Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

As promised, Basil returned the next day. The boys kept watch out the window for the return of the strange man, and when they spotted him, they darted down the stairs and out the front door to greet him, wondering what he would do this time.

"I told you," he said. "I am here to teach your womenfolk to swi?—"

"Welcome, Mr. Morley," Evangeline said, arriving on the scene a little winded but just in time to stop him from saying something most assuredly improper. "Might I beg a word with you in private? Simon, take Gregory and William out into the garden. Adele and Haney shall join you in a moment."

William protested. "Can't Mr. Morley come with us?"

"I will send him out to play once I have spoken to him," Evangeline promised.

Basil saluted the boys as they passed him, then stepped up to the door. "Lead the way. What is it you wish to speak to me about? "

She turned and led him to the parlor he should have been sent to the day before. Once the door was securely shut behind him, she said, "I really must ask you to stop declaring to everyone that you are here to teach me to swim."

"But that is why I am here. For you and Adele."

Evangeline lifted a hand. "You have said so, yes, but how do you propose going about the business? I will not be taught where every man, woman, and child passing by can see me, if I will be taught at all. What if I say no?"

Basil studied her a moment, his face inscrutable. "What if I insist?"

She wondered how he might go about insisting. What would he do? Wrest her into his arms and drag her to the nearest pond while she, striking his chest with her fists, half-fainting, could do nothing under his power?

An unruly lip twitched. She must be reading too many fanciful novels. Her hair had somehow come undone in this vision, cascading down her back and dancing in the wind. "I have heard that sailors on the high seas choose not to learn to swim," she said.

"Yes, so they shall die faster if they fall overboard. When was the last time you were on a ship in a storm? Have you ever even been on a ship?"

She had no retort, for the boats that took one to Vauxhall or little floats on placid lakes and rivers could not be said to count. "Why is it so important to you?" she asked.

After Dobbs's reminder of what had happened to the little Miss Morley all those years ago, Evangeline had come to certain conclusions about Basil on her own, but she wanted to see if he would confirm her suspicions himself.

When he did not say anything, she continued. "You are the anonymous sponsor of Fernsby's school. The one who insisted that the children be taught to swim."

Basil looked down to the floor, a rueful smile on his lips. "Figured that out, did you?"

"Why, Basil? Tell me."

He shifted back and forth on his feet and fiddled with the fob fastened to his pantaloons. "The next time you find yourself in deep water, would it not be a comfort to know you could make it out without anyone's aid but your own?"

Memories of the panic that had seized her when she had tumbled into the water readily came to her mind, stemming from the knowledge that she could not have saved herself, just like he said. She could not have saved herself because she did not know how. Knowing how afraid she had been, she wondered what it would feel like if she had been a child. If she had been little Lizzie Morley, so young and completely alone. It was unfathomable.

"How do you propose we accomplish this?" she asked. "And where? I have not commissioned a pond or lake deep enough for a venture like this at Amsbrook. The stream that runs through my grounds would not do either, and I will not under any circumstances ask any of my neighbors if I could make use of their aquatic accommodations."

"There is always the River Lea. It's near enough. Plenty of quiet bends and inlets. Perfectly private, I give you my word. No one would see us."

Evangeline took in a slow breath, thinking. "Basil, this is all very untoward."

"I know. But it is important to me. I can explain, but not today. Would you do this for me? Please, E?"

Little did he know he did not need to explain anything to her.

No one is that discreet.

The words repeated themselves over and over in Evangeline's head as she stepped out from the shrubs, running thick along the banks of the River Lea. Basil had assured her time and again that they were alone, but once she stepped out of her hiding place, of course, a fisherman or gypsy or someone would happen upon her, she just knew it.

She wore everything but her overdress. Shift, stays, petticoat. So why did she feel so naked?

"Ready?" Basil asked over his shoulder.

He was already in the river up to his waist in his breeches and shirt. When Evangeline had entered the thicket of shrubs, he had turned his back and still held that position. "Tap my shoulder when you are ready," he had said.

Evangeline tiptoed down to the water's edge and dipped a foot in, sucking in a breath at the temperature. Getting in would not be pleasant, but she could not simply stand there on the bank half-dressed. She strode into the river, her resolute steps paired with little gasps as the water touched higher and higher up her body.

Basil turned his ear toward her, his cheek plumped up from a smile. "That's it. You'll soon be used to it."

"And then freeze on my way out," she murmured.

"To remind us that life is not fair," he chuckled.

She slowly made her way up to Basil, her legs heavy and slow as they pushed through the water. Her eyes ran over his broad back underneath nothing but the thin fabric of his shirt. What would it feel like to simply wrap her arms around his waist and press herself against him, only for a moment?

She bit her lip and shook the thought away. She was not here to indulge in fantastic romantical notions. She was here because Basil wished her to swim. It was important to him. Somehow this would help him honor his little sister, and she wanted more than anything to help him.

Unfolding her arms, hugged tight across her chest, she reached out and tapped his shoulder.

He turned. "There you are. Nervous?"

"You know I am."

He took her hands in his own. "It is quite easy, once you get the way of it. And I will be right here. Ready?"

She nodded and the lesson began. He sent her laughing with his instruction to blow air out of her nose as if she had a horrid cold, first standing up, then leaning so her face touched the water. When he told her to bounce up and down, going deeper in the river each time until her head was dunked several times, she felt childish. But as he was bouncing right along with her, she could not help but smile at their antics.

"It reminds me of my children making such a mess during their baths," she observed, wiping her face.

