There were polite ways to brush that off that still meant yes. But it was clear, after the last hour or so, that Hæra preferred things to be more direct. “I don’t like how you decreed what I’ll be doing for the rest of the day instead of asking me what I’d like to do.”

“But…” Hæra ran a hand over her head, smoothing down the black strands. The breeze ruffled them again instantly. “You’re enjoying the tour, aren’t you? I assumed you’d like to keep doing it.”

“You know what they say about assumptions,” Madeleine said, a little snappishly, because she’d noticed that Hæra had long fingers. When Hæra looked confused, she added, “They make an ass out of you and me.”

Hæra’s eyes widened. “I am not an ass. They have no dignity! Although…” She frowned and looked thoughtful. “They’re relatively intelligent and have good memories. I could do worse.”

Before Madeleine could splutter out a response, Hæra’s frown softened into a little smile. Her eyes gleamed with mischief as she said, “Thanks for the compliment.”

Madeleine’s heart began pounding again. “I might not know much about you, but I know you’re impossible.”

“You wouldn’t be the first to think so.” Hæra turned the key in the ignition. “But I’m more than possible. I’m here. And you don’t know much about me yet.” She turned her gaze on Madeleine, and it sharpened again. “How much will you learn, I wonder?”

How dry could a mouth get? “You’re pretty full of yourself if you think I’m dying to learn about you. I came here to learn about something else entirely, and it’s got nothing to do with you.”

There was no need to mention that Madeleine had already learned a little something about herself, thanks to Hæra. She hadn’t come here to uncover her sexuality, but life was full of surprises.

“It seems to me you don’t know what you’re here to learn,” Hæra said. How could such an odd person be able to slice through to the heart of things? “It’s a mystery, like we were talking about before. I think you should be open to every possibility. How else can you find whatever you’re looking for?”

Before Madeleine could reply, Hæra pulled away from the barn, driving back toward the fields. “There’s a nice view from the top of that hill. You can see most of the island, and you’ll never find a better day for it.”

“Is that the last part of the tour?” Madeleine asked desperately, holding on to the hip restraint again.