But could you really love someone and keep that kind of information a secret? Did he really love her?
Her heart ached, and she didn’t know what to think as she put Valley and Meadow back in their stall with Ivy and the babies.
She returned to the courtyard to watch Caspian. He was scaling the side of the barn, climbing up the lower outer buildings that Mollie must have climbed up.
How the baby goat had managed to do it, Sophia wasn’t sure. But then again, baby goats often defied the laws of nature in the ways they managed to get into things.
Her heart was in her throat as Caspian reached the roof of the barn and began crawling across it slowly. If he spooked Mollie and she fell…or if Caspian fell…Sophia didn’t want to think about it.
They should have sent one of the other guards or a stable hand up there. Someone less important than Lord Rendon’s son.
But she knew that he was doing it for her, even though he didn’t like the goats.
Her heart softened at the thought, but was rescuing a baby goat enough to make up for weeks of lying to her about his identity?
Sophia remembered the way Cook hadn’t argued when Caspian said he was taking her into town and her cheeks flushed. She should have seen the signs. She should have known. Maybe she really was just that stupid.
The way he hadn’t been at meals, the way everyone listened to him, the way he did whatever he wanted and didn’t follow any set schedule. The way he was the one managing the Fall Festival. It all made sense now.
And she was the one who hadn’t realized any of it.
No wonder everyone hadn’t told her. They were probably all laughing at her for being oblivious.
Everyone in the courtyard watched as Caspian made his way toward Mollie. When she noticed him and started to skitter backwards, he slowly settled into a squat on the roof and pulled something out of his pocket, offering it to the baby goat.
Sophia watched in amazement as Mollie picked her way across the roof and began investigating whatever Caspian held in his hand long enough for him to reach out, grab her, and pull her tightly to his chest.
The guards and stable hands whooped and cheered as Caspian slowly made his way back across the roof of the barn. He jumped down to the lean-to against the side, where they kept much of the straw, then jumped down to the stack of hay bales next to it and climbed down.
Sophia hurried across the courtyard, meeting him at the bottom.
He transferred Mollie into her arms, and she pulled the goat into a tight hug. Tears began to drip down her nose onto the baby goat’s soft brown fur.
“I promise, I never meant to lead you on,” Caspian said softly. “Will you forgive me for not telling you who I was?”
With her heart in her throat, Sophia nodded. Even if she wasn’t entirely sure that she could, she owed him at least that much for saving Mollie.
But what happened now?
“I know I can’t go back and change what happened,” he said, “but I would love to go forward with you knowing who I am, and I would love to get to know you even better. Will you go to the Fall Festival with me?”
Mollie let out a bleat and gave Sophia a tiny head-butt under her chin, giving Sophia a moment to think. She almost didn’t trust herself to speak, but she had to ask. “Go with you as a couple?” she asked. “Or go with you, as in, everyone at the manor is going together?”
Caspian chuckled. “With me. As a couple. Or we could just go as friends. Whatever you want. I just want to spend time with you and see the fruits of all the work we put in.”
Sophia swallowed hard. “I suppose so,” she said after a moment.
Caspian smiled wryly. “That’s the best answer I can hope for right now,” he said. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you.”
“I’ve already forgiven you. You don’t have to keep apologizing for it.”
He shook his head and took a step closer, his gaze dropping to the goat in her arms before coming back to her face. “No, I’m going to keep apologizing for it. I feel like I should have known better.”
“I’m the one who should have known better,” she said.
Caspian shrugged. “We could debate it, but I’d rather not. As long as you’ll go with me tomorrow, I’m happy.”
There was a commotion in the courtyard and Sophia looked around Caspian to see Lady Rendon coming up behind him. She was smiling at Sophia, who suddenly felt like she was facing a dragon. Her eyes widened and she felt a chill run down her spine.
