‘I doubt it merits any such glory. It was really nothing special to any of us.’ Her eyes flashed defiantly. ‘Just an easy way to make money off the tourists. They were always easily impressed.’

She saw his eyes narrow at her insult.

‘—Miss Gillies!’

She looked down to see Felton crossing the gardens. He was walking with purpose towards them but for once the dogs weren’t with him. ‘Was that really you up there?’ he asked, slightly out of breath and his eyes shining. He sounded uncharacteristically . . . jovial. He wasn’t a man given to ready smiles and easy compliments. ‘I couldn’t believe my eyes!’ he enthused as he got to the bottom of the steps. ‘—Oh, Your Lordship. I apologize,’ he said, stiffening. ‘I didn’t see you there.’

Effie realized that Sholto had been obscured from his sightline by a rosebush in an urn.

‘Good evening, Felton,’ Sholto nodded, stepping forward slightly from the shadows.

There followed an awkward moment. No one seemed to know who should speak first.

‘Am I intruding, sir? Shall I come back later?’ the gamekeeper asked more formally.

‘Was it me you wished to see?’

‘Uh . . . Miss Gillies, actually. But I can wait.’

Effie saw Sholto’s jaw ball with irritation, a movement that would be invisible at distance. He glanced at her again and she felt the same swipe at her knees that she always felt when their eyes met. Even when he was angry. Even when she was. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to speak, but then something – an instinct – made him look up.

Effie looked too.

Sibyl was leaning out of the window and watching their conversation with a scowl.

Sholto looked back at the gamekeeper again. ‘Not at all, Felton,’ he said peremptorily. ‘She’s all yours.’

The words felt like a slap as he moved past her, back into the house. Effie felt her eyes sting but she didn’t stir until she heard the door close behind him and the window above slid shut a moment later.

‘I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw you coming down the front of the house like that,’ Felton said, picking up where they had left off, wholly unaware of how her entire world had just changed with those three words: She’s all yours. ‘My heart was in my mouth.’

‘It wasn’t a hard climb,’ she said flatly, picking up her boots and joining him on the grass. ‘Are you heading home? I was just on my way back.’

‘Ah, but before you go.’ He put a hand on her arm, stopping her from walking by. It was the first time he had ever touched her. ‘Do you remember when we first met, I mentioned I had a surprise I’d like to show you?’

‘Aye.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘And I remember telling you I don’t like surprises.’