Chapter 326: Chase [3]
Eloise managed to kick off her shoes as she ran. She abandoned the stone pathway since its rough surface hurt her bare feet, and cut across the grass instead.
Her laughter trailed behind her like a thread for Damien to follow, and though she tried her hardest to swallow it, she couldn’t help herself.
It was every bit as fun as Iris had promised to run through the garden with the wind blowing through her hair and Damien not far behind her.
She dared not glance back just yet, certain enough that he couldn’t be far.
Fortunately, Eloise had walked through this garden often enough to know its paths by heart, and she used that knowledge now to gain herself just a little more distance. She couldn’t outrun him forever, but she could make sure the chase wasn’t over too soon.
Damien stayed close behind her, thoroughly enjoying the sight of Eloise running through the garden ahead of him.
He couldn’t help but smile each time her laughter reached his ears.
Damien kept his pace slow to give Eloise false confidence before she eventually tired herself out.
Unfortunately for Damien, Eloise had already seen straight through his little plot.
"Planning to make me run out of energy, are you, Damien?" Eloise asked, finally finding the courage to glance back over her shoulder.
Panic surged through her the instant she realised how much closer he’d gotten. She gathered the sides of her dress in both fists and pushed herself faster, refusing to be caught so easily.
Her laughter grew louder still at the sight of a few gardeners standing utterly baffled by their lord and lady sprinting past them through the flowerbeds. It was loud enough that she missed whatever reply Damien had given her.
As he ran, Damien waved the gardeners off with a quick signal, silently dismissing them from the garden.
His eyes never once left Eloise and watching her push herself forward. He was now half-convinced that if she truly had been drunk, he might have struggled to catch her.
Seeing her nearly stumble over the hem of her own dress, Damien decided it was finally time to end the chase.
As though anticipating exactly what he intended to do, Eloise darted towards a low stone wall and climbed on top of it, suddenly towering over him. She peered down, studying how remarkably composed he still looked despite the run.
Damien didn’t seem to need to catch his breath as she did, and only his hair was slightly messed up.
Damien offered his hand up to her, not to help her down, but simply so she could walk along the wall without fear of losing her balance. "Having fun, are we?"
"You know I’m not truly drunk. How?" Eloise asked, arms outstretched as she balanced herself.
"I know you would never let yourself get fully drunk at a time like this. Not with Iris needing you. Believe me, I have been looking forward to seeing just how you’d behave drunk, running wild across the estate. I’m a touch disappointed I didn’t get the full performance, but I am thoroughly entertained regardless," Damien admitted, a grin still tugging at his mouth.
"One of us had to remain sober, and Iris deserved the wine far more than I did. Still, I do feel rather light on my feet just now," Eloise said, continuing her careful walk along the wall.
"That’s the wine talking. You are not a bird, my love, so don’t go thinking you might fly," Damien said, watching her with concern.
Eloise pressed her hand over her mouth, but her laughter still slipped through. "And if I jumped, wouldn’t you catch me?"
"I would catch you, but I’d prefer you didn’t jump. It frightens me to see you up there. Please, take my hand," Damien said, stepping closer.
Eloise took his hand to ease his mind. "Doesn’t this remind you of when we used to play together as children? I keep remembering all the little paths you would take whenever you wanted to slip away from the guests."
Eloise continued, "My father would always be caught in the middle of it, promising your mother to keep a close eye on us, and we would do everything in our power to vanish from his sight. He once gave me a little speech, warning me to be careful since you were the heir."
"Did he? And what exactly did he say? Not to fall for me?"
"No," Eloise laughed. "He said that, heir or not, if you ever troubled me, I was to tell him at once."
"So he assumed I’d be trouble for you. I can’t fault him for it since he was only keeping you safe. Not everyone within these walls could be trusted," said Damien.
"Eventually, he warmed to you. If he hadn’t, we wouldn’t have played together. You were the only heir I ever truly played with as a child. Everyone else was far older, like Viola. I’m going to jump now," Eloise announced, and did exactly that, giving Damien little chance to prepare.
Fortunately, he was still holding her hand, and caught her easily.
Damien stumbled back a step, but Eloise landed safely within his arms. "It is your life’s sole purpose to give me a fright, isn’t it?"
Eloise wrapped her arms around his neck. "I prefer to think of it as keeping you entertained. You haven’t stopped smiling since you finally caught up to me. You’re enjoying yourself."
"Why wouldn’t I be? I get to chase my own wife through the garden on a lovely day like this. We must do this far more often," Damien suggested, scooping her fully into his arms. "We must do it again once the others have gone and it’s dark out."
"Why? So we might hide from the workers? Where did they all go?" Eloise wondered, only now noticing how empty the garden had become. "What did you do?"
"Why must you assume it was my doing?" Damien asked, feigning innocence.
"Because you always have some hand in it. I won’t question it any further since I enjoy the privacy," Eloise said with a smile.
"Because you would like to have some fun in the garden-"
Eloise pressed her hand over his mouth to silence him. "You won’t be so fortunate today. It’s still far too bright out, and there might be someone watching us."
"Then we should arrange to return here tonight. To see the lanterns when they are lit, of course. Purely for that reason," Damien said, grinning from ear to ear.
"You can’t even convince yourself of that lie. I’ll be generous to reward you with a kiss instead. Follow me," Eloise said, sliding her arms from around his neck to grab a fistful of his shirt.
"We mustn’t waste what little time alone we have," Eloise whispered, pulling him towards a nearby tree to be out of sight of wandering eyes.