"And that is all we are doing, really, playing," he returned.

He taught her how to float on her back. Lying over his outstretched arms, she followed his steady breathing, relaxing into the position. It did not come easy. Even with his assurances and warnings, whenever he removed his arms from her back, she panicked and flailed to get her feet under her.

After several attempts, he finally stood her upright, took her arms in a gentle grasp, and brought her close to him. "I have you," he murmured into her ear. He nudged her cheek with his nose. "Trust me."

Evangeline leaned into his embrace, eyes closed, and breathed deeply. "Right. I will get it, I am sure. I think."

His tender chuckle made her turn her head a bury her face deeper into his neck. He would not let her come to harm. Never had, and never would. "I know you will. Ready?"

While she trusted Basil, it took a few more attempts for her instincts to be convinced as well, but soon after, a wide grin, half disbelieving, spread across her face as she floated for several seconds on her own without putting her feet down.

"There now," Basil said, his words muted by the water covering her ears. "You are halfway there already."

"It feels almost unearthly, floating like this," she remarked.

He nodded. "That is enough for one day. We shall go on tomorrow."

"Oh, thank heaven," she said. "We have not been here long, but I don't mind telling you, this was rather exhausting."

"Yes, it does drains you quickly. Very quickly." He hesitated only a moment before offering his hand. "Up you go then."

He helped her upright again and led her back to shore, but Evangeline did not miss the wistful timbre of his words. Was he thinking about his sister when he said that?

Changing into dry clothes with only trees and shrubs for cover was at once thrilling and terrifying. Evangeline had never dressed so quickly in her life. Making certain everything was fastened tight or tucked in deep, she stepped out of the bushes in a morning gown and cloak. Basil's back was to her, keeping watch.

"Your turn," she said.

Only after he heard her voice did he turn. "Right. Won't be a moment."

She fully expected him to make some crack about their circumstances that would send her blushing, but he said not a word and was in and out of the bushes in two shakes.

"You will stay for dinner," Evangeline asked. "You must let me feed you, at least, for this service of yours."

Basil tossed his head to flick back a lock of wet hair from his brow, which was a pity as she had rather liked the look of it. "I rarely pass up an invitation to dine. Thank you."

"You must know, I dine with my children at the fashionable hour of five before they retire for the evening."

He chuckled and glanced at the sun. "That is not far off, but I believe I can make myself decent by then."

"Good. I should—I should like you to become better acquainted with them. They are curious to know more of the droll man Adele has told them about."

"Droll man? Is that what she calls me?"

Evangeline nodded. "I think you made quite the impression on her at Fernsby Hall."

They made their way to the gig and old cob pony, Star, who was dozing and methodically swishing his tail. A silence fell that, to Evangeline, felt like she was stepping on pins of anticipation as she waited for his response. But Basil walked on with a sudden crease in his brow, deep in thought.

At the gig, Basil tossed his wet things onto the floor next to her wet heap. She could bear it no longer. "Basil? What is it?"

He blinked. "Sorry. Yes, yes, I should be honored to join your family for dinner, though I will need to go to the White Hart first."

"Do not fret over your clothes. My children have excellent manners, but is it a very informal affair," she said.

"It is not that, it's…there is something I forgot. May I take the gig there and back? It will not take long, but we must hurry. "

He moved to Star's head to untie the line from the tree but turned back to her and encased her face with his hands. "You did splendidly, E. I'm proud of you."

Evangeline bit the inside of her lips to control the enormous smile his words produced, to little effect. "Thank you. Though I think my instructor had the more difficult job."

His eyes crinkled at the edges. "I enjoyed it. More than you know."

She knew that look. It was one she was coming to love. A tenderness enveloped his face. His grin softened into a small smile as he took her in with his eyes. He leaned in and pressed a kiss on her forehead, trailing down to place a kiss on her cheek.

She closed her eyes, relishing the touch. When he moved away, she lifted a hand and clasped his wrist. Her other hand found his cheek and drew him back in, lips parted in invitation. His breath played against her face for a moment before his own lips covered hers with delicious warmth and tenderness. He kissed her once, twice, could have kissed her all day with her good will, before pulling back. He took hold of her hand and pressed it against his own cheek.

He would ask her to marry him now. It was the perfect moment. He would ask, and it might be for the last time. She could work around the Complication. It could be resolved. It had to be.

Basil kissed her wrist and let her go. "We must hurry, now, if we are to make it in time."

A shuddering breath filled her lungs. No proposal today, it seemed. She felt the irony of the situation: desperately wishing he would when he had so many times before, only now he wouldn't. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. "Yes, let us go."

He helped her into the gig and soon they were seated side by side on the way back to Amsbrook. The drive was accomplished in an uncustomary silence. Basil always had something to say or to laugh about, but not today. Evangeline was too angry to mind. No, not angry. Disappointed. The silence gave her time to ponder over feelings that were fast overwhelming her with their potency.

She loved him. How she loved him. And how she had thought she'd known him so well through all the years of their friendship. Would that she had known about this new side of him long ago. If she had, perhaps he would not have so many rejected proposals behind him. Now that they were what they were, which was still confusing to her, would he not propose again soon?

Surely, he could see she had changed her way of thinking of him. Though, he had been hesitant when she had mentioned dinner with the children. When it came to them, there was always a hanging back with him, and she could not determine if it was because he did not like them or something else.

Back at Amsbrook, Basil set her down at a side entrance so she could hurry up to her room unnoticed. "I shan't be late," he promised and rolled away toward the gate.