She has especially tried to avoid Will. When she thinks of talking with him, a pit forms in her stomach – it’s a mixture of betrayal and disdain.
As she races to the stairwell, she narrowly misses him as he exits the basement with his head down and purposefully darts for the back entrance. Following him out of the room is Tam, and he walks in her direction.
Melody has seen Will coming and going from the basement several times now and she stops to ask Tam, “What’s going on over there?”
Tam seems to be in a hurry also, but he stops long enough to answer, “Mr Will is building a cellar.”
“Wine cellar?” Melody is surprised Will hadn’t mentioned turning the basement into a cellar before.
“Yes. He is renovating the floors underneath, so please be careful not to stumble in there this time. It isnae safe doon there.”
“At least it will be safe now. It was in a dangerous state last time I saw it.” Melody says. She can tell Tam is in a hurry to continue working. She thanks him for his time.
“Aye.” Tam says. He promptly excuses himself to get more tools.
Then she casually walks up the stairs as she recalls the last time she visited the cellar. What began as a small exploration ended with her saving Will’s life. Will had been working late on his own when some of the rubble gave in and trapped him. It wasn’t until the next day that Melody found him there accidentally. The rubble breaking and crushing on the ground from each direction threatened to trap both of them. She battled to release him from the rubble and pull him onto the limp stairwell. When they ran from the basement stairs to stand on safer ground, Will was so grateful that she saved him. Yet, how clueless Melody was to not see that he was the danger she had gone down there to uncover in the first place.
For a brief moment, Melody wonders what might have happened had she not seen Will with her father’s pocket watch. Might we have become an item? The thought that once romantically detained her, now repulses her.
Melody is furious to think, Will not only endangered her father and possibly killed him, but he also toyed with her heart. She doesn’t want to see him, but she knows she can’t avoid him anymore.
He has asked to see her several times and she has made excuse after excuse each time. She has hidden behind her heavy teaching workload and writing her book about Deacon Island, but she is running out of excuses.
Once she reaches the top of the stairs, the sounds of a little girl giggling are the joy that draw Melody out of her thoughts. Melody hears Rebecca playing with Sarah in the study and her worries fleetingly leave as they begin their lesson.
*
Finally, Melody meets with Will. One day after her lesson with Rebecca, she walks her to the door and finds Will standing at the door, waiting. He is dressed in old jeans and a fitted t-shirt. He greets Rebecca as she runs past with her doll to go play. She is much too excited to acknowledge his presence with more than a wave of her hand
When Melody turns to go back in the room and quickly packs her bag to leave, he follows her inside and says, “Please, Melody. Can I just talk to you for a minute?”
Melody pulls the snaps on her bag and jams her papers inside. “I have to go. Maybe another time.” She snaps the bag shut and shoots towards the door, but Will is in her way.
He rests one hand on her shoulder as she turns and another on the bag. “Please. Look, I can tell you’re avoiding me, but we’re going to have to talk sometime. Why not now?”
Melody stops in her steps. “Fine, talk. You have two minutes.” She sits at one of the desks and Will takes the other.
Will ruffles his hair and sighs. As he raises his arm, his biceps bulge out of his sweaty t-shirt. Melody assumes he just came out of the cellar and dashed up to catch her. His eyes are darting around in search for words and he finally says,“I don’t even know where to begin. I… I am so sorry. Melody. Maybe I moved too fast the other day. I just thought that you were ready to take our relationship to the next step. If I made you feel uncomfortable, I am so sorry.”
He reaches in to take her hand, but she moves it away quickly.
“I guess I just wanted to clear the air between us. The last thing I want is for you to feel uncomfortable working here. I promise, I will keep how I feel about you to myself. You won’t have to worry about me making a move. Can we at least be on talking terms?”
Melody is silent for a time.
“I see.” Will stands up to leave. He looks deflated. He rushed in hoping Melody would reciprocate how he feels. “My two minutes must be up.”
“It wasn’t just you. I also kissed you back.” Melody blurts out, then shuts her eyes wondering if she is getting herself in more trouble by taking this route. She needs to be careful what she says next. “This… this is new for me, Will.”
“For me too.” Will sits back down and leans his desk in closer to her. “But you. Melody, I have not met anyone as striking as you before. When I’m around you, I stutter. I feel clammy and I’m unsure of myself. That’s not me! The Will I know is calm, collected, but you somehow bring out this other side of me. And no one else can
