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meet her, but could not give James my true reasoning.
“I will be back by lunch.”
    His sigh
matched mine, as his stare held me in place. When my eyes struggled
to remain in line with his, he cupped my neck, holding me steady.
“If something is bothering you, Sean, I expect you to talk to
me.”
    I tried not to
peer away, to disguise my unease. “What could bother me when the
hunt looms so near?”
    He did not
release me, but continued his unspoken study. His eyes held
intensity as they searched mine—for my secrets, I presumed. When he
eventually stepped back, he ruffled my hair. “Be home by noon.”
    I watched him
walk away before turning to leave.
    ***
    The simpler her
attire, the more beautiful she became—maybe because it revealed the
shape of her body, riveting my eyes to her. Her flouncy cuffs
fluttered around her narrow wrists, a pale green bodice accentuated
her waist, and the delicate floral fabric of her skirt concealed
the undignified pose she took to face me upon the fallen trunk.
    “Mother grew
suspicious of the late hour at which I arrived home,” she said.
    “Were you
reprimanded?”
    She shook her
head before smiling. “Jessica can be very convincing.”
    “And your
father? Was he also angered?”
    The smile
dissolved into a frown, and she tipped her face down toward where
her fingers traced the rough bark. “My father died when I was
small.”
    Reaching
across, I lifted her chin until our eyes met. “Mine, also, passed
away some time ago.”
    “How did he
die?” she asked. “My father was a carpenter who failed to shield
himself whilst working. Mother said Doctor Wilson could not arrive
in time to stop the bleeding. What happened to your father?”
    Compelled to
tell her everything about myself, I floundered for words to protect
her from the truth. After a while, I said, “He died in a
disagreement,” and realised I had spoken with honesty.
    “I am very
sorry to hear that, Mr Holloway.”
    “Sean,” I
murmured as we stared at each other. “My name is Sean.”
    “And my name is
Miss Stonehouse, yet you constantly decline to use it.”
    My quiet laugh
escaped on a breath. “I have a preference for Jem. It has a
uniqueness, which befits a female who is not like any other I have
met.”
    “You are quite
easily misled.” She smiled. “There is nothing exceptional about
me.”
    “Your mother
must have thought so. Why else would she have marked you with an
unusual name?”
    “Mother named
me after my star sign.”
    My
unfamiliarity with the term caused a frown to crease my
forehead.
    “The astrology
signs for our birthdates,” she said. “You do not know of them?”
    I shook my head
and smiled. “Teach me.” I would use any excuse to hear her
voice.
    “Studying such
subjects is frowned upon, so I do not know much, other than there
are twelve symbols, called signs, in the zodiac calendar, which
each represent certain calendar dates. Dependent upon your day of
birth, you fall under one of these signs. My sign is Gemini, from
which my name is derived. They say our stars affect who we are and
how we behave.”
    “So, what would
mine be?” I asked, intrigued.
    “For that, I
would need to know your birthday,” she said. “Are you willing to
divulge?”
    “The sixth day
in June.”
    Her gaze held
me for seconds before she smiled. “That is ... interesting. You,
too, are Gemini.”
    I waited for
her to elaborate, watching as she stared off to the side for a
moment and her brow furrowed.
    She turned back
to me, her eyes carrying a concern they had not seconds before. “A
meeting of the hearts of two Gemini has been known to end with
explosive results, Mr Holloway.”
    Reaching out to
trap a stray tress that stroked her cheek, I smiled. “Then, I shall
look forward to that.”
    ***
    “’Tis still
early,” Jem said, as I walked her home.
    “At least you
shan’t get into bother on my account again.”
    Her lifted
skirts allowed me a charming glimpse of her ankles, as she