The following day Sarah was pleased to realize she did feel more relaxed around Poppy since she’d shared all her secrets with her dearest friend. If she’d realized how much subtle tension her holding back had been causing them, she would have had that conversation a long time ago.
Breakfast with Poppy and David and Daphne was relaxed and enjoyable—in spite of the obvious absence of Darius. After supper was over and Sarah hadn’t seen any hint of his existence all day, she asked Daphne while they were washing dishes, “How does he manage to eat his meals and avoid me? This is ridiculous.”
“He manages to eat . . . barely,” Daphne said. “But I agree with you; it’s ridiculous. Personally, I believe he’s lost perspective, probably thinking far too much about what happened years ago instead of focusing on the present. But I’ve said all I can say.”
“Then I should talk to him,” Sarah said and saw Poppy’s eyes widen from where she was drying a pan that Daphne had just rinsed and handed to her.
“I wouldn’t argue with that,” Daphne said, and Poppy’s expression filled with mock fear as she glanced toward Sarah, but Daphne didn’t see her.
“Has he had supper yet?” Sarah asked.
“No,” Daphne said, “it’s in the oven keeping warm.”
Sarah hurried to dry her hands, anxious to act on her instincts before she lost her nerve. “Is he in the barn? It’s dark outside; I can go to the barn, can’t I?”
“I don’t see why not,” Daphne said, seeming pleased. Sarah opened the oven to see a small frying pan there covered with a lid. “Careful, it’s hot,” Daphne said and handed her a small, clean towel with which Sarah carefully removed the pan from the oven, holding it in both hands while Daphne closed the oven. Daphne also hurried to lift the lid slightly and stick a fork into the pan, with the handle poking out slightly.
“Good luck,” Poppy said as Sarah left the kitchen.
“And God bless!” Daphne called a little louder.
As Sarah went out the back door and headed down the well-worn path toward the barn, where the lights from its windows guided her in the right direction, she felt increasingly nervous and knew she could use all of the luck in the world right now—or more accurately, she needed divine intervention, which made Daphne’s words especially significant.
Sarah pulled open the barn door while balancing the warm pan on her other hand. She tentatively stepped inside to see a single lantern burning nearby which illuminated a typical-looking barn—as far as she knew. The only other barn she’d ever seen inside was the one at Castle Courtenay where cows, chickens, and pigs were kept. At Courtenay, the horses were kept in the stables; here all the animals were in the same structure but separated into different pens and stalls.
Sarah quickly realized that the woodworking space she’d heard so much about was actually a large room built into the corner of the barn, with a door that stood between her and Darius. She could hear a scraping noise and knew Darius was in there, because David was in the parlor reading. She wondered if she should knock, but opted to just go in there and take him off guard just enough to get him to listen to her—even though she wasn’t completely certain what she intended to say. But she silently uttered a quick prayer, took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped inside.
Darius looked up in surprise and for the first time since he’d kissed her, they were standing face-to-face. He set down the tool he was holding and brushed his hands together, creating a shower of sawdust that fell from them.
“Hello,” she said. “I brought your supper. You need to eat.”
“Thank you,” he said as she set the pan—including the towel beneath it—onto the only empty space on the worktable where he’d clearly been very busy with a project. But Sarah was too preoccupied with him to be paying much attention to what he’d been doing.
As her nervousness set off the tingling and fluttering his presence often provoked, Sarah knew she just needed to say what she’d come to say and get it over with. This didn’t have to be complicated; she just had to make a simple clarification.
“There’s no reason for you to avoid me, Darius. I’m not going to read any implications into what happened between us, and I don’t have any expectations. We barely know each other, so whether or not we have feelings for each other at this point is irrelevant as far as I see it. I know it’s your job to protect me and you don’t want anything to complicate the situation, so—”
“Daphne told you,” he stated.
Sarah didn’t have to ask what he meant; she knew exactly. “Yes, she told me. She thought I should understand the situation rather than continue to feel confused.” Darius looked at the floor; she couldn’t tell if he was attempting to hide some kind of frustration he felt toward Daphne for sharing the drama of his past, or if he might feel guilty for not having told her himself. She hoped it was the latter. But it really didn’t matter. She just needed to hurry and finish saying what she’d come to say.
