Page 49 of Forget Me Not

“Trees are not abundant in this area of the country.” He swung their clasped hands between them as they walked on. “Falstone Castle has a forest, though, one the Boyce family has been cultivating for generations.”

They continued on, sometimes with hands clasped, sometimes not, having a perfectly pleasant conversation about nature and mountains and the neighbors.

“Kes said you were working on mathematics when he saw you in the book room yesterday.”

She stiffened but didn’t stop. “I hadn’t realized he’d noticed.”

They walked on a minute, the ground temporarily very level. She wore an expression of worried uncertainty. She was putting a wall up between them again. Julia wasn’t pushing him away; she was hiding.

“Do you enjoy mathematics?” He made certain the inquiry held not even a hint of disapproval.

“I enjoy learning new things,” she said. “Ladies aren’t afforded an education with any real depth.”

“And, thus, you have been seeing to your own education.” An admirable undertaking.

“I am trying,” she said. “Some of the gaps are proving difficult to fill with my piecemeal background.”

He preceded her up a steeper bit of the trail than they’d yet encountered. Turning back, he offered his hand once more, taking firm hold of hers. “Be certain of your foothold before taking the next step,” he instructed. “Rushing is an unnecessary risk.”

She followed his advice without objection or struggle.

“I was a fairly good student at Cambridge,” he said once they were walking again. “I could likely help you bridge those educational gaps, answer questions, or point you toward helpful texts.”

She paused on the trail, watching him a moment. “You wouldn’t find that tedious?”

“I have never found you tedious, Julia.”

Her smiled blossomed. An answering warmth spread in his chest.

“What is that look for?” he asked.

“For that enormous fib you just told.” She began trekking forward again.

He took a quick two steps to catch up with her. “What fib?”

“That you have never found me tedious. I recall with great clarity a house party at Lampton Park to which your parents invited friends who had a daughter—abeautifuldaughter—very near you in age, about sixteen at the time. And whenever I crossed paths with the two of you, I—”

“Asked endless questions about whether I had kissed her, hoped to kiss her, meant to marry her.” Lud, he did remember that. “She was mortified, and I—”

“And you found me entirely tedious.”

He laughed at the memory. “You kept life decidedly interesting, my friend. One adventure after another.”

“And then you moved here and took all the adventure with you.”

He took her hand once more. “What do you think? Care to join in a few of those adventures now that you’re here as well?”

“I am not the adventurous type, Lucas.”

They reached the flat section of the summit in the next moment, the very spot he’d previously determined would be perfect for their picnic at the top of the world.

He motioned to the gorgeous view. “Even when adventure leads tothis?”

She pulled in a slow, amazed breath as she looked out over the valley below. “Oh, Lucas.” She spoke almost breathlessly. “It’s—It’s—”

“I never have managed to quite put it into words either,” he said. “I also never grow weary of viewing the world from the mountaintops.”

She traversed the small plane, taking in the expanse while he spread out the blanket he’d rolled up and tied over his shoulder. He’d also trekked up with a leather bag on his back containing their picnic lunch. He set out the food he’d brought, enjoying the sight of her breathing in one of his favorite views in all the world.

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