Serena watched the pair for a moment. ‘Mr Xavier, are you free to join me for a walk on the beach today?’
A flush of colour spread on Mr Xavier’s face, but he did not look at her. ‘I’m sorry, Miss Bellingham. I can’t get away today.’
Serena opened her mouth to postpone their outing until the morrow when he continued.
‘Don’t let my busyness stop you though. I know how much you enjoy your Sunday constitutional.’ This time he glanced up with a brief smile. Something in his expression told Serena there was more to his detachment than business. Did she imagine she saw a flash of regret on his face?
‘Well, if you’re certain.’
Mr Xavier gave a curt nod and then turned his back. What happened to ‘I’m here for you’? She thought they were becoming friends at last. That was just two days ago and now here he was practically ignoring her.
With hesitant steps, Serena backed away. Mr Xavier did not glance at her again, not even briefly.
Frowning, she lifted her shoulders and headed for the shore. If she must walk alone, so be it. A deep sigh rose from her chest. Serena never expected loneliness to trouble her in such a large house, but there it was. She missed the constant chatter of her sisters and their warm hugs and quiet conversation with Papa. At Aleron there was only business-like discussions and hours of silence—except for those times with Mr King. But she couldn’t rely on those moments. The genius was busy with architectural design—as the family had told her repeatedly—and he could not afford to spend hours with her.
A cold, blustery wind whipped her skirts around her legs, making her steps slower. Serena leaned into the wind, pulling her thin wrap tighter around her. It was not the best weather for a walk, but as Mr Xavier mentioned, her Sunday walk was important.
White caps covered the usually calm bay. Keeping her boots on, Serena trudged along the water’s edge. Salt spray dampened her hair and clothes, but Serena didn’t mind. She had experienced this type of weather many a time. Papa always said sailing in strong winds was an adventure—there was nothing like sea air to blow away one’s troubles.
Serena felt a pang of longing as she remembered his words. How she longed to see him. She had received a letter from him, but he only responded to her stories of life at Aleron. He wrote no tidings of life at home. No news should mean good news, but what if it meant things were so bad he couldn’t mention them for fear of upsetting her? Anxiety rose within, along with guilt for leaving them, as it did most times she thought of her family.
Serena spread her arms wide, face to the wind, and tilted her head back toward the sky. She breathed the briny air deeply, allowing the strong breeze to blow against her.
Lord, grant me peace. Cleanse my troubled thoughts. Yes, God could help her even more than a refreshing wind. She must trust in Him to guide her.
Serena leaned into the breeze and continued along the sea shore. As she absorbed the beautiful scenery around her, she soon realised a figure sat on the small bluff at the far end of the beach. It was hard to make out any features in the haze of the sea spray. When the figure raised an arm and waved to her, however, she knew him at once. Mr King. Strange to discover him in the exact place she visited. Could it be possible he orchestrated these meetings? It had happened too many times to be coincidental. Could it be that he sought her out—that he was interested in her company? It was more than she ever expected, but she could not deny the thrill that ran through her body. Perhaps he did not hold against her the indiscretion of falling asleep on his shoulder.
Waving back to him, she made her way to the bluff, partly in trepidation, and partly excited to learn more about Mr King today. In all truth, even if he spoke utter nonsense, she wouldn’t mind. Just being near him with his emotive eyes would satisfy her fascination. By the time she’d scrambled up the modest bank, she stood before him slightly breathless. ‘Good afternoon to you, Mr King.’ She tugged at a loosened strand of hair which had blown across her face and tried to tuck it back into the bun at her neck.
His face turned up to hers with a broad grin, though he squinted against the glare of cloud-filled skies behind her. ‘And to you, Miss Bellingham.’
Mr King held what seemed to be a white card across his knees. ‘What have you there?’ She nodded toward it.
‘I have been sketching.’
‘Oh.’ Serena then saw the pencil tucked behind his ear. ‘May I see?’
Mr King shifted over on the rock, motioning for her to join him. The rock was not large enough for there to be much space between them and Serena found that her hip and thigh pressed up against his. The physical nearness sent more thrills through her body. He was so very attractive. She bit on her lip. She must not allow herself to dwell on his attributes. Serena forced herself to focus on Mr King’s drawing.
The sketch encompassed the scene below—the beach with several pretty eucalypts bordering the cove, including the white-capped waves tumbling into shore. It almost looked as though they were in motion. But the real surprise was the image of herself as she had been but fifteen minutes earlier, with arms outspread in the wind. The only difference was that he had drawn her hair loose, blowing free in the breeze. Serena gasped and her hand fluttered over her