“Darius,” she said, and he looked up again, “for now I think we should just forget about what happened; even if there’s anything substantial behind what we feel, the timing is all wrong. Therefore, we just need time. Until this trouble in my life is resolved, nothing else matters. But you’ve told me I’m likely to be here for months, and I refuse to live here and have you avoid me like this. It’s not necessary. Can’t we just be friends? Like we were before?”
The silence following her question became strained until he sighed and said, “Yes, we can be friends. Forgive me; I’ve behaved very childishly.”
Sarah hoped she wasn’t treading too far into his personal life when she said, “I can understand why you would be upset, but what happened to her wasn’t your fault.”
“How can you possibly know that?” he asked with a forced calmness in his voice.
“Because I know Evans’s death wasn’t your fault, and if the bullet had hit me, that wouldn’t have been your fault, either. I may know very little about you or your past, but I have enough common sense to know that you can’t do the kind of work you do without accepting that you’re human and there is much outside your control. If you blame yourself for everything that goes wrong when you’re just trying to do the best you can, you’re only going to end up making yourself miserable. At least that’s my opinion; you don’t have to agree.” He said nothing; in fact, he looked a little shocked. Sarah ignored his expression, knowing she had no idea what he was thinking.
Satisfied with having voiced her thoughts, Sarah turned away from him, saying over her shoulder, “Enjoy your supper.” Before she left the room, she added, “I’ll see you at breakfast.”
She closed the door behind her before he could respond, and she deeply hoped she would see him at breakfast and they could put to rest this ridiculous awkwardness. She couldn’t deny how she felt about him, and she couldn’t think about what Darius had said to her—or his kiss—without feeling a little giddy. But she also completely understood why the situation would create a great dilemma for Darius, and she had grown to respect him as much as she’d grown to love him. On both counts she knew she needed to step back and behave maturely enough to keep her feelings to herself until he was no longer her protector. By then, perhaps she would have come to realize that what she felt was nothing but a childish infatuation, or the result of her reliance on him to keep her safe. Or perhaps he would lose interest in her, and her feelings would be irrelevant. Either way, for now Sarah consciously shelved her growing affection for Darius Noble and committed herself to doing exactly what she had told him they both should do—and simply be friends.
* * * * *
That night as Sarah was trying to go to sleep, her brief encounter with Darius kept running through her mind. Seeing him again had added a spark to the feelings she’d been trying to ignore. After much stewing, she finally concluded that her feelings simply were what they were. She wasn’t trying to feel this way anymore than she had the power to make herself not feel this way. It was how she acted upon her feelings that mattered; her mother had taught her that. Sarah therefore decided that she needed to allow herself a little segment of time each day when she was alone to examine those feelings and acknowledge them, which was far more conducive to having a proper attitude about them than attempting to pretend they didn’t exist. And the rest of the day she would behave appropriately and not give any indication to Darius or anyone else that she desperately wanted to be in the same room with him every waking minute, that she wanted to know everything about him—his hopes and dreams and fears. But she had to check herself continually to remember that they were—and for now could only be—friends.
Sarah finally slept, and the following morning when she went down to breakfast, she was pleased to see Darius already at the table, talking with David about something to do with the care of the animals. Poppy was also seated at the table and all three of them looked up simultaneously when she entered the room. “Good morning,” they all said at the same time but in a garbled lack of unison.
“Good morning,” she replied just before Daphne entered with a bowl of scrambled eggs, which she set on the table before she seated herself. Sarah sat down as well.
Only a few minutes into the meal Sarah began to experience relief as it bathed over her like a warm, summer rain. Darius was very much himself again—and his behavior felt genuine and not at all forced. Everything truly did feel as it had before he’d kissed her—even the way she was overcome with a keen awareness of him and the way he made her feel, which she was trying to suppress and keep hidden. And she wondered if it was the same for him. But they all talked casually and comfortably while they enjoyed Daphne’s cooking.
David and Daphne talked about how all the apples had been picked and stored away, so the harvest was officially over, except for a couple of pumpkins and some winter squash that they would pick when the weather became colder. Daphne talked with anticipation about the recipes she looked forward to using with the vegetables they had recently harvested, and the few that were being left on the vine just a little longer. She also mentioned that she would be making apple tarts today, which provoked a pleased response from David and Darius. And she would be making applesauce tomorrow to go with a pork loin she would be cooking. This too was pleasing to David and Darius. They were clearly familiar with the positive results of Daphne’s culinary skills; Sarah and Poppy just knew that anything Daphne made tasted good.
