It gave her a brilliant idea. She would take a stroll around the garden. She was certain that would tire her out at last. So she put on a light cloak and cautiously opened the bedroom door. She knew that she wasn’t planning on doing anything particularly suspicious, but she also didn’t know whether or not the staff would believe her if she said she was only going for a walk around the garden.
She crept down the hallway as noiselessly as possible. No one seemed to be around, so she walked faster when she got to the staircase. Something told her that the enormous main entrance door wouldn’t open as quietly as she would need it to, so she decided to use the door she saw in the kitchen yesterday.
At last, she was standing outside in the bright moonlight and calming breeze. As she strolled, she began to wonder whether this was a wise decision, because rather than beginning to feel sleepy, she was feeling totally exhilarated, and she thought that even the flowers smelled differently at this time of night.
She headed towards the reflecting pool for she knew that it would look absolutely stunning tonight. She sat on the same rocks that Lady Cecilia and the late Duchess used to sit on and listened to the wind and crickets.
She closed her eyes to listen to these sounds more intently. But then she heard something else. A twig snapping. Now, why would a twig suddenly snap on a calm and gentle night such as this one? Furthermore, Meredith was sitting perfectly still on the rock, she certainly wasn’t going around snapping twigs at this time of night.
There is absolutely no reason for it to snap unless… someone else stepped on it.
Chapter 14
They both jumped at the same moment.
“Miss Meyer!”
“Your Grace!”
Meredith put a hand over her heart in an endeavor to calm it down. She had almost lost her balance on the rock. She stood up as the Duke quickened his pace towards her.
“I certainly wasn’t expecting anyone to be out here at this hour, and I was so captivated by the moon that I didn’t see you until I was about seven or eight paces away. Why didn’t you say anything, Miss Meyer? More importantly, why are you out so late?”
Meredith replied, “I’m sorry, Your Grace. I had my eyes closed, so I also did not see you until I heard you step on a twig. I came outside in hopes of tiring myself out, for I couldn’t sleep. And I hope that you do not think me impertinent, Your Grace, but may I ask why you are here also?”
He cleared his throat, “I, too, was struggling to get to sleep. And the moon seemed so hauntingly beautiful tonight that I simply had to come outside.”
Meredith huffed internally.
It serves him right. After all, he is the reason for my insomnia tonight.
They stood facing each other rather awkwardly. Meredith was unsure if His Grace was expecting her to go back inside. And although it was slightly embarrassing to have been caught, as it were, by her employer himself, Meredith was secretly glad it was him. After all, she had grown accustomed to being in his presence over the last few days.
“I hope I am not keeping you, Your Grace.”
“Not at all, Miss Meyer. I didn’t wander out here with any sort of plan, really. Although, I wouldn’t want to keep you in case you have decided to go back inside.”
“Not at all, Your Grace. May I beg your permission to stay outside just a little bit longer? I still have not cured my insomnia.”
“Why, of course. If you plan on staying out here, then I hope you will permit me to accompany you. I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving a lady outside on her own at this time of night.”
Meredith expressed her appreciation.
Ah yes, ever the gentleman, even in these unusual situations.
They sat on separate rocks by the reflecting pool with a reasonable distance between them. Meredith gazed into the pool, while the Duke gazed at the sky. She decided to check if he was up for conversation, for she felt guilty that he deemed himself obligated to safeguard her.
“I was once told, Your Grace, that one could summon the wind with a whistle.”
The Duke squinted at her, “Pardon me, Miss Meyer. But I very much doubt there is much truth to that assertion. Who was your source for this information?”
Shaking her head, Meredith insisted, “With all due respect, Your Grace. I have proven it multiple times over the years. What is more, I would readily prove it to you at this very moment.”
Now he, too, was shaking his head. “And with all due respect to you, too, Miss Meyer, I am afraid to admit that I very much doubt you will be able to. However, if you were to put forward a logical explanation for this phenomenon, I would be more inclined to believe you.”
Standing up, Meredith straightened her gown and cleared her throat—all of this, of course, was quite unnecessary. For anyone could whistle quite perfectly whilst sitting down. And clearing one’s throat certainly contributed nothing towards the quality of one’s whistle. But Meredith put on this pretense nonetheless.
She began to whistle. Nothing happened at first, but then the wind began to stir. This elicited a frown from His Grace, who was still obviously quite convinced that all of this was nonsensical.
