing trousers,” Lydia answered before clapping a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, I suppose it’s not seemly to speak of our attire and what I did not wear. But somehow, I will always be that young girl when I speak to you. I cannot explain it.”
“I think much the same,” Matthew answered, only now beginning to spurn some of his earlier anger. “You will forever be two-and-ten years old in my mind, climbing the tree to see if the eggs had hatched in the nest.”
“Well, I should hope I am not still that awkward, gangly girl,” Lydia answered, ducking her head shyly. “I could retain much of my spirit and still be permitted to grow into at least a pleasant-looking young lady, you know.”
“Oh, I did not mean that as it sounded,” Matthew corrected, covering his misstep with a laugh. “Of course you are much changed. You are a true lady now, a beautiful one at that.”
Lydia looked at Matthew in surprise, as if unsure of how to receive such a compliment. “There is certainly no need to exaggerate, My Lord,” she said, laughing derisively.
“I am not exaggerating, not at all,” Matthew said, his voice more serious. “I stared at you so coldly in the cemetery today because I could not imagine it was you. How was it possible that the child I left behind had turned into such an amazing creature as this? I speak of my time away as though it were an eternity, only because grief made it seem so. In truth, it was only eight years… and yet, you are a whole other person now, a woman of both intellect and loveliness.”
They were silent while both of them absorbed Matthew’s declaration. Lydia felt her heartbeat begin to slow, as though the weight of his compliment were pressing her down, stealing the air from her lungs.
“I’m sorry, I don’t… I don’t know why I said all of that.” Matthew looked around as though only now remembering where they were. “I have a dare for you,” he announced brightly, changing the subject in order to tear down the wall that had suddenly been built up between them.
“Do tell!” Lydia said excitedly, eager to put that heavy moment aside.
“You used to pretend to be a tightrope walker, like the one from the troupe who performed at the fair each summer. I propose that you cannot still walk atop this wall as you did when we children,” Matthew said, slapping the wall where they sat with the flat of his hand.
Lydia smiled though her expression was one of scandalous disbelief. “You are certainly a devilish thing. You cannot expect me to climb up on Lord Verdurn’s garden wall, and certainly not dressed as I am now.”
“So you’re admitting you cannot do it then,” Matthew said, raising an eyebrow and challenging her with a look.
“I am admitting to nothing,” Lydia replied, “only stating that it would be completely inappropriate behavior.”
“How odd. You’ve turned into a chicken while I was away.” Matthew looked at her, goading her again. “I had only meant to make you laugh after my rather inappropriate declaration just now, but unfortunately, you have broken our code. You have refused a dare, and you cannot do that without taking on the title of perpetual chicken.”
“I am no chicken,” Lydia said darkly, a glower of anger on her face. Matthew thought perhaps he had gone too far once again, but then was surprised when Lydia stood up suddenly, laughed like her former self, and began to climb up on the wall.
“Oh heavens, you’re actually going to do it,” Matthew said in surprise. He looked around to see if anyone was near enough to notice, but all of the other guests were at the farther end of the courtyard.
“Of course I am, you dared me. I must do it or risk my reputation,” Lydia announced severely. “Now do not let me fall, as the wall you have unfortunately selected is not flat.”
Matthew chanced to look down at Lydia’s explanation and saw that it was indeed angled with a roof-like pitch carved into the smooth stone. He began to regret his dare almost at once.
“Do be careful,” he urged Lydia as she held her arms out from her sides for balance.
“Funny that you never once told me to be careful whilst we were children and in very real mortal danger while playing,” she teased. Keeping her eyes straight ahead of her and her head held high, Lydia began to feel her way along the wall towards Matthew with her toes.
“Lydia, please. I regret this dare and I release you from it. I shall be the chicken, only please come down,” Matthew pleaded, still sitting in front of her.
“I am very sorry, but a dare cannot so easily be undone. It must be completed or forfeited, those were our rules and they are forever binding,” she explained patiently as she continued to walk.
