He tilted his head for her to follow him into the maze she had always feared. She looked back at Carrack House, imposing, solid and steeped in history and tradition. She looked at Drake, her confidante, her rock, her love. He was offering her thefreedom to be herself. He held out his hand to her. Needing no further encouragement; she lifted the hem of her dress, stepped over the shears and followed him inside.
He seized her hand and led her along convoluted paths hedged with tightly trimmed thicket. Finally they came to a dead end where the world was shut out and no one could see them. He turned abruptly, took her in his arms and buried his face into the nape of her neck.
‘I’m sorry, Evie. I am so sorry,’ he whispered hoarsely, his warm breath caressing her delicate skin. ‘It’s all my fault.’
His heartfelt apology surprised her. She pressed his chest away and looked up into his anguished face. He really believed he was responsible.
‘Why do you say that?’ she asked.
‘I went to see Burrows and forced him to leave his post. I thought it would stop him. I didn’t know he was going to blame you. I am so sorry.’
‘But youdidstop him, Drake.’
He shook his head. ‘No, I made things worse. Tilly told me what they did to you.’
‘It was not your fault,’ she soothed. ‘I, and I alone, am responsible for my behaviour. It was my parents who called Doctor Birch and it was Doctor Birch who prescribed the Rest Cure.’ Evelyn framed his face with her hands so he could not turn away from her. ‘Your visits helped me through it, Drake. You were the only one to believe in me. You helped me.’
He slid her hands from his face and held them tightly in his. He looked down at them. ‘I have thought about you so much.’
‘And I you.’
He looked back at her and she was pleased to see the frown on his brow had lessened. He even managed a smile.
‘You look well.’
She did not believe him. ‘I look pale and feel bloated.’
‘Not to me you don’t.’
His compliment made her glow inwardly. Already, she felt better for seeing him again. ‘I have convinced my parents that walking would be good for my health.’
‘In the gardens?’
Evie nodded. ‘Every day.’ She saw Drake’s eyes light up. He appeared to like the idea too.
‘I will watch out for you,’ he promised.
‘I would like that.’ Dare she ask him? His dark eyes melted her inside. Yes she dare. ‘Where shall we meet?’
How bold she had become. An unspoken understanding passed between them as she waited for an answer. They both knew their meeting was laden with danger. He would be placing his apprenticeship at great risk if they were caught. Had she asked too much of him? It seemed she had not.
He pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on the top of her head. ‘I will leave a message to tell you where I will be,’ he promised, ‘and if I will be working alone.’
* * *
Their stolen moments together were precious indeed, to be enjoyed and later relived in the dark hour before sleep. Every accidental touch, every conversation shared, were remembered with a smile and a desire for more.
Drake left word where she could find him by way of a note hidden under a stone at the entrance to the maze. Sometimes their meetings were no more than a brushing of hands as they passed one another, both wary of the other outdoor staff working all around them. Yet, even those short brief moments ignited a strange, sparking energy between them, which fed something deep inside her.
Other times were truly stolen, clandestine meetings at an agreed place: the White Tower, the folly in a hidden, neglectedcorner of the grounds where they were shielded from view by hedges and trees; the grotto, a gardener’s hut; and so many more. Yet, the best times were the months Drake was sent to the country parkland. There, they could spend a full hour together, shielded by great oaks and ash, weeping willows and hedgerows. In the parkland they were quite alone, but for the sheep that kept the grass low by their constant grazing. In this idyllic world,theirworld, she was able to watch him openly as he worked, stripped to the waist, sweat shining in the sun, sawing and inspecting the ancient fallen trees. Other times they sat together in silence on shaded wooden stumps, while he rested or Evelyn shared something she had brought from the kitchen. Sometimes they talked, other times they remained silent, just content to be in each other’s company. Occasionally they would tease each other, but neither took offence. It was their way, comfortable, safe, as friends should be together.
One day, he had finally reached for her hand and pulled her to him. They had looked at one another, their laughter fading suddenly until they both felt quite sober. She had felt a change in their relationship looming, but his reaching for her told her he felt it too. It was powerful, all-consuming and drew them together for their first much longed-for kiss.
Although tentative at first, their kiss quickly developed to hold a maturity and depth of desire beyond their teenage years. It was illicit and scandalous, and all the more thrilling because of it. Yet, their kiss, and those that followed, left them with only memories and a yearning to meet again.
As season followed season, budding, ripening and maturing in the only way nature can, so did their love for one another.
At times, Evelyn saw a struggle in Drake she did not fully understand. He tried to explain by telling her that he felt a hunger for her that sometimes threatened to overtake him. She told him she felt it too. He had only shook his head.
