Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Winnie blinked. “The gates? What do you mean?”
“The gates to the wall,” Matthew clarified. “I’m pretty sure they close before dusk.”
She pulled her eyes to the sun that had already set. “What, so we’re locked up here?”
He looked at her with hesitance in his gaze, and her heart sunk.
First, they didn’t kiss. Now, this?
“Do they not do, like, a sweep around the wall or something?” she asked, looking up and down the path. Come to think of it, they’d been alone for some time now.
“All two or three miles of them?” Matthew questioned with a doubtful look. “Unfortunately, I think they give people more credit to watch out for the approaching darkness themselves.”
Winnie pressed a hand to her brow. “So, now what?”
Matthew appeared to think for a second. “Let’s just go check the gates. No point in getting worked up for nothing.”
And yet, when they reached the steps leading down to the city, it was made perfectly clear that the gates at the bottom had, indeed, been locked.
Matthew rubbed a hand at the back of his neck. “Sorry,” he mumbled, clearly embarrassed. “I should’ve paid attention to what time it was.”
But she wasn’t about to let him take the fall. “Oh, it’s fine. I’m sure we’ll find a way down. Maybe we could call someone?”
“I have no idea who.”
“The police?” she offered.
He gave her an amused look. “Probably not for this.” He paused, looking around them, then back to the top of the wall. Finally, a smile grew on his lips. “I have an idea that might actually work.”
She followed him a ways along the wall, then he stopped with a beaming smile that revealed just how proud he was of his idea he had yet to share.
“What?” she asked, clearly missing something.
“This is our way out,” he said.
He waved toward a large tree sticking out toward them, its long branches stretching over the wall, just above their heads.
Winnie stared, calculating the distance she’d have to jump to reach up to the tree, shimmy along the branch, then fall to the ground below.
“I don’t know about this,” she mumbled.
“You’ll be fine,” he reassured her.
“Even in these?” She motioned to her high-heeled feet. “And this?” Then she waved a hand across her dress.
Matthew frowned. “You and those ruddy heels. Well, never mind. You can take them off. The dress, of course will have to stay on.” Winnie wasn’t sure he knew what he was actually saying as he looked back to the tree.
“Come on,” he urged, “let’s get down before it gets too dark. I’ll go first. Then I can spot you from the bottom.”
Winnie stared at him in disbelief. He was out of his mind. But then, what other option did they have?
In a state of mild panic, she watched Matthew climb onto the ledge of the wall, facing the outskirts of the city and gripping the branch that stretched toward them .
Slowly, he steadied himself, eying the grass below.
“Is it a far drop?” she asked.
“Nah. If I fall, I’ll survive. Might have a broken bone or two, though.”
She winced. “Matthew, I don’t know about this…”
“I’m kidding, Winnie. I promise, we’ll be fine.” Then he looked back to the tree.
Winnie leaned over the edge herself. That drop looked a lot farther than Matthew had let on. Honestly, the things he was making her do today—wearing wellies, playing games in castles, now climbing trees in heels. What would he concoct next, breaking into a museum that night to spend even longer learning about history?
The street beyond the walls was situated more than two dozen feet away, and a few cars drove by, the people inside entirely unaware of her and Matthew escaping the city walls. At least, she hoped they were unaware.
“What if we’re caught?” she asked.
“Escaping from the place we were locked into?” Matthew asked. “I don’t think we’ll be faulted for that. Now hush. I have to focus.”
Winnie clamped her mouth shut, watching in silence as he tested the strength of the branch by pulling it up and down. It hardly moved an inch, even with his pressure.
“All right, here we go,” he mumbled, as if to hype himself up.
Finally, he jumped up, grabbed onto the branch more securely above him with both hands, then shifted his way slowly over the wall.
Winnie fought the urge to close her eyes, not wanting to see him fall, but needing to ensure his safety.
In what seemed like years, but in reality was mere moments, Matthew finally reached far enough away from the wall to drop toward the ground.
As he did so, she gasped, peering over the edge and holding her hands over her mouth in horror before seeing him land on his feet. He teetered slightly back and forth, but in the end, remained upright.
“Are you sure you’d not rather be a gymnast than a knight?” she called down to him. “You stuck that landing perfectly.”
He grinned up at her. “Your turn.”
All humor was lost to her at that point. “Maybe I’ll just camp out up here until morning.”
“Nope. Come on, you can do it. I’ll catch you if you fall. Trust me.”
“Trust you? I barely know you,” she said pointedly—albeit untruthfully.
“That’s not entirely true,” Matthew said. “You know more about me than most people do. Besides, you almost just kissed me back up there, so don’t give me that, ‘I don’t know you’ business.”
Her cheeks burned. What was with this guy being so blunt? Why couldn’t he be more normal like the rest of the world—never mentioning awkward moments aloud and pretending they just didn’t happen?
“Now,” he continued, “stop stalling and throw me your beloved pumps.”
“I don’t wear pumps,” she mumbled, relenting and removing her heels, tossing them down to him one by one. “Keep them safe.”
Matthew caught each one, then set them on the grass beside him before waving her down. “Now, come on.”
Her bare feet were cold against the stone, though she would have kept them there, frozen until the turn of the century, to avoid doing what was required of her. Still, she had no choice but to follow Matthew down.
Carefully, she mimicked his movements, climbing up the wall and steadying herself on the lower-hanging branches.
“Steady now,” cooed Matthew from below.