Near the end of the meal, Darius looked at Sarah across the table and said, “I keep forgetting to tell you that nothing has turned up in the investigation concerning your father’s death. I know that’s not good news, but I’m not surprised, to be truthful. I still believe the best course for you and Poppy is to remain here until more time passes. It’s my experience that guilty people tend to relax more when months pass and they begin to believe they’ve gotten away with their crimes. I hope you’re all right with that, with remaining here for now like we discussed.”
“Yes,” Sarah said. “We’re very comfortable here.” She glanced at Poppy who nodded in agreement. “As long as we’re not wearing out our welcome, then—”
“Never!” David drawled with a laugh right before Daphne said, “The two of you are the most delightful guests we’ve ever had!”
Sarah smiled at her hosts, then looked again at Darius. “May I ask how you know this? How you’re being kept informed?”
“Of course,” he said. “I should have told you sooner; it just kept slipping my mind. Letters from Halford.”
“But . . .” Sarah said and paused while she tried to articulate what felt like a flaw in this. “Couldn’t someone see his letters? And where they’re addressed? I don’t trust anyone in that house anymore except for Halford, and my aunt of course.”
“He writes his letters to David,” Darius explained. “They’ve been friends all their lives, and Halford has been writing regularly to David for as long as he’s lived and worked at Courtenay. No one could possibly see anything suspicious in his letters or find a connection to us being here. And even if someone read his letters—which they couldn’t without unsealing them—they would not be able to discern the information he’s giving us, because his messages to me are benignly mingled into the letter, based on a method he and I decided on before we left there.”
“I see,” Sarah said, glad to know that Darius was regularly hearing from Halford, even though she was indeed disappointed that the reason for her father’s death was still a mystery. While she had the chance she asked, “And what happens if months pass and there still isn’t any clue as to what happened? About who is behind this?”
“If nothing has changed by spring, we will change our tactics. But that’s for me to handle, nothing for you to worry about.”
“And is my aunt well? Has he said?”
“Yes,” Darius told her with a tender smile, as if he appreciated and understood her love for her aunt. “She is well except for missing you.”
“I miss her too,” Sarah admitted, then confessed with a little laugh, “Well, she is the most eccentric woman I’ve ever known, and sometimes she can be overly dramatic, but I love her dearly.”
“I know you do,” Darius said. “When she and Halford met with me about seeing to your protection, she couldn’t stop weeping over the fact that you would have to leave for so long.”
Sarah smiled at him, then looked down, feeling suddenly sad. “Yes, well,” she forced a chuckle, “Aunt Penelope weeps a great deal over every little thing. I’m certain she’ll be fine.”
“As will you,” Darius said with a confidence that inspired her. He was himself again, and she was deeply glad for it! He looked at Poppy and added, “Both of you. I’ll do everything in my power to keep you both safe.”
Sarah noticed that he didn’t promise to keep them safe; he promised to do everything in his power to do so. She appreciated hearing that his declaration was realistic and hoped that with time he would find peace over knowing he’d done everything in his power to keep Evans safe—and the woman he’d loved and lost.
“We know you will,” Sarah said with confidence.
“Well, then,” Daphne said cheerfully, “in the meantime we can get busy preparing for winter. I love winter, actually. I enjoy the coziness of being safe and snug here in our home when it’s cold outside. And for some strange reason I love the look of the trees when they’ve lost their leaves, and I especially love it when it snows. Snow is so beautiful! I do hope we get some good snow this winter!”
“I hope so too,” Darius said in a way that made Sarah suspect it wasn’t for the same reasons, but he didn’t elaborate before he stood up from the table and walked away, saying only, “I’ll be in the barn if you need me.”
