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Over the following days, Amelie made subtle inquiries to other women about the mysterious merchant that Sister Cora had mentioned. Whenever she wrote about him on her slate, she was met with a swooning reaction as they fluttered their eyelashes and spoke of his grace and gentle strength, as well as his generosity of spirit. Apparently, his donations had been quite sizable, and he was clearly an affluent man. They all agreed that Amelie should meet him and soon enough gossip was rife that she was going to make his acquaintance. The excitement buzzed in the air, although there was only one discerning voice.

Esther came to Amelie late one night, just as Amelie was getting ready for bed. Esther beckoned to Amelie with a slender finger.

“I want tae talk with ye about this wee plan that people are concocting. Now, I hae tae admit that I dinnae know this Ro fellow all that well, but I think ye should learn a lesson about men. None of them can be trusted. Even when one says that he loves ye with all his heart he’s still capable of lying. They are like snakes. There is a deep poison within them, and the only certainty is that one day ye will get bitten. If I were ye I would turn away while ye still can. Stay here, where it is safe, for then ye will nae hae tae worry about being hurt. Dae ye understand?”

Her eyes were wide, and her tone was fraught. Amelie remembered when Esther had arrived at the convent. She had been covered in bruises and had wept fretfully. Now there was a hardness about her that was impossible to ignore, but Amelie wasn’t sure it could be compared to strength. It was more that her weaknesses and insecurities had formed a barrier that would not allow anything through any longer. Amelie dipped her head and nodded. It was not the first warning she had received, and neither would it be the first trauma she had suffered, if indeed Ro would cause such a thing. However, Amelie was not willing to believe that every single romance ended in heartbreak. It had been that way for her mother, and perhaps it was slightly worrying that just like her mother, Amelie was going to encounter a merchant. However, Fleur and Pascal had both fallen deeply in love, and Amelie could not believe that God would welcome someone with ill intent into a convent.

Besides, she was getting tired of living a life defined by fear, where she turned away from every opportunity that might promise something close to adventure. She would meet Ro and then decide where to go from there.

The following morning, Amelie heard footsteps rushing towards her.

“He’s here,” the other women whispered. Amelie felt herself seized by nerves. She wondered if Ro had been warned about her. Amelie ran her hands through her hair and smoothed down her dress. She looked down, and couldn’t help but compare this dress to the one she had worn at the feast. It was hardly glamorous, and she didn’t quite believe that someone as well-traveled as Ro would be attracted to a plain, ordinary girl like her, but it was important that she did not simply give up before anything happened.

Things with Evan may not have worked out as she would have liked, but she had still been able to go for a walk with him, and that walk had led to a most wonderful kiss. There was no telling what this might lead to.

The other girls escorted her towards the gardens, nudging Amelie forward so she almost tripped. She managed to steady herself as she walked outside in the pale sunshine. She heard voices murmuring to each other and noticed Ro standing with his back towards her. He was currently examining some of the flowers with Sister Cora.

Ro was a giant of a man, with broad shoulders and a long torso. His stance was wide, confident. He wore a robe that flowed from his shoulders down to his ankles, where it brushed the ground. His voice was deep, rolling like thunder.

“Once again we are ever sae grateful for yer donations, ye really are spoiling us,” Sister Cora said.

Ro chuckled, and his shoulders rolled. “It’s really nae problem. Ma would be glad that ye are benefitting from my wealth. She always said it was our responsibility tae dae something useful with our money. Ye dae a lot of good work here, Sister, and if I can play my part in helping that continue then I will consider myself blessed.”

He certainly seemed to have a good attitude, Amelie thought. It was then that Sister Cora caught sight of her.

“Ah, well, ye now hae the opportunity tae meet one of our most devoted servants. She hae recently been away, but this is Amelie. I’m afraid that she dinnae speak, sae ye will hae tae be patient with her,” Sister Cora said.

“I dinnae mind being patient. I like tae think that patience is one of my best qualities,” Ro said as he turned around. When his gaze fell upon Amelie, he smiled. His front was as impressive as his back. She couldn’t quite believe there was so much of him. He had a barrel chest that was tightly fitted into a smart tunic, and his broad hands were currently gloved. His hair was thick and lustrous, while he was clean-shaven. He had a piercing gaze, but there was something familiar about him that she couldn’t quite shake, as though she had seen him before. Yet she could not place his face.

“Ye are a curious lass. I suppose ye dinnae see many men around here,” Ro said, laughing. Amelie realized she had been staring hard and was ashamed of her impoliteness. She averted her gaze immediately, but it nagged at her that she couldn’t place his face.

“Well, Amelie,” he continued, “I was hoping tae hae a quiet walk around the gardens tae reflect on the beauty of the world, perhaps ye would care tae join me?”

Amelie glanced at Sister Cora and then nodded, falling beside him.