Page 21 of My Gentleman Spy
He handed her a small bunch of daisies which had pure white petals and golden centers. Hattie accepted them with a shy smile. She held the flowers close to her heart. It was lovely to receive such a spontaneousgift.
“We saw it from the deck of the ship as we came into the harbor, but it was early and with the low morning rain clouds we couldn't get a clear view. Myfather.”
Hattie stopped herself just intime.
She was about to tell Will how disappointed her father had been at his first sight of the Rock, when she realized what she was doing. The carefully constructed lie she had managed to maintain for the past day had nearly unraveled like a loose threadcaught.
“Your father?” hereplied.
The sunny disposition he had displayed moments earlier disappeared. His eyes became hooded, his face a study in wariness. She was reminded of the lion she had once seen at the Royal Menagerie in the Exeter Exchange. A dangerous wild beast ready to strike out at any moment and tear her topieces.
Hattie looked down at the bunch of flowers in her hands, while frantically searching for something to say.Anything.
“Yes, my father. He has always wished to see Gibraltar,” she finally replied. The stems of the flowers bent in her tightly heldhands.
One thing she had learned since meeting Will was to keep her lies small. Any embellishment appeared to present him with the irresistible challenge to try and poke holes in herstory.
He did not believe her, of that much she was certain. She was at a loss to understand how he came to choose which aspects of her fabrication he would try to challenge. There was a strategy in play, but she could not see it clearly in hermind.
He had not pressed her regarding the major parts of her lie, yet he seemed intent to work at its inconsequential edges. Edges which she knew were fraying by theminute.
“Perhaps you shall travel here with him some time. Retrace the steps of your grand adventure. But first we must get you safely back to England,” hesaid.
The lionretreated.
As she looked at him, Hattie was possessed with an almost overwhelming desire to confess everything to Will. In many ways it would be so much easier if he knew. This continual game of trying to read one another's thoughts and emotions wasexhausting.
She hated lying. It went against everything she believed in. But telling Will the truth of her situation would mean handing him total control. With nothing left to negotiate with, she would be at his mercy. Once again powerless to determine her ownlife.
“You said you had climbed to the top of the Rock,” shereplied.
If he was able to read her as well as she suspected he could, Will would know she wanted to change the subject. He had succeeded in cracking open a little more of the door to her secrets, now he would be content to let her become comfortable once more. Then he would press her again foranswers.
How long she could continue to play this game, she was not sure, but with luck by the time Will had finally put the pieces of the puzzle together she would have slipped from hisgrasp.
“Yes, I ventured up to St Michael's cave earlier in the week. It is a steep walk up from the town, but we can visit it on our way back down from here. I doubt we shall have time tomorrow. I have some business matters to attend to in the morning before we sail,” hereplied.
Her mother had warned her about the monkeys that lived on the Rock. The wild Barbary monkeys were said to be dangerous and prone to attack withoutprovocation.
“I am not certain if I should go. What about the monkeys?” shesaid.
He reached out and took hold of her hand. The look he had given her when he asked about why she had jumped from the ship reappeared on his face. It was a look so full of honesty, Hattie felt a tear spring to hereye.
“Yes, you should, and do you know why? Because years from now, when you are old and reflective of your life, you will look back upon your brief stay in Gibraltar and remember the choices you made. That you were brave. You will not be disappointed with the cave. I promise I won’t let the monkeys hurt you. Trustme.”
She pulled her hand away. Fear held her back. Many times, Peter Brown had shown her a small kindness only to then reveal it as nothing more than a means to bend her to his will. She would keep her owncounsel.
Andyet.
His deep grey eyes held the promise of warmth, of the strong bond of friendship and more. She was torn in a thousand directions as to what todo.
* * *
The guide broughtthe donkey and cart over to where they stood. Will could tell Hattie was unsure as to what todo.
“A short stay at the cave. If at any time you feel uncomfortable, you only have to say the word and we shall leave immediately. Agreed?” heoffered.
“Agreed.”
