He nudged her with his elbow, sending her sideways, yet atthe same time, he anchored her grip on his arm so she wouldn’t go sprawling. His tobacco smell wasn’t as strong as when he’d first arrived. And yet there was that earthy scent, like a forest floor after an October rain. She breathed it in as they drew close to the fairgrounds before the aromas of all manner of foods and treats obliterated it.
Off to the far side of the grounds, a yellow-and-orange-striped hot air balloon slowly rose into the grey sky. Several riders hung over the edge of the basket, waving at friends below, a thick rope tethering them to the earth. Eva’s step hitched.
Bram forced her face away from the horrid sight. “Still queasy about heights, are you?”
She sucked in a small gasp. “You remembered?”
A frown creased his brow. “What I remember is a very frightened little girl who was the butt of a vicious prank by Richard Trestwell. I daresay you would still be whimpering up in that apple tree had I not reset the ladder for you.”
Her lips parted. That was right. The terror of the creaking branches and hard earth taunting her to fall and break her neck were still so vivid, she’d forgotten Bram had been the one to see her safely down. Had she inadvertently blocked other kindnesses by him—other soft feelings toward him—from her memory?
The question hit her sideways. She’d known the death of her mother and her sister’s blindness, just six months after Bram’s disappearance, had marked her deeply, but so deep that she’d wiped out all memories from that period? Maybe—just maybe—in an effort to never relive such a heartrending experience, she’d built walls around her heart, shutting out anything that was good ... real or remembered.
Her throat tightened, so stunning was the revelation, and for a long while she said nothing.
Bram didn’t seem to notice as he led her through the stalls lining the wide thoroughfares, selling everything from tin trinkets to elaborately feathered hats. The rich scent of roasted chestnutsmingled with the sticky-sweet aroma of apples dipped into hot toffee. Men, women, children, and sellers of all sorts of goods with trays strapped to their chests filled the walkway. Some pushed small carts. Even a goose and a few stray dogs snuffled about. The commotion was enough to pull Eva from her introspection. She truly had missed being amongst the jolly people of Royston.
“Here! I’ll take one.” Bram purchased a cone of sugared almonds, then handed them to her.
Spicy cinnamon wafted up to her nose, the fragrance raining water at the back of her mouth, but even so, she held them out to Bram. “Thank you, but I do not expect you to buy things for me.”
“They are not for you. They are forus.” He pinched a few, arced them in the air, and caught them on his tongue. “Besides, I always like to have something to crunch on when I watch fire eaters.” He pointed.
Her gaze followed the length of his arm. With a flourish, two lithe men tossed flaming torches between them so quickly the fire blurred into an orange line. Simultaneously, they raised the blazing torches to the heavens. Tilting their heads back in unison, they plunged the burning length of their wands into their mouths, extinguishing the flames with a theatrical bow.
The crowd oohed, save for one white-haired woman who shrieked. All applauded.
“How do they manage to do that without blistering their mouths to cinders?” Eva wondered aloud.
“Easy enough.” Bram grabbed a few more almonds, then guided her back into motion. “Before their performance, those men likely coated their mouths with a mixture of water and some sort of powdered chemical such as potassium or sodium salts.”
“How do you know that? Do not tell me you eat fire in your spare time.”
He shrugged. “You just never know when shoving a torch in your mouth could come in handy.”
Bah. She didn’t believe that for one second. “What is the real reason?”
“Dog with a bone, eh?” He chuckled. “All right. The sordid truth is, I am great friends with the chair of Trinity’s science department. The man is full of all sorts of trivial information. Give him a pint too many, and there’s no telling what sort of knowledge he will impart.”
“There. Was that so hard?”
“What?”
“Being honest.”
“Iamhonest. I merely do not always give all the details.”
She snorted. “That is the truth. Remember that time we found those old bottles in the abandoned greenhouse? You told me not to go near them.”
“It was for your own safety. I didn’t know if they were poisonous liquids, and I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“You could have simply said that instead of spinning some tale about magic potions and how I’d be turned into a toad if I went near them.”
He grinned. “Where is the fun in that?”
“Fun, eh? Is that what you are after?” She upped her pace, holding the cone of nuts just out of his reach.
“Hey! Not fair.” He made a swipe for them.