Sarah watched him walk away, willing her stomach to stop fluttering. She turned her thoughts to gratitude over having things back to normal between them and knowing that her aunt and Halford were all right. She thought of what Daphne had said about her anticipation and enjoyment of winter and decided she could easily adopt Daphne’s attitude. She felt safe and comfortable, and apart from missing her aunt, she felt no desire to return to Courtenay. It had become a frightening place, tainted with difficult memories. She far preferred to remain here in this safe haven where life was simple and good. With that thought most prominent in her mind, Sarah stood up and began to clear the table with Poppy assisting her. Daphne had become accustomed to their insistence on always doing so after meals and she remained seated, pouring herself another cup of tea. Sarah and Daphne exchanged a smile and Sarah realized she had also grown to love these kind people who had taken in both herself and Poppy. The thought of leaving here eventually felt even more difficult than leaving Castle Courtenay. But she didn’t need to concern herself with that right now. She thought instead of apple tarts and good conversation and the warmth and comfort of this place she had come so quickly to call home.
* * * * *
As autumn was swallowed up by a harsh winter storm that left a blanket of snow in its wake, Sarah settled more comfortably into her life in this safe haven, and she came to fully appreciate Daphne’s theory on her love of winter with the way being snug and warm indoors created a feeling of contentment and coziness. Poppy had told Sarah more than once that she agreed completely, which wasn’t a surprise since they were so much alike. But it was nice that the two of them were so compatible with Daphne, which made it easy to be comfortable in her home, and to share in the daily chores as well as learning from her in the kitchen as they worked together to prepare meals.
Darius was seeming more relaxed, which helped Sarah feel the same. Her affection for him only seemed to grow day by day, but she was finding it easier to enjoy being his friend and allowing time to pass while she refused to indulge in any expectations regarding the future. There were just too many complications to resolve.
Sarah loved looking out of any given window in the house and delighting in the way the snow made everything so lovely beneath its equalizing white blanket. Darius admitted that he too loved snow, not only because it was beautiful but because it made it easy to see any signs that unwelcome visitors might have been on the grounds.
“Do you think there has been someone?” Sarah asked in alarm.
“No,” he said, remaining perfectly calm, “but it’s just a fact that snow makes it easier to be certain. I’m not suggesting you’re in any danger, Sarah. But snow once helped me greatly in keeping someone safe; that’s what I’m saying.”
“I see,” Sarah said. “I never would have thought of such a thing.”
“That’s why I am protecting you,” he said with a little laugh and they smiled at each other until the gaze they shared made it evident that neither of them had experienced any change in their feelings toward each other—except perhaps in their growing stronger. Sarah felt both alarmed and relieved. While she knew their feelings made the situation more complicated, she was glad to know that Darius shared her affection—even if nothing could be done about it. She prayed that one day—when her life was no longer in danger—the situation between them would be different.
As winter settled in more deeply, Daphne began talking about Christmas preparations, and David was equally enthusiastic over his anticipation of the holiday. Their discussion of plans merged into days spent decorating the house with garlands made from pine boughs the men had gathered in the woods, along with ribbons of red and gold that Daphne had collected over the years and kept carefully stored away between Christmases. Daphne engaged the help of Sarah and Poppy in making wreaths for the front door and the back, declaring that she considered them some form of bringing the Christmas spirit into the home each time one of the doors was opened while a wreath was hanging on it. They also made one to hang over the fireplace in the parlor. The house began to smell like Christmas with the bounty of pine distributed throughout, and Sarah relished both the aroma and the appearance. Even though Castle Courtenay had always been decorated beautifully for Christmas, its enormity had diluted the aroma of the decor so that she’d never noticed it the way she did now.
The effect was amplified when Daphne began one baking project after another that filled the house with a continual, invisible cloud of spices. She made gingerbread and mince pies in great quantity so that there was plenty for them to enjoy, and also enough for her and David to deliver to friends in the village as gifts of Christmas greeting. Daphne also made sweets by cooking sugar at a high temperature for what seemed a ridiculously long time, and then doing different things with it in order to create a variety of fanciful delights. Sarah and Poppy both loved helping Daphne in the kitchen each day as Christmas drew closer. Sarah was learning a great deal from Daphne, although she absolutely knew she would never be capable of developing Daphne’s skills for making biscuits and cakes and candies turn out just right. Of course, Daphne had been practicing for years, but Sarah chose to just admire her skills and enjoy helping rather than really trying to learn. Poppy, on the other hand, seemed intent on paying close attention, wanting to learn how to follow Daphne’s example and create delicious wonders for holidays in the future, making them a part of her own traditions. Sarah teased that she was delighted by Poppy’s intentions, since they were determined to always be close no matter what course their lives took; therefore, Sarah felt confident she could always be able to enjoy Poppy’s newfound hobby.
