Page 24 of The Marquess’s Masked Archer

Sylvie swallowed hard before continuing. “We’ll meet at your spot. It will have to be at the usual show time on Thursday. That’s Independence Day, and we aren’t scheduled to perform due to the parade. I can’t get away any other days this week, but I’ll try to think of a way to do so for future practices. If you’ll draw me another map, I’ll meet you there so we won’t be seen together.”

He nodded in instant agreement. Sylvie helped him and Mr. Miller clean up, then left the resort with a map to his secret spot and a heart torn between elation at spending more time with Miles and dread of an impending downfall.

America’s Independence Day dawned sunny and sweltering. Miles woke quite early to the resounding pops of firecrackers being set off by neighborhood children who would likely run through the streets all day.

But even the early hour couldn’t dim Miles’s excitement. Sylvie had finally asked for his help. She was relying on him and the trick shots they could create together to improve her show. And he was determined to meet her expectations.

A morning at the laboratory while everyone else was out celebrating would be beneficial for his work, so Miles prepared for the day. It took longer than usual. What did one wear to do some work and spend an hour or two in the woods with the most wonderful woman imaginable? Finally deciding his hesitancy was absurd, he put on the brown suit he usually wore to the laboratory. He did allow himself a few extra minutes to fix his hair before rushing downstairs to eat a quick meal, though.

On his way out through the front hall, Grace stopped him with a gentle call from the base of the grand staircase. “Oh, there you are, Miles. Before you leave, Mrs. Bryce invited us to join an intimate group on their yacht this evening to take in the Sandusky fireworks display. Your name is also included on the invitation. Will you come along?”

Would he spend time alone with Sylvie in the woods that day and also enjoy an evening watching her eyes glow with the reflection of exploding lights? There was no reason to even consider an answer. “I would be honored. I’ll be back this afternoon to get ready.”

Grace smiled with a knowing twinkle in her eyes. “I didn’t think you’d refuse this particular invitation. Are you making any headway with your pursuit?”

That Alexander had told his wife Miles’s personal business shook him for a moment, but with some consideration, Miles could understand. If he were ever privileged enough to be Sylvie’s confidant, he would divulge to her even the most trivial thought or experience without hesitation, friends’ secrets included. “Possibly. I’m hopeful, at least.”

With a nod, Grace turned to go upstairs. But she threw one last comment over her shoulder. “I recommend not pushing too fast. Miss Bryce has a reputation for being skittish with gentlemen.”

She continued on her way, leaving Miles to contemplate her words as he left the house. He narrowly avoided getting caught up in a parade starting its route and made his way to the laboratory on a crowded steamer while mulling over Grace’s description of Sylvie. The last thing he would call her was skittish. She was strong. Thoughtful. Witty. Engaging.

But he could also see how members of high society might have gotten that impression of her. At social events, she was pleasant enough to avoid her mother’s censure while also remaining aloof to keep men from thinking she was amenable to their suit. It did tend to make her appear unpredictable.

But he knew better. Sylvie Bryce was a woman who would love deeply when she finally decided to. And far too much of his heart longed to be the man she would decide upon.

Once at the laboratory, Miles strode into the empty workroom, thrilled at the quiet stillness permeating the building. The students and staff who lived there had likely all gone into Sandusky to enjoy the day. That would help him work as well as keep the upcoming practice unnoticed. Settling in at his desk, Miles began analyzing notes he’d been making of the insect populations around the lakeshore over the last few weeks. Then he compared the information to reports one of the students had gathered from local doctors about the prevalence of different diseases the insects were known or believed to carry.

Miles was so engrossed in the data that he nearly missed the time when he had agreed to meet Sylvie in the clearing. Stacking his materials in a neat pile, he grabbed a stool from a high table, rushed out the door, and headed down the path leading into the woods. He made his way to the narrow deer trail he’d noticed during his first days there and followed it to the clearing.

And there was Sylvie, hood and mask in place, with one hand resting on her hip while the other held a lovely bow he hadn’t seen before. Her own, he guessed, since she used one the resort provided for her shows to avoid drawing attention by carrying hers back and forth. “You’re late. I don’t have unlimited time, you know.”

Miles held back a grin at her stern tone. While her attitude might be charming to him, this work meant freedom to her. He wouldn’t give her any reason to think him capable of mocking that. He could only imagine how difficult it must be for an unmarried woman to escape from her household alone on such a regular basis. “I apologize. I was occupied by my work this morning and lost track of time. But I’m ready to begin now. What do you have in mind for us?”

