league.
Conversing with country lads was one thing, but a sophisticated
gentleman of the world was something else entirely. Trying to
ignore his presence, she fell into step by his side and walked
quietly back to the castle.
Chapter Three
“Wake up, Miss
Hastings. Hurry!” Ian called to a sleepy Julie. “We don’t have much
time!” He shook her until she opened her eyes.
Julie tried to rub the
sleep from her eyes as she sat up in bed. “Are you all right, Ian?
What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. You
promised to go, don’t you remember?” Ian asked patiently, as if to
a child.
“Go where?” Julie
yawned and tried to focus on the eager face before her.
“To Leddie’s Crag…for
the sunrise! Don’t you remember?” he said with so much
disappointment in his voice that Julie hastened to reassure
him.
“Of course I
remember.” Julie stifled another yawn. “I stayed up too late
reading last night. I’ll put the kettle on to boil, and get
dressed. We’ll get there in time. Now scoot!”
By the time Julie
dressed and hurriedly ran a comb through her hair and tied it
loosely with a ribbon, the water had boiled, the tea steeped, and
she put it in a flask. Ian quickly took Julie by the hand and all
but pulled her down the back stairs and out into the cold, damp
dawning. They followed the path to Leddie’s Crag and arrived before
the sun rose. “It’s almost time. I’ll pour us some tea. What else
have you brought, Ian?”
“I know where Mrs.
Walker keeps her leftover tarts, and I took some,” he said guiltily
but with just a hint of defiance. “Besides, everyone knows you
can’t have a proper tea without tarts,” he added, looking sideways
at Julie.
She could see his
stubborn streak written so plainly across his face. She laughed and
poured the tea. It was something she might have done herself. Ian
produced three butter tarts and three strawberry tarts.
“Ian, have you ever
heard a sunrise?”
“Heard a sunrise? Miss
Hastings, everyone knows sunrises aren’t noisy.”
“Would you like to
hear one?” Ian nodded his head eagerly. Julie continued, “What do
you hear now?”
“Nothing. It’s very
quiet. Not even the tweet of a bird,” Ian said in a whisper.
“That’s right.
Everything is asleep. Now, close your eyes and listen. I’ll tell
you when to open them.”
* * *
Matthew, who had been
privy to the early morning departure of his nephew and governess,
followed them to Leddie’s Crag. Now he listened to the sound of
Julie’s voice, and he closed his eyes also. He heard the sunrise,
and without too much imagination, he saw Julie silhouetted against
the crimson sky with her hair loose and cascading around her
shoulders as she was today. He smiled and continued to listen. Soon
birds began to chirp, and the world woke up full of activity.
“Open your eyes now.
Did you hear it?” Julie asked Ian.
“Yes, yes, I did!” Ian
said with growing excitement in his voice. “I could not hear a
sound and then everything came to life. The noise started as the
sun came up. Is that what you meant?”
Matthew continued to
watch as Julie nodded her head and stared out to sea at the
beautiful sunrise. She breathed in and let it out with a sigh.
Layers of clouds rolled over the sky, and the scarlet rays of the
sun quickly turned them and everything around from pink to
vermilion.
“Do you often watch
the sunrise, Ian?”
“Lots of times!
Sometimes I can’t sleep so I get up and watch the sun come up. I
get a good view from my bedroom window. I like the early morning
time best of all. What a magnificent sunrise! Don’t you think so,
Miss Hastings?” Ian asked with a smile. The smile brightened his
little face. He smiled so seldom; it cheered Matthew to see him
happy.
“Yes, Ian, it might
just be the best one I’ve seen. I’m glad you brought me, but who
told you about this place to watch for a sunrise?”
“I can hear the
servants talking if I go over to the stairwell that
Conversing with country lads was one thing, but a sophisticated
gentleman of the world was something else entirely. Trying to
ignore his presence, she fell into step by his side and walked
quietly back to the castle.
Chapter Three
“Wake up, Miss
Hastings. Hurry!” Ian called to a sleepy Julie. “We don’t have much
time!” He shook her until she opened her eyes.
Julie tried to rub the
sleep from her eyes as she sat up in bed. “Are you all right, Ian?
What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. You
promised to go, don’t you remember?” Ian asked patiently, as if to
a child.
“Go where?” Julie
yawned and tried to focus on the eager face before her.
“To Leddie’s Crag…for
the sunrise! Don’t you remember?” he said with so much
disappointment in his voice that Julie hastened to reassure
him.
“Of course I
remember.” Julie stifled another yawn. “I stayed up too late
reading last night. I’ll put the kettle on to boil, and get
dressed. We’ll get there in time. Now scoot!”
By the time Julie
dressed and hurriedly ran a comb through her hair and tied it
loosely with a ribbon, the water had boiled, the tea steeped, and
she put it in a flask. Ian quickly took Julie by the hand and all
but pulled her down the back stairs and out into the cold, damp
dawning. They followed the path to Leddie’s Crag and arrived before
the sun rose. “It’s almost time. I’ll pour us some tea. What else
have you brought, Ian?”
“I know where Mrs.
Walker keeps her leftover tarts, and I took some,” he said guiltily
but with just a hint of defiance. “Besides, everyone knows you
can’t have a proper tea without tarts,” he added, looking sideways
at Julie.
She could see his
stubborn streak written so plainly across his face. She laughed and
poured the tea. It was something she might have done herself. Ian
produced three butter tarts and three strawberry tarts.
“Ian, have you ever
heard a sunrise?”
“Heard a sunrise? Miss
Hastings, everyone knows sunrises aren’t noisy.”
“Would you like to
hear one?” Ian nodded his head eagerly. Julie continued, “What do
you hear now?”
“Nothing. It’s very
quiet. Not even the tweet of a bird,” Ian said in a whisper.
“That’s right.
Everything is asleep. Now, close your eyes and listen. I’ll tell
you when to open them.”
* * *
Matthew, who had been
privy to the early morning departure of his nephew and governess,
followed them to Leddie’s Crag. Now he listened to the sound of
Julie’s voice, and he closed his eyes also. He heard the sunrise,
and without too much imagination, he saw Julie silhouetted against
the crimson sky with her hair loose and cascading around her
shoulders as she was today. He smiled and continued to listen. Soon
birds began to chirp, and the world woke up full of activity.
“Open your eyes now.
Did you hear it?” Julie asked Ian.
“Yes, yes, I did!” Ian
said with growing excitement in his voice. “I could not hear a
sound and then everything came to life. The noise started as the
sun came up. Is that what you meant?”
Matthew continued to
watch as Julie nodded her head and stared out to sea at the
beautiful sunrise. She breathed in and let it out with a sigh.
Layers of clouds rolled over the sky, and the scarlet rays of the
sun quickly turned them and everything around from pink to
vermilion.
“Do you often watch
the sunrise, Ian?”
“Lots of times!
Sometimes I can’t sleep so I get up and watch the sun come up. I
get a good view from my bedroom window. I like the early morning
time best of all. What a magnificent sunrise! Don’t you think so,
Miss Hastings?” Ian asked with a smile. The smile brightened his
little face. He smiled so seldom; it cheered Matthew to see him
happy.
“Yes, Ian, it might
just be the best one I’ve seen. I’m glad you brought me, but who
told you about this place to watch for a sunrise?”
“I can hear the
servants talking if I go over to the stairwell that
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