A few days before Christmas, the men brought a small pine tree into the parlor, which they all helped decorate using ribbons and candles and some charming mementos Daphne had collected over the years that made the tree not only lovely but sentimental. Sarah noticed after the tree was decorated that a few wrapped gifts were put beneath it, and a troubling thought occurred to her. She first discussed the matter with Poppy, then they went to find Daphne just before she was heading upstairs to go to bed.
Sarah spoke for both her and Poppy. “We would very much like to give Christmas gifts to you and—”
“There’s no need for that, little ones,” Daphne assured them with a smile.
“I’m absolutely certain it’s not required,” Sarah said, having expected this reaction. “But we want to; you’ve all be so kind to us, and . . . it’s Christmas. But, as you know . . . we are in hiding and therefore can’t go shopping, so . . .”
Daphne sighed and took in what Sarah was saying. “I understand,” she said. “I’m certain we can help you.”
They talked for a few more minutes about the best way to handle the situation, and the following day when Daphne and David went into town on a variety of errands, they went with money that Sarah and Poppy had given them, and some ideas for gifts they could purchase on their behalf. Since David and Daphne would be splitting up to do some of their shopping, they would be able to accomplish what Daphne had begun to call the secret Christmas mission. When they returned from town each of them separately gave Sarah and Poppy what they’d purchased, and the money that was left over. They each felt pleased and more comfortable now that they had gifts for each other as well as the people with whom they were sharing this home—people who had come to feel like family. The gifts were simple and practical, but it was the meaning behind the giving of gifts that mattered more to Sarah—and she knew Poppy felt the same way. They enjoyed wrapping the gifts in some lovely tissue paper Daphne kept with her Christmas decorations. Having handled it carefully, it had been reused many times, which gave it an even more delicate effect. The gifts were tied with used but well-preserved ribbon and placed beneath the tree, which made Sarah feel as if they were truly ready for Christmas, and she was surprised to realize she actually felt excited. She wondered how she might feel if she was back at Castle Courtenay trying to celebrate a holiday without her father, knowing that Penelope would likely cry over her brother’s absence more than she would put any effort into attempting to enjoy Christmas traditions that meant a great deal to Sarah, most of which had been instilled in her by her mother. Sarah was a little taken aback to realize she didn’t miss being at home. With her father gone, it just wasn’t the same—and it never would be. She loved Penelope dearly, but her aunt loved to be alone and read most of the time, and she enjoyed socializing with ladies near her own age in the area. Despite the fact that Sarah and her aunt cared very much for each other, they had never really enriched each other’s lives. Sarah hadn’t thought about it that much until she had come to see how much Daphne and David—and even Darius—all shared a great deal of conversation over their meals, and as they worked together on projects of various kinds. They often played cards together, or they would talk about the books they were reading—something Penelope had never been interested in doing. Sarah sometimes looked around at the home she was living in, and the people here, and she wondered how she could ever go back to Castle Courtenay. She mentioned her feelings to Darius and he was clearly surprised, declaring that he’d expected her to be impatient about returning home, the way all his previous clients had been. Sarah was determined to just enjoy her present life and not think about what might happen next. For now, she was safe and happy and greatly anticipating Christmas Day with the exchanging of gifts and a wonderful Christmas dinner that Daphne was already preparing, unwilling to accept much help since she insisted this was something she considered a Christmas offering to those who sat around her table for the holiday, and she loved doing it herself.
The day before Christmas Eve was stormy, with more wind than snow, which just made it terribly cold outside. David and Darius remarked more than once how glad they were that they didn’t need to go into town for anything at all until perhaps after the new year. With the exception of going out to the barn to care for the animals, the men remained inside, near the comfort of the fire in the parlor, which was where Sarah and Poppy had made themselves comfortable to read, since Daphne was insisting that no one was allowed in the kitchen. But they could hear her humming Christmas carols while she worked.
