Page 59 of Bane Bloom

Longing stole into her expression, and my heart heaved. She came to me. Gripped by fear in the dead of night, she came to me.

She rose from the bed and silently turned for the door. My entire body strained against the tyranny of my mind.

Rosemary & Rue

No sooner had I crossed the threshold to my own room than I heard him murmur, “Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking, Morn of toil nor night of waking.”

I stepped back into the short corridor between us. “Is that a spell, Thomas?” I called softly.

“It is a line from The Lady of the Lake. And it is my wish for you, which makes it a spell.”

My heart gave a warm pulse. “Thank you.”

“No more dreams, lass.”

I went back to my room, and as I was closing the door, I thought better of it. Though after what had just happened, I wasn’t sure whether removing barriers between us would improve or worsen my rest. In the end, it turned out to be the former.

Or perhaps Thomas’s spell had worked.

As streamers of dawn reached across Pine Cottage from Honister Pass, touching the surface of the lake with pale yellow light, I woke to the memory of promising Annie I’d see her in church.

While Nancy attended church in Chelsea every Sunday, Papa and I mostly just went on feast days. But Annie was my only friend here—excepting Thomas, whom I was unsure how to categorize at the moment—and I wasn’t about to go back on my word.

The service would also give me time away from Pine Cottage to breathe and figure out what came next. By the light of day, I discovered some things had been resolved. I wasn’t going to abandon my work here out of fear. Whether or not I managed to pass Harding’s test, my time here would be of great value to my own projects and schemes. Also, I resolved not to speak a word of the Bane family mysteries; to do so would be a betrayal of Thomas and his confidences. And it might bring more gentlemen from the Society here. I wasn’t sure the latter could be prevented, but I wouldn’t be the cause of it. I no longer thought of using the Bane Bloom to prove my worth. I hoped Mr. Harding would give my letter no more than the glancing attention he’d given me at first, but if he did show interest, I would find a way of downplaying the find.

Unfortunately, the question left unresolved was the thorniest of all: What was happening between Thomas and me? Did it mean anything, and did I want it to? Did he? I wasn’t sure I would find those answers in church, but the outing and the service might at least clear my head.

I had passed the church when I arrived in Buttermere from Keswick; it was just outside the village. But I knew Thomas would never agree to me walking, and after yesterday, I wasn’t exactly keen myself. Sighing, I got out of bed, dressed, and went down to the kitchen, hoping I’d have an opportunity to speak to him.

As I worked at simple tasks, my mind kept tripping off to revisit the events of last night. I’d barely managed to boil water before the back door opened, and in came Thomas with an armload of wood.

The kitchen being small, there was no avoiding an awkward exchange of glances and morning greetings. He dumped the wood in the bin and was adding more to the firebox when I worked up the courage to ask my question.

“Thomas, I’m afraid I promised Annie I’d see her at church today. Do you plan on going?”

He shook his head. “I don’t attend church.”

“Never?”

He shrugged, then closed the firebox with a clang. It occurred to me that he and his mother might not have been welcomed at church.

“Would you mind if I took the cart?” I asked timidly. It would still mean going alone, but I’d have Daisy, at least. And small though she was, she was bound to outpace me in my city shoes and Sunday dress.

He shot me a questioning glance. “Have you driven one before?”

“Well, no,” I admitted. “As you’ve clearly begun to suspect, I’m not actually good for much of anything.”

His eyebrow lifted. “You shouldn’t say such things. You’ve a talent that would seem like magic to those who don’t have it.”

My color rose, and I smiled wryly. “And how would you know that?”

“I notice more than you might think.”

I laughed. “Of that I am certain.”

He turned and took hold of the doorknob. “I’ll drive you in. It will give me a chance to pay my respects.”

“Your family are buried there?”