And, after all that, he did not defend her. Instead, he made her feel like she had no choice but to run away.He did not know it for certain, but it was not hard to guess what had happened.
The gift he had purchased for her began to burn a hole in his pocket. He chewed his lip in consternation, wondering if he ought to just keep it in his pocket indefinitely. It had been foolishto buy her something that she might take as an insult. Foolish to buy her anything at all.
“She is quite something,” Hugo said quietly, as he came to stand at his cousin’s side. “If I were you, I would take a gamble of your own.”
Dominic cast Hugo a grim look. “I do not gamble, as you well know.”
But as he wandered off to inspect the next stall, that gift burned hotter, his hand moving to check it was still there: he had already taken a risk that he would never normally take. Indeed, he had already done many things that he would never normally do, all because of her.
“Higher!” Frances cried, all sense of propriety and dignity vanishing as the swing soared upward. “Push me higher!”
“If you go any higher you shall fly off!” Harriet laughed in reply, as she pushed against the back of the swing with all of her might.
The amusement sat on the very edge of the fair, a short distance from the towering trees that Frances dearly wished to touch with the point of her feet. It felt like she could see all of Bath every time she surged upward, the beauty and the momentum sweeping the air from her lungs.
It had been averylong time since she had sat upon a swing, and these were so very lovely, the wooden chairs carved ornately, the structure anchored deep into the ground. And when the fair left the city, there would be nothing but the gouges in the earth to show that Frances had ever done this, had ever been there, had ever felt so wonderfully free, as if she really could fly if she wished it.
She did not know how long they had been at the fair, but it had certainly been longer than Dominic’s ordained hour of leniency. The sky was now vibrant with sunset’s reds and oranges and pinks, the clouds tinged with purples and dusky blues, and if Frances kept her gaze fixed upon it as the swing soared upward, she could imagine she was part of that exquisite display of light and wonder.
“I love this!” she cried out, so overwhelmed with joy that her eyes prickled with happy tears. Bittersweet tears. “I must do this more often!”
Harriet laughed. “You are a bird, Frances!”
It occurred to Frances a moment too late that her ward’s voice was not coming from behind her anymore, but from the side of her. And as firmer hands heaved against the back of the swing, she blinked as she saw Harriet standing there, decidedlynotpushing Frances into the air.
The powerful ascent stole the breath from her lungs, a moment of suspension taking all of her troubles away, before the swing curved downward again.
She did not dare to look back to see who was pushing her. She did not have to. There was only one person with the strength to swing her so high, though she could not quite believe that he would involve himself in such larks.
Dominic had not been grumpy, necessarily, while following the ladies and his cousin around the fair, but he had not partaken in the entertainments either. He had just spectated, a warm smile occasionally quirking his lips that had made her heart flutter, as if he took enjoyment from seeing others enjoying themselves.
Releasing her grip on the ropes and holding out her arms, she closed her eyes and smiled so wide as she sailed upward again.
“Be careful!” Harriet cried from below.
Frances ignored the shout and ignored any fear of judgment or danger, as the wind rippled through her hair and caressed her face. For an instant, shewasflying. A feeling that she would carry with her, to dip into when the days felt too small or too suffocating. A reminder of this fleeting freedom.
After a few more minutes of that wondrous sensation, Dominic’s capable hands stopped pushing. Slowly but surely, the swings lessened in height, and she fluttered back down to earth like a leaf in the autumn… or a cherry blossom at a picnic.
Stepping off the swing, it took Frances’ legs a moment to remember how to walk.
“Steady yourself,” Dominic said, appearing beside her, offering out his arm.
This time, she did not hesitate to take it. “Thank you.”
“I take it you favor the swings?” he asked as he led her to where the others had been standing, but they had already moved on.
Harriet and Hugo were hurrying toward some manner of theatrical, where gaudily dressed acrobats leaped and somersaulted to rapturous applause, while a fire-eater in a dragon costume delighted the crowd with a blast of smoking flames.
Somewhat bashful, Frances nodded. “There was one in the gardens at my father’s country estate. I would push Lucinda when she was little, though I never got the chance to show Juliet the delight of it.” She cleared her suddenly tight throat. “It was my mother who used to push me, though I daresay she did notquitehave your strength.”
“Youdidsay you wished to fly higher, and Harriet was huffing and puffing at the exertion,” he replied, his voice soft and enticing, like fairy music heard through the trees. Something you were not supposed to follow, but could not help pursue.
He leaned in slightly. “I fear we must teach her to exercise, or she shall never make it through a dance without wheezing. What is the current opinion in society on ladies who are drenched in sweat after a dance?”
An explosive laugh caught Frances off guard, her hand instinctively moving to cover her mouth.
Dominic reached for that hand and gently pulled it away. “Do not,” he told her with a smile. “I should hate to have to chide you for disobedience.”