Sarah often broke away from the novel in her hands to just look out the windows at the snow. The wind was blowing it around so violently that it was impossible to see any distance from the window at all. But the house was safe and warm, and sitting here in the parlor near the fire with the aromas of Christmas filling the house, Sarah felt completely content. She thought it funny that she was generally more preoccupied with her feelings for Darius than she was about the danger in her life. Being so distanced from her old life, the events that had made it necessary for her to be in Darius’s care felt surreal and impossible to comprehend.
That evening after supper, Sarah and Poppy helped Daphne clean a great many dishes—since she had been doing extra baking and cooking for the holiday. But the three of them sang Christmas carols while they worked together, sometimes laughing over how bad they sounded. But there were some familiar songs they did rather well at singing, and Sarah felt warmed by the sweet spirit of Christmas that encompassed her.
Sarah and Poppy went upstairs to bed, but the two of them ended up talking in Poppy’s room for quite a while. As Sarah confessed with some apprehension that she wasn’t missing Castle Courtenay or the people there at all, she was surprised that Poppy wasn’t surprised. She had sensed the contentment Sarah had been feeling, and in fact admitted that she very much liked it here, even if they could never leave the house during daylight hours. But in the deepest part of winter, neither of them would have gone out much anyway. It was as if being here in this house, while the storms of winter raged outside, they were in a safe cocoon where nothing could harm them, and all was well. And Sarah wanted to hold onto that feeling, here where it was so much easier to not think about the horrible things that had happened, and the threat against her own life.
Sarah hugged Poppy and said good night before she went to her own room to get ready for bed. She felt thirsty and noticed that the glass of water she kept on her bedside table was empty. Knowing the barrels of water left upstairs were for cleaning purposes and not considered safe for drinking, she took her glass down to the kitchen to fill it. As she neared the bottom of the stairs, she heard what sounded like a pan dropping in the kitchen, followed by Daphne saying with a laugh, “I’m getting clumsy in my old age.”
“You’re not old,” Sarah heard Darius say as she stopped around the corner from the kitchen, realizing the sound of her approach had been lost in the sound of the pan dropping. It occurred to her that she didn’t want to interrupt them if they’d been having a serious conversation, and she waited to make certain that wasn’t the case.
Sarah was actually surprised to hear David say, “Now back to the point. You can’t avoid this, Darius.”
As Sarah realized they were having a serious conversation, she wanted to just creep back up the stairs but realized she couldn’t do so without making noise; she knew for a fact that a couple of floorboards between where she stood and where the stairs began would creak when she stepped on them.
“And,” Daphne added, “you can’t expect your two closest friends to not come for Christmas dinner when they’ve been coming for so many years. Neither of them has any family to speak of; you know that. They always come for Christmas dinner.”
“I know that,” Darius said, sounding deeply concerned.
“But you can’t have them here for dinner without telling them exactly what you do for a living,” David said. “I’m not sure why you haven’t been willing to tell them before now, anyway. We all know you can trust them with anything.”
“I know that too,” Darius said, “but . . .”
He didn’t finish, and Daphne stated, “But since you lost Mary, you don’t trust anyone.”
“It’s not about that,” Darius said defensively.
“It is about that,” David said. “Everything has been about that since her passing, and we all know it. I think—we both think—that sharing the truth with your friends would be a good step toward healing from all of that and moving on with your life. It’s been years; it’s high time.”
“Well,” Darius said with a sarcasm she’d never heard from him, “I’m glad to know the two of you have my life all figured out.”
“You know it’s not like that!” Daphne scolded.
More humbly Darius said, “Yes, I know. Forgive me.”
More gently Daphne added, “We just want you to be happy, and sometimes circumstances force us to do things that we put off doing because it’s difficult. So . . . it’s Christmas. Sarah and Poppy are here, and your friends are coming to Christmas dinner. It won’t take much explaining for you to simply tell them why these delightful young women are here, and I doubt they’ll hardly think a thing of it. I think you’ve likely made it out to be much worse than it really is because you keep putting it off.”
“That’s highly possible,” Darius said.
“And there’s the other point,” David interjected. “You can’t have your friends here for dinner if you don’t tell the girls the truth.”
“I agree with him on this too,” Daphne said firmly. “Sarah and Poppy are not like anyone else you’ve ever brought here. You trust them completely; we know you do. And we also know how you feel about Sarah. You can’t deny that we all hope when this is all over that . . . well . . . you know.”
