Page 48 of A Fearless Heart
“Cady, don’t hide away again.”
“Mr Court, you do not dictate terms to me.” Cady’s tone was frosty, mostly because whenever she let him get close to her, she had a tendency to melt into a puddle. “Thank you for rescuing me. I won’t forget it. But I also won’t forget anything else you did. Now, since you seem to have difficulty following directions, let me be very clear. You will escort me back to the house, then you will work on the ha-ha this afternoon.”
“The what?”
“The raised earthworks that separates the lawn by the house from the lower meadow. It’s called a ha-ha.”
“First tuber storage, and now a ha-ha. Who came up with that name?”
“Probably the person who laughed when they saw people fall off it because they didn’t realize the ground went away. Part of the wall’s fallen down and it needs to be cleared of dirt and the stones reset. Otherwise the sheep and goats get up to the lawn and gardens and wreak havoc.”
“Is this a real task? Or are you making things up to punish me?”
“You can always leave Calderwood, Mr Court. Go find another gardening position somewhere else.”
He was silent, which gave Cady something to think about. She could send Gabe away. Or perhaps she could find out exactly why he wanted to stay.
Chapter 18
Gabe discovered that the ha-hawas indeed a real thing, and that goats loved to climb across the damaged part to chomp on the tender green grass of the lawn above. He spent the whole rest of the afternoon lifting and moving rocks so he could clear out the damaged area and reassemble the wall. It was hard work, and the spring day warmed as the sun moved west. Gabe was a sweaty mess by the time he was done.
And all he could think about was Cady’s expression when she left him at the door to the house. Those deep brown eyes regarding him with a thoughtfulness that unsettled him.
Still, he did his work, and when he was done he washed himself clean, carefully avoiding getting his hair or beard too wet, lest the black dye bleed all over.
Another excellent supper from Cook, but the attitude of the other servants toward him was as chilly as it had been the first day he arrived. Vernon must have shared his suspicions about what he saw at the icehouse the other day. He must have thought Gabe was using his proximity to Lady Arcadia to seduce her. Gabe could only imagine their reactions if Vernon actually knew what happened inside the icehouse just before he arrived. Gabe would likely have been tarred and feathered before being run out of town.
A bell on the wall rang—the laboratory, not Cady’s bedchamber—and Martha stood. “Wonder what she needs. Already pecked at her supper,” she commented as she bustled away.
Gabe listened as the others talked. He knew better than to try to work his way into the conversation. He’d have to find another tactic to regain the tentative trust of the old guard.
Then Martha returned to the kitchen, looking a little annoyed. “My lady wants to see you, Mr Court.”
He sat up straighter, but frowned. This was exactly the sort of situation he needed to avoid—being alone with Cady. “Now?”
“Aye, in her laboratory. She said something heavy needs to be moved.”
“Oh, I can do that.” He stood up, and offered a quick goodnight in case any of the others should retire before he got back. He felt the gazes of Rundle and Vernon like daggers in his back. Gabe hurried though the dark halls to Cady’s laboratory.
He knocked quietly, mindful of her hatred of intrusion. “My lady? Martha said you have need of me.”
“Yes, come in.”
The laboratory was dimly lit, with only a couple of lamps burning, both turned down quite low. Cady perched on a stool near her gigantic worktable.
“What am I moving?” he asked, looking around. Nothing looked like it was out of place.
“I told Martha that as an excuse.” She gestured to the table, which held a number of glass containers, and—incongruously—two small teapots and cups. One was chipped. “You said that someone ought to be with me while I drank my mushroom tea. Since you’re so interested in my doings, I’ve decided that person will be you.”
Gabe looked at the tea things and winced. “Am I part of this experiment?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. First, it’s not an experiment. I already know how the mushroom tea works. Second,yourtea is the same blend that Cook uses for tea at the evening meals. Did you know I make it?”
“Not surprised. It’s good,” Gabe added, recalling the herbal blend Cook always made in the big ceramic teapot. Heavy on the mint, it was refreshing without keeping a person up all night.
She gestured to a second stool and he sat. It was oddly formal, him and Cady at the table. He felt like he ought to be dressed better, and said so.
She smiled as she poured his tea from the pot closest to him. “It’s not a party. It’s for information.” She poured her own brew from the other pot. It looked and smelled much different. Earthier and dark.
