He then leaned in close. “I am not to be called that yet,” he whispered.
“Then I shall not do so until others know.”
He stared into her eyes with an intensity that she’d never experienced before, and warmth grew in her chest.
“Call me Julian. We are in this quest together.”
“Is it truly a quest?” she asked, not certain how she felt about calling him by his Christian name.
“The quest is for the book. After is the adventure, or shall we call it a mission.”
“Mission,” she chose.
“Very well. Our mission.” He picked up her hand. “No doubt it will be most enjoyable, Miss Doyle.”
Caitlin bit her bottom lip as her face heated. “If I am to call you Julian, should you not call me Cait?”
His smile was slow and warm. “I would like that very much, Cait.”
His face still hovered near hers from when he first leaned in to whisper. He glanced at her lips and for a moment she thought that perhaps he might kiss her. But then he cleared his throat and straightened.
“Shall we return to the celebration?” he asked.
She would rather remain out here with Julian, but it would be improper. “Yes, we should. You have been gone for a long time. Someone might come looking for you.”
“Why not you?” Julian asked.
“I told Eve that I may return to the school, so she is not truly expecting me.”
She no longer minded the idea of being part of the celebration. Julian had been an enjoyable distraction and loneliness no longer ached in her soul.
Cait also did not want to abandon Julian on this day. The loss of a sibling is difficult no matter how close or distant a relationship may have been. She spoke the truth when she said that she had been mourning her brother long before he passed away. For Julian, it was still fresh and likely it had not really sunk in, but the gravity of the loss would strike. For that reason alone, she was going to remain his companion and possibly friend, especially since nobody else at the wedding celebration knew of his loss, nor would they until tomorrow. And if making the foolish students believe that she was a selkie helped, she was happy to participate because she could use the distraction as well.
He first putthe weight on his good leg as he stood, then tested the injured knee. There was slight discomfort but not nearly as bad as it had been earlier. Perhaps all he needed to do was rest his leg. At least Julian hoped it was as simple as that.
Cait rose and stepped from the gazebo but waited for him. There was one step, and she was probably afraid he was going to trip and fall on his face. Therefore, Julian grasped the railing and carefully stepped down until he was on the ground.
After making their way across the lawn and then the terrace, the two entered the drawing room and paused. His friends were talking and laughing, as were the friends of Lady Kilsyth and the teachers from the school. Nobody looked at either one of them. It was likely they were not even missed.
Julian had spent the last month recovering in this house and sharing more time with his friends than he had at any time before, whereas, he now had Cait and he would much rather spend the rest of the day with her than his colleagues.
“Come with me,” he whispered as they stepped back out onto the terrace.
“I thought you wished to be with your friends,” she reminded him.
“I am much more interested in books.” He nodded to the other end of the terrace. “That door leads to the library.” He took a step and then paused. “Shall we then?”
Caitlin gave him a nod before the two made their way down the terrace and to the door leading to the library. She entered first and then stood, taking in the tall wall lined with books. Julian followed, but his knee was beginning to pain him enough that a limp returned. However, he also intended to ignore it. “How is your knee?” Cait asked.
“Tender. I will rest later. This is more enjoyable and important.”
There was nothing truly vital about their mission, and he suspected that they were both using it as a distraction. He was also using this time to spend with Cait. “However, I am going to ask you to use the stepladder to look at the taller shelves. I do not want to trust my knee in climbing just yet.” He also didn’t want to fall on his face in front of her a second time today.
“Nor would I allow you to,” she informed in an instructive tone she likely used with her students.
Julian pulled back in surprise. “Allow me to?”
“I am a teacher. I decide what is allowed and what is not. And I suggest you do not test my resolve.”