Sarah’s heart quickened at the mention of her name in such a context. But at the same moment she realized she had overheard far too much of a conversation that was clearly meant to be private. Knowing she couldn’t go back to the stairs without being discovered, she steeled herself to just make her presence known.
As she took a deep breath and told herself to just walk into the kitchen right this second, David said, “You need to tell Sarah, Darius. It’s only going to get more difficult if you—”
“Tell me what?” Sarah asked, walking into the kitchen. All three looked astonished; she just held up her glass and said, “I need some clean water.”
“How long have you been standing there?” Darius snapped, as if—with his extremely perceptive mind—he’d realized he hadn’t heard her approach.
“Probably too long,” she admitted. “Since the pan dropped, which is why you didn’t hear me. I didn’t want to interrupt, and then I didn’t know how to leave without making it worse. Forgive me.”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” David said. “I think it’s high time we’re done with any secrets in this house.”
“Because your friends are coming to Christmas dinner?” Sarah asked, looking at Darius, although she knew from what she’d heard that there was more to the situation than telling his friends that he had been hired to protect these women whom they would be meeting Christmas Day.
“His occupation is the secret he’s been keeping from his friends,” Daphne said as if telling Sarah was nothing. “It’s the secret we’ve been keeping from you and Poppy that needs to come to an end.”
Sarah hurried to say, looking at David and Daphne, “Darius was hired to protect me. He has the right to keep secrets; I’m not offended, or anything like unto it.”
“That’s very gracious of you,” Daphne said with a wan smile toward her. “Nevertheless . . .”
David looked at Darius and said, “Do you want me to tell her or—”
“I think I’m man enough to handle it,” Darius said, not sounding happy about this at all.
Sarah was surprised when Daphne took the glass from Sarah’s hands and set it on the counter, as if what she was about to hear might shock her so badly she could very well drop the glass and break it.
“Get on with it, then,” David said authoritatively when Darius didn’t say anything else.
Darius sighed loudly and motioned with his arm toward David and Daphne. “Sarah,” he said, “meet my parents.”
“What?” Sarah said on the wave of a gasp. She looked at each of their faces, all looking expectantly at her, waiting for a reaction.
“Noble is my middle name,” Darius added. “It’s my mother’s maiden name; I took it on as a surname to protect my family.” He sighed again, even more loudly. “When I told my parents I had quit working for the royal family and I intended to make myself available to be hired to protect people in danger, they were eager to offer our home as a refuge if it was ever needed. It works perfectly since it’s so secluded, and it’s far enough away from town that few if any people ever come here to visit.” He sighed once more. “I grew up in this house.”
Sarah allowed herself a minute to take all of this in while the strangest sensation erupted inside of her and became so strong she couldn’t hold it in. “It’s incredible!” she laughed. She looked at all their faces again, laughing again as their astonishment over her reaction made the situation seem even funnier. “It makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?” She laughed even harder.
“So, you find it amusing?” Darius asked, trying to sound offended, but she could see a sparkle of relief in his eyes.
“I find it absolutely . . . delightful,” Sarah declared and laughed some more.
Now that the tension had been broken, they all laughed while both David and Daphne hugged her as if they were meeting her for the first time all over again. Sarah felt so deeply comfortable with the reality that these people were Darius’s parents that she almost wondered if something deep inside her had suspected such a connection all along—even if it had never occurred to her conscious mind.
Sarah turned to face Darius and said, “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Nash.”
He gave her a smile that was only slightly sarcastic, but still his eyes sparkled. She wondered if he had feared she might be angry to learn he’d kept such a thing from her, and he was now deeply relieved.
“Well,” he said, turning to his parents, “we can hope that my friends will respond half as well to realize I’ve been lying to them for years.”
“They’ll be fine,” David insisted. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they find the whole thing as humorous as Sarah finds it.”
“We’ll see,” Darius said doubtfully and picked up the glass Sarah had brought with her, which he filled up from a large pitcher of water that always sat in a corner of the kitchen. He handed it back to her, which made her wonder if he wanted her to leave, or perhaps he was just letting her know there was nothing more to be said. “You’ll tell Poppy?”
“Immediately,” she said, even though she knew Poppy had probably gone to bed. “Thank you,” she said, glancing at the glass, then she walked back toward the stairs, chuckling in a way that she felt sure would irritate Darius.