Owen grinned with amusement, his own breathing heavy. “The groundskeeper’s wife, Mrs. Berney. The woman of my nightmares.”
“And now mine.”
He laughed, leaning toward me with a whisper. “When I was a young boy, I was quite like your brothers. Nothing pleased me more than good mischief.”
I raised an eyebrow. “It seems that is still the case.”
He chuckled. “That may be true, but I used to pick roseseverymorning.I told Mrs. Berney that I picked them as a gift for my mother, when really I picked them solely to make her angry.”
“After all these years, you still enjoy provoking her?”
“That was not my intention today, I assure you. I simply wanted you to have a rose.” He smiled. His eyes seemed to be taking in every feature of my face. I was suddenly very aware of how unbecoming I must have looked after my tangle with the bushes. My face grew hot. I needed to stop finding myself trapped in small spaces with Owen.
It was then that our stall door flew open to reveal Mrs. Berney, still upholding her scolding finger. We stood, and I retreated a few steps. I hadn’t noticed before, but she reminded me of Aunt Ruth.
“Owen Kellaway, you give me that rose this instant!” she barked. “My husband has been charged with the task of keeping those bushes immaculate for your mother’s garden party. He shall be blamed if a single bush is found lacking.”
Owen sighed and extended the rose in her direction. “It cannot be reattached to the bush, but I will ensure your husband isn’t blamed if the missing rose is noticed.”
Mrs. Berney snatched the white rose from his hand. “I might also encourage you not to entertain yourguestwithout a chaperone.” Her gaze flickered to me.
I looked down at the hay-littered ground. She was right. I should have brought Lizzie with me, but I hadn’t planned on crossing paths with Owen.
“Thankfully you are here now,” Owen said to Mrs. Berney. “Please remain nearby for the rest of our tour.”
She sputtered. “I have tasks to attend to.”
Owen was silent for several seconds, until Mrs. Berney finally remembered her place. She grumbled something under her breath. “Very well, sir.”
She must have felt very secure in her position to behave in such a manner to a gentleman of the household. But she had been dealing with his antics for years. How many women had taken part in raising Owen? Surely his behavior would have been overwhelming to just one nursemaid. Perhaps the entire staff had been taught to discipline him from a young age.
Mrs. Berney stepped aside, leaving room for us to exit the stall. I followed him out, casting a grateful smile in Mrs. Berney’s direction. She gave a reluctant curtsy. Immediately, I felt the familiar sense of being a burden.
“You don’t have to stay,” I blurted. “I can ask my maid to accompany us instead.”
Mrs. Berney scowled. “Why? So you can have another moment alone with Dr. Kellaway?”
“No—I mean, you do not seem…pleased with the task.”
Her eyes raked over me with suspicion. “I didn’t know the news of Willowbourne had spread as far as Silton.”
Owen stepped between us with a scowl. “Have respect for our guest, Mrs. Berney, and follow at a distance.” His voice was firm. “Or I shall strip that rose bush clean by the end of the day.”
She took a step back, her jaw clenching.
Owen extended his arm to me and I took it, following him as far away from Mrs. Berney as possible. What was she referring to? Her words were clearly a jab at my character, as if I had somesecret intention of ensnaring Owen. We walked to the very end of the stables in silence before Owen turned to me. “I hope Mrs. Berney did not offend you. Can you see why she would haunt my dreams?”
“Yes, but I can also see why you would haunt hers.”
He laughed. “My parents have always been kind to their servants. Her husband would never be dismissed from his position here. One rose will not be missed.” He shrugged. “Althoughtwomight raise suspicion.”
He stepped behind a post and revealed another rose from behind his back. He smiled as he extended it toward me. “I know it wasn’t your first choice, but?—”
“How did you—” I didn’t move, my eyes settling on the soft pink petals.
“I held it in this hand the entire time. Mrs. Berney didn’t even notice.”
My gaze flickered in her direction. She trudged along slowly from the other end of the stables. We were hidden by the post, but she would surely notice the rose in my hand later.
