“Let’s catch up to them later,” he said, putting an arm around her. “Since they know everything anyway.”
Emeline leaned into him and they walked in a different direction, cutting across a small courtyard in front of a cluster of cottages. She didn’t worry about Dada wondering where she was—not here, with Reese. She listened dreamily to the voices floating from windows and the animals clucking and lowing.
“I have to confess I had an ulterior motive for bringing your family here,” Reese told her.
“What’s that?”
“I wanted to see if you liked it—all of you. Because…I had the idea that maybe your father might consider moving here.” He sounded uncharacteristically nervous now, fidgeting with the handle of his whip. “If I offered to help, of course. I know it wouldn’t be an easy undertaking.”
Emeline’s heart was close to bursting. She had no idea what Dada would think about such a huge change in their lives. But he had been so delighted by the books in the market, the art in the museum, and the academies. Perhaps he would like to be closer to the capital, especially in a place like Willen.
“I don’t know,” she told Reese slowly. “I want it more than anything, though.”
It started to drizzle, and Reese pulled her under an overhanging cottage roof. There was a lovely flower bed at their feet, and Emeline admired the dahlias and blue roses, bobbing in the rain.
“I could train Dale, if he’s serious about going to a knight’s academy,” Reese said thoughtfully. “And if I add that to the offer, he might just badger your father into saying yes.”
Emeline had to laugh. “That’s a strong possibility!” She couldn’t even imagine how Aladane would react—he would absolutely stow away again on that trip.
“Let’s bring it up later,” he said, encouraged. “Anything is possible.”
For answer, Emeline held out her hand over the wet flowers at their feet. That delicious energy rushed out more readily now, more readily than ever. She drew the leafy stems straight up into the air, then curled the flowers around the two of them in a sweet embrace.
Thank you to my extraordinary family, who keeps me alive, and who never seemed to doubt that I could do this, despite the considerable odds. Special thanks to my Wonder Woman mother, who helps me find the magic on the darkest of days. And thank you to my good friends for their excitement and support, and to my long-lived but dearly departed cat, who was on my lap for so much of the writing in my life. I’m also eternally grateful to Holiday House and my editor Mora Couch, for all the hard work that went into the shaping of this book, as well as her positivity and enthusiasm for the story. And finally, thank you to Sara Kipin, for the gorgeous illustrations.
Between the Water and the Woods Page 25