A palpable relief settled on her. Relief, of all things. She truly wanted to be his friend. She, an Englishwoman of the upper class, wished to associate with him, a man inarguably beneath her. How very. . . refreshing. “I am permitted to come to the garden, though. Perhaps if you have an evening to yourself, you might come here. We could walk the paths for a time and talk. The garden is public enough to not cause any scandal.”
He stood and joined her at the fountain. “I’m free most evenings other than Sunday. Perhaps you might make your way here to the fountain tomorrow after supper.”
She smiled at him, and at the sight, something decidedly odd happened: his heart, an organ he’d managed to ignore for a great many years, lurched. Warmth trickled over him even as a smile of his own threatened to break free. His breath caught in his lungs, and anticipation tiptoed over every inch of him.
He’d spent evenings in the company of friends before, but had never once looked forward to the experience with such eagerness. Miss Pemberton had asked for his friendship, but Duncan suspected he had already begun to feel a bit more than that for her.
Chapter Four
“Igrew up about an hour from here, closer to Ben Lomond.” Duncan hadn’t spoken much about himself over the week they’d spent walking through the garden in the evenings. Sophia was pleased he was finally doing so. “Aiden, who’s my right hand in the stables, and I have known each other since we were children.”
“Did he follow you here, or did you follow him?”
“I came first.” Duncan plucked a flower from an obliging bush and gave it to her.
Sophia did her utmost to hide the surge of excitement the offhand gesture created. The more she knew him, the more she liked him. Though she wished for more than merely his friendship, she was not willing to lose that by revealing the depth of her feelings for him.
“Did you always want to be a stable master?” she asked, carefully holding the delicate flower.
“No. My mother had hoped for greater things, though I think she’s learned to be proud of how I’m living my life.”
“How could she not be?” Sophia couldn’t imagine any mother not being inordinately proud of a son who was good and kind and hardworking.
“You’ll puff me up if you’re not careful with your compliments.”
He set his hand on her back to guide her around a puddle in their path. Moments such as these, his mannerisms resembled those of a gentleman more than a servant. He was a wonderfully intriguing contradiction.
“I’ve learned much of you this past week,” he said. “What do I not know yet?”
She pulled her shawl over her shoulder once more. “You are good at asking questions. I can’t imagine anything about me you haven’t discovered yet.”
His dark-eyed gaze narrowed on her. “There is one topic you have neatly avoided every time we’ve inched near it.”
A lump formed in her throat. “What topic is that?”
He stopped and turned to face her. His expression wasn’t frustrated or commanding. He was, without a doubt, concerned. “Why are you afraid of Mr. Haddington?”
“I never— I didn’t say I was afraid of him.”
Duncan took her hand in his, still watching her closely. “You didn’t have to say it, Sophia. His name surfaces now and then, and every time, you grow as rigid as a tree and as pale as a snowy owl. How is it he scares you so much? Has he done something he ought not to have?”
She shook her head no. “He makes me uncomfortable, yes. But he hasn’t done anything in particular. Not really. He simply—” How could she explain her reaction to Mr. Haddington when she hadn’t solid reasons for it? “Something in his eyes worries me.”
“Promise me this, my friend,” he said, squeezing her fingers. “Do not ever hesitate to come to me if that ‘something in his eyes’ ever proves to be too much for you, if it ever becomes something more.”
She nodded.
“I need to hear you say it. I need to know that you know you can come to me if you’re ever worried or afraid.”
“I will. I promise.”
His smile sent shivers from her head to her feet. “Now, you’d best hurry along. I’ve seen a face looking down from the window a time or two. I’d wager you’re needed somewhere.”
It was far more likely someone was looking down in disapproval. She was forever earning someone’s disdain. “Will you come back to the garden tomorrow?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Tomorrow’s Sunday. I’ll be away all day.”
“Monday, then?”
