Derek’s laughter faded into a fond smile. “You’ve been a tremendous help, my dear, and I shall certainly welcome your continued company when I travel to Melton Castle. First, of course, I’ll need to take these to my superiors and explain why I need an extra day or two to complete the last one. I’ll order the coach for approximately an hour from now. Can you be ready?”
Abigail bit her lip to keep from laughing aloud. She had adored every minute she’d spent with Derek this evening, and now she could look forward to more time with him during the upcoming journey and during their efforts to decipher the remaining puzzle. ”I’ll be ready,” she said.
“Dawn will be breaking by the time we leave, but the day will still be chilly, so dress warmly.”
“I shall.” Abigail picked up her candle and hurried out of the room, both happy and relieved. He trusted her enough to accept her help. That might not be much to some people, but to her it was enough to allow the beginning of hope. Hope that some day trust in each other would not still be completely out of reach.
Chapter Five
The skies that morning were overcast, and there was a smell in the air that Abigail recognized as a harbinger of snow. Thus, she was not at all surprised when she looked out the coach window some two or three hours after their journey had begun and saw snowflakes drifting languidly through the air.
She scooted forward on her seat and craned her head in an attempt to locate Derek. He’d chosen to ride outside the coach and had instructed Abigail to try to get some rest. She’d managed to sleep for short snatches of time but kept being jostled awake as the coach jolted its way along the winter-roughened roadway.
She didn’t see Derek when she looked out the coach window, but she did locate enough landmarks to realize that they were only a couple of miles from Melton Castle. She leaned back, then retrieved her bonnet from the seat and positioned it on her head as best she could.
She’d just finished tossing off the rug covering her legs when the coachman turned into the castle’s drive. By the time the coach rolled to a stop at the front entrance, the snow was falling in earnest and the bare branches of the elms were changing from ugly brown to lacy white.
Seconds later, Derek opened the coach door and held out his hand to help her alight. She stepped down and looked around. “Isn’t it lovely?” she murmured, gazing at the huge white flakes as they floated quietly down to settle gently on everything below.
“I suppose.” Derek’s tone indicated he was less than pleased with this turn of events. In fact, when she looked at him, she saw that a frown had settled on his brow. Of course he would be worried about their being snowed in, especially when he had a cipher that must be of extreme importance, considering how much more sophisticated it was than the others they had deciphered.
But despite that concern, Abigail felt her heart soar when she looked up and felt the flakes tickling her face as they landed and immediately melted. The beauty of the snow, the sweet smell of the country air, the sharp bite of the cold on her face—all combined to whirl her backward in time.
She remembered another winter when she was perhaps eight years old. It must have been around Christmas because Derek had been home from school and despite his being older than her and his stepsisters, he’d joined them for a snowball fight in the formal garden behind Melton Castle. She’d been hiding behind one of the hedges lobbing snowballs at the sisters when he’d sneaked up behind her and stuffed a snowball down the back of her dress.
Remembering her screams of surprise and shock brought a smile to her face. She glanced around for Derek. He’d turned to give instructions to the groom who’d dashed up from the stables to help see to the horses. She quickly bent and scooped up a double handful of snow, formed it into a soft ball, and
Abigail bit her lip to keep from laughing aloud. She had adored every minute she’d spent with Derek this evening, and now she could look forward to more time with him during the upcoming journey and during their efforts to decipher the remaining puzzle. ”I’ll be ready,” she said.
“Dawn will be breaking by the time we leave, but the day will still be chilly, so dress warmly.”
“I shall.” Abigail picked up her candle and hurried out of the room, both happy and relieved. He trusted her enough to accept her help. That might not be much to some people, but to her it was enough to allow the beginning of hope. Hope that some day trust in each other would not still be completely out of reach.
Chapter Five
The skies that morning were overcast, and there was a smell in the air that Abigail recognized as a harbinger of snow. Thus, she was not at all surprised when she looked out the coach window some two or three hours after their journey had begun and saw snowflakes drifting languidly through the air.
She scooted forward on her seat and craned her head in an attempt to locate Derek. He’d chosen to ride outside the coach and had instructed Abigail to try to get some rest. She’d managed to sleep for short snatches of time but kept being jostled awake as the coach jolted its way along the winter-roughened roadway.
She didn’t see Derek when she looked out the coach window, but she did locate enough landmarks to realize that they were only a couple of miles from Melton Castle. She leaned back, then retrieved her bonnet from the seat and positioned it on her head as best she could.
She’d just finished tossing off the rug covering her legs when the coachman turned into the castle’s drive. By the time the coach rolled to a stop at the front entrance, the snow was falling in earnest and the bare branches of the elms were changing from ugly brown to lacy white.
Seconds later, Derek opened the coach door and held out his hand to help her alight. She stepped down and looked around. “Isn’t it lovely?” she murmured, gazing at the huge white flakes as they floated quietly down to settle gently on everything below.
“I suppose.” Derek’s tone indicated he was less than pleased with this turn of events. In fact, when she looked at him, she saw that a frown had settled on his brow. Of course he would be worried about their being snowed in, especially when he had a cipher that must be of extreme importance, considering how much more sophisticated it was than the others they had deciphered.
But despite that concern, Abigail felt her heart soar when she looked up and felt the flakes tickling her face as they landed and immediately melted. The beauty of the snow, the sweet smell of the country air, the sharp bite of the cold on her face—all combined to whirl her backward in time.
She remembered another winter when she was perhaps eight years old. It must have been around Christmas because Derek had been home from school and despite his being older than her and his stepsisters, he’d joined them for a snowball fight in the formal garden behind Melton Castle. She’d been hiding behind one of the hedges lobbing snowballs at the sisters when he’d sneaked up behind her and stuffed a snowball down the back of her dress.
Remembering her screams of surprise and shock brought a smile to her face. She glanced around for Derek. He’d turned to give instructions to the groom who’d dashed up from the stables to help see to the horses. She quickly bent and scooped up a double handful of snow, formed it into a soft ball, and
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