‘Don’t go.’
Drake hesitated, unsure what to do.
‘Please, sit with me a while,’ pleaded Evelyn.
What was he to do? She was still mourning the death of her brother. It would be unfeeling to leave her now when she looked so wretched. He retraced his steps up the ladder and, with a well-practiced movement, transferred from ladder to floor. He felt rather pleased with himself how easy he had made it look. He stole a glance at her to see if she had noticed, but she hadn’t, preferring to care for the kitten on her lap.
‘Where is Turvy and Nicholas?’ she asked him.
Drake came to sit beside her, although he ensured he was not too close.
‘The head groom has rats in his stables. He took them.’
Topsy yawned, her pale pink tongue matched the colour of her button nose.
‘They are too young to catch rats,’ replied Evelyn, miserably.
‘He will look after them until they can fend for themselves.’ Drake had made sure of it, hiding the kittens until hehad promised to care for them, much to the head groom’s frustration.
‘Topsy will be lost without them.’
‘She will learn to live without them. She is stronger than she looks.’
Their eyes met. Was he talking about her? Perhaps he was. He suddenly felt hot.
Evelyn returned her attention to the kitten in her hands. ‘I am to have a new tutor.’
‘To replace your governess?’
She nodded. ‘I think he will hate me.’
Drake couldn’t imagine anyone hating Miss Evelyn. ‘Why would you think that?’
‘Something Nicholas once said,’ she replied. She sounded miserable and Drake felt at a loss how to reassure her on the matter. He was glad when she changed the subject back to the kittens. ‘Did you come to see them too?’
‘Yes. No.’ He sounded like an idiot. ‘I came to study.’
She appeared impressed. He felt absurdly pleased, but thought it best not show it. He shook it off with a nonchalant shrug. ‘I have a lot to study.’
‘Don’t let me stop you,’ she said, settling back on the sacking. ‘I won’t disturb you.’ Her lashes fanned her cheeks as she returned her loving attention back to the kitten. He should decline and leave, but instead Drake removed his study notes from his pocket.
The Latin names of well over fifty plants were listed on the paper in his neat copperplate writing. By each name were brief notes on their descriptions and the season of their lifecycle. At first he felt awkward trying to memorise them in her company, but he soon found himself relaxing, for she did not disturb, irritate or tease him about his study. Occasionally, he found his eyes straying from the paper, to ensure she was stillthere. Strangely, he began to find her continual presence oddly comforting.
It was inevitable she would catch him looking at her eventually. When their eyes met, she did not mock him, but offered to help. He found himself cautiously accepting.
They fell into their new roles with ease, forgetting the world outside the old apple scented storeroom. Initially, she struggled with the pronunciation and he found himself smiling inwardly as he watched her lips twist over their long Latin names. However, she was the first to laugh at her mistakes, a quality he liked, and she refused to give up, a quality he shared, which made the experience far more pleasant than he expected. He soon discovered that she was a quick learner, had a good memory and had a methodical and sharp mind. Her questioning tested his memory and common sense in a way that studying alone would not. The time passed quickly, his mother’s words of warning all but forgotten.
‘I have to go,’ Evelyn said, suddenly getting up and returning his study notes. Drake looked up at her, reluctantly taking them from her outstretched hand. ‘Will you look after Topsy and Blackie for me?’
Drake scrambled to his feet. ‘Yes, but why? Are you going to stop visiting them?’
‘I think I will be too busy.’
How she chose to spend her time should not bother him, yet her announcement disturbed him. ‘Why?’ he asked again. There was desperation to his voice he was not proud of.
‘Father has arranged a timetable of study which will fill my day,’ she replied, brushing the kittens’ hairs from her dress. ‘I will be busy studying myself. I don’t want to let my parents down.’ She looked up and smiled. It was a smile just for him. His heart flipped in his chest and he began to feel hot again. Hewondered if she noticed the effect her smile had on him. Did he look as out of control as he felt? She turned away. ‘It will be fun.’
It didn’t sound like fun. He was going to say as much but she was already walking to the ladder. He hastily followed and climbed down after her. He found Evelyn waiting for him at the bottom.
