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“What? Where? I’m certain Lias would have told me of them. If not before, surely on that visit.”

She chortled. “I think he didn’t tell you for my safety.”

“Now, why should he have feared for your safety? I’m a gentleman.” Freddie stared at her.

“Did you not just say you would have locked me in them?” she said with a laugh.

“Where are they?” he asked, his curiosity leading him away from his original line of questions. “Surely you can tell me now.”

“They are below the primary tower.” She peered over at him from beneath her lashes. “It’s a small dungeon, by most standards.”

He chuckled. “I did not realize there was a standard for dungeons.”

She just smiled at the ground and shrugged. “It seems there are several things you did not know.”

He let her last words go without comment. “Yes, I can see how that might be, now that I think on it. I assumed it was a larder or wine storage.” He glanced over at her. “Why does Wraithmoore have a dungeon? It hardly seems the type.”

“You’re right. The current house does not. But it was built on the ruins of an ancient fortress.” She gave a little shudder.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

“Not very,” she said, wrapping her arms around her middle. “I should have retrieved my pelisse before we came out.”

Freddie shrugged out of his tailcoat and draped it over her shoulders. “Here. It’s not as warm as your pelisse or my greatcoat, but it should help.”

She stared at him. “But now you’ll be cold.”

“I’ll be fine.” He waved away her protest. “I’ll keep myself warm imagining locking you in the dungeon.” He waggled his brows at her.

She laughed. “Hence why you never knew of it.”

He clasped his hands behind his back. This is what he’d been waiting for. Perhaps he’d not made a mistake, after all. He glanced over at her. “Do you still read everything you find concerning King Arthur?”

She grinned and kicked at a small rock. “I confess, I’ve not pursued that course of study in years.” She let out a soft snicker. “My father insisted I abandon it after I refused to eat our Christmas dinner because the family had not undertaken a quest.” She glanced over at him. “I was certain Arthur would not have approved of our neglect.”

“How old were you?” He couldn’t stop his chuckle.

She tipped her head to the side. “I believe it was the year after your visit.”

Freddie shook his head, but still smiled fully. “It seemed as if every time I turned around, you were blocking my path and expounding on some new Arthurian fact. Or supposed fact...”

She gave him a feigned scowl. “Are you saying I gave you false information?”

“Not false, but perhaps misguided or misunderstood.” Freddie smirked. “Tell me, did you ever go on a quest before the Christmas feast?”

She gave a rueful look. “If you call inspecting the walls in the north pasture ‘a quest.’ Father told me it was an adventure, but it felt more like a walk.”

Freddie’s head tipped back and laughed fully. “I can imagine it vexed you greatly.”

“Indeed.” She nodded. “The next year, he told me we would meet with important men. I thought for certain they would be the Knights of the Round Table.” She looked displeased. “But it was only father’s solicitor and then the vicar. My disappointment knew no bounds.”

He looked over at her and was happy to see her smiling. “What happened to that inquisitive girl who longed for adventure?”

A look passed over Pippy’s face. “She had to grow up. Life is not about adventures.”

“Oh?” Freddie looked at the path in front of them but kept flicking glances in her direction. “I try to have as many adventures as I can…especially if they’ll vex my father. What is your life about, if not adventures?”

She lifted a shoulder. “Comfort…security.”