Ithaca.’
Seb reached down for her hand and pulled her upright. He stared at her solemnly for a moment, then tweaked her nose playfully. ‘I didn’t say I wouldn’t move at all. I might be open to somewhere in Australia or Egypt, maybe even Hawaii. Basically anywhere where it doesn’t snow!’
Emilia carefully dusted off and straightened her dress. ‘The weather’s practically perfect in Stanford!’
‘Let me amend my statement. Anywhere it doesn’t snow and there’s no Justin.’
‘If you gave him a chance you might quite like him.’ As the words came out of her mouth, Emilia knew she shouldn’t have bothered. Seb didn’t have the patience to put up with Justin’s drama.
‘That’s not likely.’
While they’d been talking darkness had finally descended and Emilia’s excitement rose again. Seb encased them in a soft globe of light and they picked their way carefully to where the road intersected the forest. She wasn’t sure why, but for some reason it seemed important to be quiet, so when a twig snapped under her foot she flinched and froze.
Seb waved her forward. ‘Don’t worry about it. There’s no one around; we just need to be careful not to attract the attention of any passing carriages. We might look a little weird stranded on the road without a carriage dressed in all this getup.’
At the edge of the clearing, standing in the shadow of a tree, they watched as several carriages passed by heading in the direction of Seeworth House.
‘There’s a reasonable amount of traffic, which means we’ll have to do this quickly,’ Seb whispered, leaning down so his lips were almost touching her ear. An unexpected shiver of reaction raced down Emilia’s spine, which she hoped Seb didn’t notice. ‘I think it’s best if we stand in the middle of the road and I’ll create it around us.’
‘Create what?’ She turned her head to whisper in his ear and found her lips mere millimetres away from his. Fleetingly, she wondered what it would be like to kiss him and then shook her head hard to clear the unwelcome thought.
He regarded her quizzically. ‘You okay?’
‘Yeah. Look; that seems to be the last one for a bit.’ She nodded at the carriage just passing them, grateful for the darkness that hid her flushed cheeks. What was the matter with her?
Seb stepped forward slightly and stared back down the road. ‘I think you’re right. Let’s go.’ Reaching back, he slid his arm around her and settled his palm in the small of her back, guiding her forward. Again, a tingle of awareness threatened, but she forced it back and rushed out into the middle of the dirt road with him. They stopped and Seb checked the road again. There was no one about.
Without the glow of light around them, she could barely see him. But she was so close to him she could feel the almost infinitesimal movements he made as he worked his magic. She braced herself just in time, as she was suddenly hoisted into the air and unceremoniously deposited on a velvet covered bench seat. Abruptly, she was jerked forward and would have fallen off the seat if not for Seb’s restraining arm.
She flattened her palm against the wall beside her and tried to adjust to the rolling motion of the moving carriage she was now in. Only then did she realise her other hand was clamped on Seb’s leg, the knuckles white with the death grip her fingers had on his thigh.
‘Sorry,’ she muttered, as she hastily removed her hand.
He chuckled and gently squeezed her shoulder. ‘Not your fault. I wouldn’t usually do it that way, but speed was of an essence. I didn’t want anyone to come upon us as I conjured a horse and carriage out of thin air.’
Emilia finally looked around the carriage. The walls and ceiling were painted a rich, glossy black with silver trim around the doors, windows and cornices. The velvet bench seats were also black, with silver
Seb reached down for her hand and pulled her upright. He stared at her solemnly for a moment, then tweaked her nose playfully. ‘I didn’t say I wouldn’t move at all. I might be open to somewhere in Australia or Egypt, maybe even Hawaii. Basically anywhere where it doesn’t snow!’
Emilia carefully dusted off and straightened her dress. ‘The weather’s practically perfect in Stanford!’
‘Let me amend my statement. Anywhere it doesn’t snow and there’s no Justin.’
‘If you gave him a chance you might quite like him.’ As the words came out of her mouth, Emilia knew she shouldn’t have bothered. Seb didn’t have the patience to put up with Justin’s drama.
‘That’s not likely.’
While they’d been talking darkness had finally descended and Emilia’s excitement rose again. Seb encased them in a soft globe of light and they picked their way carefully to where the road intersected the forest. She wasn’t sure why, but for some reason it seemed important to be quiet, so when a twig snapped under her foot she flinched and froze.
Seb waved her forward. ‘Don’t worry about it. There’s no one around; we just need to be careful not to attract the attention of any passing carriages. We might look a little weird stranded on the road without a carriage dressed in all this getup.’
At the edge of the clearing, standing in the shadow of a tree, they watched as several carriages passed by heading in the direction of Seeworth House.
‘There’s a reasonable amount of traffic, which means we’ll have to do this quickly,’ Seb whispered, leaning down so his lips were almost touching her ear. An unexpected shiver of reaction raced down Emilia’s spine, which she hoped Seb didn’t notice. ‘I think it’s best if we stand in the middle of the road and I’ll create it around us.’
‘Create what?’ She turned her head to whisper in his ear and found her lips mere millimetres away from his. Fleetingly, she wondered what it would be like to kiss him and then shook her head hard to clear the unwelcome thought.
He regarded her quizzically. ‘You okay?’
‘Yeah. Look; that seems to be the last one for a bit.’ She nodded at the carriage just passing them, grateful for the darkness that hid her flushed cheeks. What was the matter with her?
Seb stepped forward slightly and stared back down the road. ‘I think you’re right. Let’s go.’ Reaching back, he slid his arm around her and settled his palm in the small of her back, guiding her forward. Again, a tingle of awareness threatened, but she forced it back and rushed out into the middle of the dirt road with him. They stopped and Seb checked the road again. There was no one about.
Without the glow of light around them, she could barely see him. But she was so close to him she could feel the almost infinitesimal movements he made as he worked his magic. She braced herself just in time, as she was suddenly hoisted into the air and unceremoniously deposited on a velvet covered bench seat. Abruptly, she was jerked forward and would have fallen off the seat if not for Seb’s restraining arm.
She flattened her palm against the wall beside her and tried to adjust to the rolling motion of the moving carriage she was now in. Only then did she realise her other hand was clamped on Seb’s leg, the knuckles white with the death grip her fingers had on his thigh.
‘Sorry,’ she muttered, as she hastily removed her hand.
He chuckled and gently squeezed her shoulder. ‘Not your fault. I wouldn’t usually do it that way, but speed was of an essence. I didn’t want anyone to come upon us as I conjured a horse and carriage out of thin air.’
Emilia finally looked around the carriage. The walls and ceiling were painted a rich, glossy black with silver trim around the doors, windows and cornices. The velvet bench seats were also black, with silver
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