Garden of May

Chapter 64

The feel of his lips on her forehead as she slept, the way he brushed away the heat, the quietness of his footsteps so as not to wake her—none of these gestures held coldness or calculation.

One night, she’d found herself laughing without realizing it, then, startled by her own laughter, she’d covered her mouth with her hand. Whenever these moments felt like evidence of something more, Vanessa would dig her nails into her palm until it hurt, just like now.

It hurts. She had developed the habit of inflicting this small pain on herself whenever she felt swept away by him. Being with River Ross was both sweet and futile, like a dream destined to end. And sometimes, that very fact made her incredibly anxious.

They each held the end of an invisible string, but when she came to her senses, she realized she was the only one dangling precariously from the slack line. Whenever River Ross remembered the string in his hand and gave it a tug, she was dragged along, unable to resist. Like a dog on a leash, her infatuated gaze impossible to hide.

Vanessa bit her lip, suddenly self-conscious of the blush that undoubtedly warmed her cheeks.

“River,” Vanessa stopped abruptly, looking around. She’d been so caught up in him that they’d walked halfway around the castle grounds without her realizing it. “There’s nothing but the outer wall ahead. We’ll run into the patrol guards if we continue this way.”

“I know.”

“Then where are we going…?”

“You said you wanted to see the circus.”

“Well, yes, but are we going to see it now?” Vanessa blinked in confusion.

“But we’re… No, Uncle isn’t even coming back tonight. He would never allow me to go out, even if I begged him in a letter. And the Winchester twins aren’t here tonight either, so I have no excuse. The guards will definitely stop us, and even if they didn’t, we don’t have a carriage or a motorcar to get there…”

Vanessa’s face paled as she listed the reasons why it was impossible, then she stopped mid-sentence, as if struck by a sudden realization. “Don’t tell me you’re suggesting we climb the wall?”

“Something like that.”

“That’s absurd! We could die if we’re caught.”

“Then we won’t get caught.” His confidence made her worries seem trivial. But that wasn’t the only problem.

“Even so, it’s not a good idea right now. My clothes are completely inappropriate.”

“Your clothes? Why?”

“They aren’t proper attire for a lady going out. I don’t have a coat, and the top button of my blouse is missing…” While they might look presentable at first glance, her clothes bore the unmistakable marks of their lovemaking.

Anyone with a keen eye would know exactly what they had been doing just by looking at the wrinkles. River Ross’s expression remained nonchalant, a careless smile playing on his lips. “If you dislike it that much, we can forget it.”

Vanessa’s grey eyes clouded with uncertainty. She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head resolutely. “No, I want to go.”

If she missed this opportunity, she felt she would regret it forever. The “perfect moment” to sneak out might never come. He smiled, as if he’d expected her answer, and started walking ahead, his familiarity with the route evident.

Vanessa looked around curiously. It was Gloucester Castle, of course, but she rarely ventured this way, and it felt unfamiliar.

“How did you know about this place?”

“Mr. Ross told me.”

“I’ve always wondered, why do you call your uncle so formally?”

He glanced down at her. “Do you feel any great affection for your uncle?”

“Well…honestly, no.” Vanessa blushed slightly, as if admitting to a terrible secret. “But I still don’t call him Mr. Sommerset.”

“This way.” He changed direction, abruptly ending the conversation. Diagonally from a crumbling, neglected angel statue, a path was half-hidden by overgrown bushes. Following it led them to a towering iron gate and, beyond it, a moat. They were at the outermost edge of the castle grounds.

How on earth are we supposed to get over that? Just as she tilted her head in confusion, a faint scraping of metal drew her attention. River Ross had gripped the bars and was putting his weight against them.

“Good heavens, River!” She was about to warn him that he might hurt himself when, astonishingly, the bars swung loosely inward, creating a gap large enough for a person to pass through.