Ben took a few steps backward. “Want to come and see?” he taunted.
I shook my head and fought a laugh. “I have work this morning.”
“Work?” He tsked, crossing his arms. “It is too early for work. Besides, you abandoned me yesterday. You cannot abandon me twice.”
Yesterday? Ah, yes. The pest problem.
“One last adventure? For old time’s sake.” Ben ducked his chin and looked at me with round, pleading eyes, and his face scrunched in a whine.
I sighed and clutched my journal to my chest. In truth, I had neglected him since my engagement. Not that a young man of his years needed his sister, but Ben had been my closest sibling in both age and confidence, and I, his. I had not fully allowed myself to think on how different my life would be without him so near. Perhaps my engagement had caused him to wonder about his own future. Perhaps that explained his persistence yesterday, and now.
Number threewasfollowing Ben on an adventure. But this? I’d imagined something more planned and with purpose. Though following Ben on a whim and being surprised seemed a better option than dealing with tenant pest problems.
I could spare an hour to bolster his spirits and still have time to write in my journal. Two list items in one day. The opportunity was too good to let pass. “Very well. But I have only one hour.”
Ben’s eyes lit up, and his lips curved into a catlike grin. “Excellent! You won’t regret this, Ros.”
“Oh, I am certain I shall.” I took a few steps forward and opened the door. Cool morning air flooded in. “You are always going on about how I never attend you.” Ben followed me down the steps and onto the drive. But there was no carriage. I glanced over my shoulder. “Aren’t we taking the gig?”
Ben smiled and lifted his brows as though he’d proven a point. “We are walking.”
Oh, no. “Walking where?”
I slowed my steps, and Ben started to lead the way. “You shall see. Come.”
I started to protest, but he grabbed my wrist and tugged me along. We walked around to the back of the house and into the field, where the morning sun had just risen over the horizon, lighting the fog that hovered above the pasture. My fingers itched for a paintbrush.
“Are you taking us to the Ollertons?”
He glanced sideways at me and returned my confusion with a mischievous grin. He had not yet shaved, which meant whoever we were meeting was either a close friend or someone he did not care to impress. “This will be a fun last hurrah for us, Ros. When you were not off with Liza and you deigned to spend time with me, remember what we’d play?”
I walked beside Ben, whose steps seemed to jump with a new lightness as he waited for my answer. Little Ben, running through the fields, throwing nuts and acorns at my head or fighting me with sticks.
“You loved to play the part of the monster, chasing after me while I screamed for Mama,” I said pointedly.
Ben threw his head back and laughed. “Yes, that too. But I remember how you’d hide treasure and create a map for me to follow.”
My heart softened. Of course. He’d beg me to play treasure hunt every day after his lessons. It was likely the reason I’d included “burying treasure” on my list. “I remember that. You were such a sweet little thing back then.”
He grinned. “I will miss our games. But this—joining me this morning—will be a memory I will not soon forget. Promise me you’ll see this through.”
His eyes focused on the grove ahead. But certainly he could not mean to lead us in. I’d practically given Mr. Winston that territory after he’d saved my life in the pond. Heaven only knew the secrets he’d hidden within its shadows.
I scrunched my brow. What sort of adventure was Ben seeking?
“What are we talking about? Climbing trees?” I asked, but he pressed his lips together.
All too soon, we passed the pond on our left, its waters still and empty, and memories of elation and utter terror from the day before flooded my mind. Had I really swum only yesterday?
I clutched my journal tighter and searched the scene ahead. We drew closer to the grove with its expanse of full, tall oak trees. It seemed like a hidden oasis, creating a shaded home beyond the pond apart from all else. The wildlife that lived hidden in the grass and trees and skies created a hum of sound as they awoke for the day.
A grunting noise carried from just outside the tree line. Then thumping.
“Benjamin, what is that sound?” My muscles tensed, poised to run at any moment.
But Ben only smiled and looked ahead. The same smile he’d give me just before pushing me into a mudhole or throwing a bug carcass in my hair. Ben was hiding something, and this would not be the first time he led me into trouble. There was a reason I’d included him in my list.
I did not oftenwantto follow him on his adventures.
