The night air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of the blooming hedges lining the path. Madelynn walked beside Callum, her arm looped loosely through his as their footsteps crunched softly over gravel. A silence hung between them, heavy but not uncomfortable, as if both of them were searching for the right words to say.

She glanced up at him- his blue eyes, so piercing just moments ago, seemed almost gentle now. Vulnerable. It was a sharp contrast to the polished and commanding soldier she’d seen earlier in the evening.

“So,” she finally broke the silence, kicking idly at a loose rock, “do you take a lot of women for late-night strolls, or am I just special?”

Callum chuckled, the sound low and warm. “Only the ones who insult me before I’ve had the chance to introduce myself.”

Madelynn gleamed, remembering back to the ball. “Ah, so you’re just a glutton for punishment.”

He raised an eyebrow, looking down at her out of the corner of his eye. “It works well, given your tendency toward completely emotionally devastating anyone in your general vicinity.”

Madelynn gasped, smacking him playfully on the arm. “Hey! Horse boy absolutely deserved it. Did you see the way he completely wrecked my shin?”

“Well,” Callum drew out, shrugging, “you did laugh at him.”

“I was laughing at you!” She flipped a stray hair out of her face as they rounded a corner, approaching a bench at the center of the hedge maze. “You kept making all those faces at me, and all I wanted was for you to ask me to dance.”

His mouth split into a grin. “If you hadn’t gone off and gotten so drunk, I probably would have. You were stumbling ‘round like a distempered possum!”

“Was it that bad?” Madelynn grimaced, thinking back to that night. She’d definitely been drunk, but she didn’t remember being obscene in her actions.

Stolen story; please report.

He narrowed his eyes and held up his fingers in a just a little bit motion.

“Oh Lord, no wonder my parents were so fed up with me that next morning. I thought, for sure, they were going to send me to live on a farm with some distant relative.”

His grin faltered as he sat on the bench, motioning for her to join him. She did, and he leaned forward on his knees, stroking his stubbled chin with a hand. “For someone who’s so opposed to society’s standards, you seem to care a lot about what your parents think.”

Madelynn leaned back, staring up at the stars. It was a peaceful, clear night. The air had a chill to it, making her thankful she’d gone with a long-sleeved dress. It felt so wrong– such a beautiful night sky full of stars looming over all that happened tonight. “It’s not about me caring, because honestly I don’t. But I live with them. They have unilateral authority over my life until I’m married. That’s why-” She sighed, trying to push her thoughts away from the impending conversation with her mother- “That’s why I was leaving. I’ve been strictly forbidden from seeing you again. My mother’s probably going to sell me off to some old, wrinkled man at her first chance.”

Callum’s hand found hers and squeezed, offering silent reassurance. She couldn’t help but notice the trembling in his hand–a gentle flexing and release of his knuckles. “Then just don’t go home,” he offered. His words were ridiculous, but his tone was serious.

“And go where?” she bit out. “It’s not like I can drop everything and go live with a man I hardly know.”

“Why not?” His gaze flicked to hers, his eyes alight with a passion that made her toes curl.

“Callum, you’re a soldier. I’m a Lady.” She scrubbed a hand over her eyes, reality slowly creeping up her on her. “You’d likely lose your position and I’d never be welcomed into society again.”

“Isn’t that what you want?” he prodded. “To be freed from society’s shackles?”

“Well, yes,” she said, her tone harsher than she’d intended. “But I also can’t just drop everything and go and run away with you. It’s not realistic.”

He nodded, tapping his foot rhythmically against the ground. “You’re right, it’s not realistic. But hear me out for just a moment.” His hand left hers and trailed up to grip her arm. He was tense again, as he had been when he first confronted her by the courtyard. “This isn’t a one sided offer.”

Madelynn pursed her lips, studying him. “You mentioned Casimir earlier. Is this about him?”

He raised his eyebrows, a look of defeat washing over him. “You’re very observant,” he choked out, suddenly looking pale and sickly, as if a sour memory had washed over him. “I’ll tell everything I can, but you’ll probably see me in a different light after. This isn’t a pleasant story.”

She just nodded, even as his eyes darkened and dread washed over her.