Page 125 of To Know Miss May

For being near August, she was bound to forget.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

“Angry people are not always wise.”

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

August did his best to quell any rumors he heard about Livvy, but they spread like spilt water over a smooth table. The more he tried to stop one dripping, the faster more would spill on the other side until all of the Mount seemed to have heard one version of the lie or another.

His sisters, fortunately, did not seem to be participating in said rumors, though that had backfired, as August’s name soon became embroiled in the mess, as well.

“Be it true, August?” Mother asked him after church the following Sunday. “What they be sayin’, be it true?”

But August didn’t have the heart to respond. Livvy and her father hadn’t attended services that day, and August knew there was only one reason for that. Livvy had heard the rumors, too.

Here was yet another one of his many wrongdoings, yet another way in which he was causing her pain.

Without responding to his family, all four of them casting curious and worried gazes in his direction, August excused himself to spend the rest of the day in his room again, unable to face what now lie ahead in his future—a future without Livvy May.

Before he could climb the stairs, however, a knock sounded at the door, and August paused. His heart lifted. Could it be…had Livvy come to visit him at last?

And yet, when their footman John answered the door, revealing Mr. May’s stoic face in the doorway, August stiffened.

His first reaction was to flee, as he’d been doing since the beginning of Mr. May’s rotten behavior. But a quick memory check reminded August that he no longer had anything to fear.

The man had already taken everything from him.

As such, he faced him with a matching look of severity.

“Is Mr. August Moon in?” Mr. May asked John.

But August was already moving to the door, if only to prevent John from allowing the man in. “I’ll take it from ’ere, John, thank ye.”

John nodded, glancing between them before leaving the corridor.

Between John and the May’s maid, the servants would be having a grand time with how much fodder they were earning from their drama-filled employers.

“What can I do for ye, Mr. May?” August asked stiffly. As if he would do anything more for the man who’d effectively ruined his life.

Mr. Moon raised his chin, standing outside of the house with a tight jaw. “It would appear that me daugh’er ’as learned o’ your termination at the castle gardens and wishes to reverse me decision.”

That was not what August had been expecting to hear. Emma must have told Livvy about his no longer working at the castle, despite his desire to keep it to himself for as long as possible. He simply didn’t want Livvy to pity him. Not when he deserved her derision.

Still, he couldn’t fault Emma for telling her. She no doubt must have only been trying to help.

His heart lifted for a single moment at the thought of Livvy championing him, but then, he hardly deserved such kindness.

“Now,” Mr. May continued, “I be certain ye know I cannot easily do such a thing, as ye’ve forfeited me trust permanently.”

August looked away with a scoff, shaking his head at the man’s audacity. He had a mind to push him out in the street and show him how he really felt about his trust. Instead, he clenched his fists tightly together and listened as Mr. May continued.

“Howe’er, as ye might be aware, I’ll be escortin’ me daugh’er off the Mount soon.” He paused, as if to rub August’s face in the matter. “As such, she’s alerted me to the fact that I’ll need more ’elp at the gardens, and as I don’t ’ave time to train anyone else up, I be willin’ to bring ye back on for a trial period. If ye do well, I’ll open your position again. If not, well, I be certain ye can find somewhere else to work off the Mount.”

August’s eyes hardened.

Mr. May hardly seemed to notice, though, as he backed away, clearly finished with the conversation. “Now, if ye’ll excuse me.” He tipped his head slightly, then made to leave, but August, with a burning fire within his heart, could no longer allow himself to stand idly by.

“Just a moment, sir.”