Miles liked the way “for us” sounded. Did Sylvie enjoy the idea of the two of them being partners in this venture as much as he did? Light pink tinged the bit of her cheeks showing below her mask, increasing his confidence that she did, indeed. In a gesture Miles had noticed she often did, Sylvie reached up with both hands to straighten her hood. “I’m planning to combine some elements from our other trick. I’ll start facing away from the target, then spin around while shooting from behind my head. If I’m successful, the arrow will pass through a ring tossed by Mr. Miller and an apple balanced on your head. I’ll consider adding a blindfold if it goes well.”

“I… That’s quite a bit to manage in one shot.” The vast understatement was the best response Miles could muster. Sylvie was an incredible archer. But could she do so much in one perfect shot, especially with enough consistency for every show?

Her expression fell a bit flat, creating a stinging regret in Miles. There was no doubt he would support her effort to achieve such a complex trick. He believed with his entire heart she wouldn’t miss, and he needed to prove it. So he situated the stool at the far end of the clearing, then turned back to Sylvie. “What do you need me to do first, my lady?”

The blush on her cheeks might have deepened, unless the dappled sun filtering through the leaves was playing tricks on him. But Sylvie remained ever professional. “I’ll practice the spin and shooting behind my head first. If you’ll stand back here and retrieve arrows for me when I pause, I can get more shots in during our limited time.”

Miles complied, moving to stand behind and to the side of Sylvie, away from the direction she would turn to keep out of the path of any stray arrows. Starting without an arrow, Sylvie lined up an imaginary shot, aiming first for a tree behind the stool. She faced the opposite direction and practiced spinning around and lifting the bow up and over her head in one movement, with the string drawn but still no arrow. Several times, she asked Miles if it appeared smooth and graceful to an onlooker, and he was pleased to confirm it did. He didn’t reveal how her grace and strength took his breath away.

Finally, Sylvie turned to Miles. “Let’s spend a little time practicing shooting something off your head.” She riffled through a satchel at the edge of the clearing and withdrew a small pillow. “We’ll start with this. It’s much larger than an apple and will give me something to shoot at closer to your head until I’m certain there’s no danger of injuring you.”

Her throat visibly constricted as she spoke. As much as he hated for her to worry, it warmed his heart that she was so nervous about the possibility of hurting him. “It’s impossible to imagine you would. You have the steadiest aim I’ve ever seen. But if it makes you feel more comfortable, we’ll work our way down to the apple.”

Taking the cushion from her, Miles seated himself on the stool across the clearing and held the pillow on top of his head with both hands. Sylvie lined herself up and raised her bow, paused, then stepped back to shake each hand a little. She started again, lifting the bow without an arrow and pulling back the empty string. Her anxiety about the shot hung palpably in the air.

Finally, with a deep breath, she drew an arrow from the quiver at her waist and notched it in the bow. Miles sat still, instinct making him hold his breath despite his complete confidence in her. Sylvie released the arrow. It flew right at him, hitting the pillow with more force than Miles had been prepared for. The impact pushed him backward, causing the stool’s back foot to teeter on the uneven ground and sending both him and the seat toppling.

Miles lay on the ground for a moment, more stunned than hurt. But Sylvie didn’t know he was fine. Her rapid steps pounded toward him a second before she dropped to the ground next to him. She didn’t seem to notice the hood slipping down her back while she ran her hands over his head. “Oh no, no. Please speak to me, Miles. You’re not dead, are you?”

Her unabashed concern was endearing. He was tempted to allow her to fuss over him for a while longer. But he hated to cause her worry for no reason. So he shook his head, pushing up to sit while she remained on her knees in the short brush, one hand resting warm on his shoulder. “I’m not hurt. Your arrow didn’t come anywhere near me. I didn’t expect it to hit the pillow so hard, that’s all. It knocked me back because I didn’t brace for it.”

Her hands once again ran over his hair as if seeking a wound. “Are you certain? I don’t see blood, at least.”

Shaking his head, Miles was taken aback by a wave of dizziness. Perhaps he’d hit the ground harder than he thought. Or it might be her warm, lingering touch causing such an unexpected effect. The way her soft fingers skimmed over his face sent tingles across his skin, not helping his lightheadedness in the least. For the first time, Miles had to admit Sylvie might have been correct in worrying about being alone in the secluded clearing. He’d been so concerned with figuring out how to make her fall for him that he completely disregarded exactly how hard he was falling for her.