Page 98 of Hearts of Briarwall

“Yes,” all three friends said.

Lydia turned, eyes wide. Ruby took her arm and turned Lydia back toward him. “Don’t worry about Andrew,” she whispered. “He will grow up soon enough.”

Lydia visibly swallowed and stepped forward, her voice stronger. “What are you doing here?”

“Mr. Janes asked me here.”

Florrie gasped and squealed, hugging Nibs to her.

Spencer cleared his throat. “And then Andrew came—”

Below them, the front door opened and shut.

Lydia’s eyes grew wider. “Andrew is here?” She darted a glance toward the staircase.

“I believe he just left.”

“You ... you spoke to him?”

He nodded. “Loudly.”

She pressed her lips together. “Was he angry?”

“At first.”

“At first?”

“Yes.” He noted the familiar tendrils escaping the loose knot at the back of her neck. A silk flower was pinned in her hair above her ear. “I like your hair that way,” he said.

Her hand immediately went to her hair, and he wanted to touch it, too. “Fallon felt that a flower would be cheerful.”

He frowned. “Has your stay been difficult?”

She shook her head, then slowly nodded. “I miss—Hero.”

He squelched a smile, his pulse leaping around. He took another step forward. “Would it help if I told you that I’m sure Hero misses you?”

“Do you think so?”

He nodded, taking another step. “I can’t say that I blame him. There is so much to miss.”

Violet nudged Lydia another step closer.

“Like what?” Lydia asked.

“Like talking to you about birds or motorcars. Tending to cows. Taking bicycle rides and tripping over logs. Or hearing you sing.”

“Hero abhors it when I sing. He howls and howls.”

“I don’t.”

She took another step toward him. “You don’t howl?”

“I don’t abhor it when you sing.”

“Oh.”

He closed the distance between them, still afraid to touch her. “I also don’t abhor it when you insist you know what’s good for me. Or when you ride astride instead of sidesaddle.” A dreamy look grew in her eyes, so he continued. “I don’t abhor it when you quote literature or talk about the suffrage or try to mimic my dreadful accent.”

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