She braced her bare feet apart atop the wall, grateful she’d had the foresight to wear her short leggings beneath her dress, even though the darkness around them would have prevented her showing anyone anything.
She stared down at Matthew, his arms up, already ready to catch her as soon as she dropped, but the height difference from the top of the wall was much different than what she’d been expecting.
It was a good thing she wasn’t afraid of heights. Really, this wasn’t too different than being bucked off a horse and shot fifteen feet into the air.
Her brain clicked. That was it. She’d just pretend she was riding a horse. A surge of confidence burst through her, and she leapt up to grasp hold of the thick tree branch above.
“There you go,” Matthew said, his pride for her clear in his tone. “Now just shimmy your way toward me, and we’ll be out of this pickle for good. Just remember, I’m right here to catch you if you fall.”
Winnie nodded, drawing steady breaths and groaning only occasionally as her hands pinched painfully into the thick branch.
“How did you make this look so easy?” she asked with a grunt.
“Because of my manly strength,” he joked.
She smiled, but as her fingers started to weaken, she knew she couldn’t hold on much longer. “I think I’m gonna fall,” she squeaked out, her smile vanishing.
“That’s all right,” Matthew reassured her. “I’m right here, remember?”
Remember? Of course she remembered. How could she forget? And yet, the image of her plummeting through the air, only to have Matthew miss her as she fell to the ground, breathless and broken, flashed through her mind.
“I’m gonna fall,” she repeated.
“I’ll catch you.”
“No, Matthew, I’m gonna fall!”
“Winnie— ”
Her fingers slipped.
Fear sailed throughout her, and she was taken straight back to the last time she’d fallen so frighteningly through the air—when Goldilocks had spooked and launched Winnie from her back.
In those moments of being thrown so many years ago, Winnie didn’t have fears of if she’d be okay. Instead, she’d had one thought— Please, don’t let Dad be watching.
Even now, she closed her eyes, clenched her hands tight, and braced for another fall that would inevitably lead to more disappointment from her dad.
Instead of landing on the hard earth below, however, strong arms wrapped around her, cushioning her fall until she stopped just as the tips of her toes poked against the grass.
She breathed heavily, still squeezing her eyes shut, holding onto…What was she holding onto? And why was there a soft, soothing breath brushing against her cheek?
“It’s all right,” came a soothing voice. “I have you, Winnie.”
Matthew . He’d caught her. Just like he’d said he would.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, realizing only then that her arms were wrapped around his neck, and his arms around her middle.
His breath brushed against her cheek again as he calmly held her.
The feel of his arms around her, his strong chest against her, was enough to drive away any negative feelings, and little by little, fear seeped from her person, carried away by the vessel of Matthew’s comfort.
“You okay?” he asked after a moment, no doubt feeling her breathing as it steadied.
Winnie wanted to pretend that she wasn’t okay so she might stay in Matthew’s arms forever, but she knew their separation was inevitable.
Slowly, she drew back, moving to stand on the flat of her feet as he stared down at her, his arms shifting to hold her around her waist. She told herself his lingering grasp was due to his wanting to secure her, not hold her. But she couldn’t help but wish for the latter .
The grass curved around her feet, even colder than the stone from the wall now beside them, but she didn’t care. All she could feel was the warmth of Matthew’s fingertips searing into her sides.
His eyes delved into hers as they stood in silence, their bodies still touching.
“Thank you,” she said, staring up at him. “I kinda lost it up there.”
“That’s understandable. It’s a long drop.”
“You said it wasn’t that far,” she returned, her heart skipping a beat as his gaze dropped to her lips, then lifted back to her eyes.
“I had to say something to convince you to jump down from a wall meant to keep Romans out.”
“If I hadn’t freaked out, I probably would have landed it like you did.”
“Oh, no doubt. You aren’t a damsel in distress, after all.” Again, his eyes dropped to her lips.
“Not even a little bit,” she breathed, though she was beginning to wonder if that was true.
His words from before echoed in her mind. “If I wanted to kiss you, believe me, I wouldn’t have to ask you for it. You’d give it of your own free will.” How could he have been so right? Because with his eyes on her mouth, and his hands on her hips, there was nothing more she wanted to do in that moment than to fall into his arms all over again and be rescued by the knight standing before her.
But once again, disappointment crushed her racing heart as a car revved its engine nearby, breaking the silence between them. Matthew looked away, losing his focus and dropping his hands to his sides.
Winnie drew a deep breath. How did they keep getting into this situation? Almost kissing and then…nothing.
It was a good thing, though. Business trip, remember?
“You ready to head back?” he asked, taking a step away from her.
“I just need my heels. ”
“Right.” He bent down and delivered them to her, their fingers brushing against each other’s, though Matthew no longer met her gaze.
On their short walk back to the bed and breakfast, Winnie itched to walk with her hand outside of her jacket pocket, longing to see if he’d hold her hand if given the option, but she withstood the temptation and kept her fingers tucked securely away.
After all, no good would come from holding hands with a man like Matthew Wintour unless she was allowed to fall for a man like Matthew Wintour. Because as much as Winnie hated to admit it, she was falling for him. And that was where the problem was. Knowing that Dad got her the job at Foxwood was bad enough. Having Dad believe that she’d kept her job at Foxwood because she’d kissed the boss’s son would be even worse.
So she’d keep away from Matthew if it was the last thing she did. Which, honestly, it very well could be, seeing as how each moment she spent with him and didn’t kiss him, was another moment she died a little bit more inside.
Not a damsel in distress, her foot.