It must have been an escape passage.I’d read once that castles and palaces had them hidden away in case of a siege.The French queen had supposedly used one to escape the revolution, though it didn’t ultimately work out for her.This one was built like a labyrinth.New corridors branched off every few yards.It would be extremely easy to get lost down here.I wondered if anyone had, and if so, whether they ever made it out.My path, however, was lit.I passed the darkened turn-offs without a second thought, hoping that the house wasn’t leading me into some sort of trap.But soon the corridor filled with natural light.A bush blocked my route out.I crawled under it, dirt grinding into my gown, and then I was out, the cool air welcome on my skin.
I emerged in the grounds on the opposite end of the castle to the kitchen.I paused a moment to thank the castle, then set out into fading sun, ignoring the protestations of my already exhausted limbs.
I found Moira in her vegetable patch, tending to her artichokes, which meant it was later than I thought.She glowered when she saw me, then ducked her head to pretend that she hadn’t.She slapped her fertiliser down harder than necessary.‘Raleigh found you, then.’
‘I meant to come back.’
Moira kept toiling without looking up.
‘I didn’t choose to stay,’ I said again.‘Father …’ I didn’t know how to say it.With the night behind me, his actions slid into horrible clarity.I explained what happened, from me finding Yann to being locked away, to how Raleigh and I escaped together.Her hands slowed at first, then eventually stopped.By the time I finished speaking she was watching me with such emotion I was scared she might try to hug me.
‘Did Raleigh not tell you this?’I asked.
‘I haven’t seen him.The only reason I knew you were back was because that moustached bastard wouldn’t shut up about the mud you both tracked through the corridors.’
By that I guessed she meant the man who had set up camp in the kitchen.
‘I should have come with you,’ she said.‘I could have protected you.’
My heart swelled.The fact that she wanted to was enough.‘You couldn’t have known.’
Moira’s expression firmed.‘Maybeyoucouldn’t have.’
‘Then it’s a good thing I found you, isn’t it?’came a voice from behind.
I spun around as Moira’s face went white.Raleigh stood in the shadow of the castle walls wearing an unfashionably wide top hat, and a heavy winter cloak that made me feel stifled just looking at it.He looked weary, but his shoulders were straight again, and when he smiled at me it seemed to be genuine.
‘You can’t be out here,’ Moira cried.
‘It’s this bloody time of year – if I sleep any longer I’ll die of boredom.Besides, the sun’s behind the mountain.I’ll be fine as long as I keep to the shadows.’He looked up at the sky with a flash of longing.‘It’s nice to see day sometimes.’
‘Are you feeling better?’I asked and had to look away when he smiled at me again.I had never thought I’d say this, but I actuallypreferred his arrogant little smirks.At least I felt justified in hating them.I didn’t know how to feel about this softer side, and it left me feeling deeply unsettled.
‘There’s still a touch of pain, but the wound’s closed up.’
‘Wound?’Moira’s voice went up an octave, and I realised I’d neglected to tell her that Raleigh had been shot.‘What happened?’
‘Nothing life-threatening,’ Raleigh lied.‘I’ll tell you everything later.Clara, would you walk with me?’He offered his arm, and from the playful glint in his eye I suspected he was toying with me.
‘I know I broke off my engagement with Yann, but please don’t take that as a sign I’ve fallen for you.’
‘Don’t worry, I’m not that deluded.’
I thought about taking his arm to see if he really meant it, but I’d touched him enough the night before to last me a lifetime.So I held back.Raleigh dropped his arm.He continued to smile, but he no longer seemed to want to.I turned my face away.
‘I’ll walk with you,’ I said, ‘but let’s not put any unnecessary strain on your shoulder.’
‘Of course,’ Raleigh said.I couldn’t read his tone.
We set off side by side, keeping to the path framing the castle wall.I balanced on the edge of the shadow, ready to shove Raleigh back into the dark if he strayed too close.
‘Enrique tells me you met,’ he said after a time.
‘Is that the man who yelled at me for sleeping through breakfast?’
‘Sounds like him.He’s the reason I left in the first place.I wanted to interview him before I hired him, and he didn’t have the coin to make the trip himself.’
‘You hired him?’I don’t know why I was so surprised.It felt less likely to me that a prince would choose to hire someone so brash than that he had wandered in off the mountain and set up camp in the kitchen.
