☆ ᴡᴀᴛᴛʏꜱ 2024 SHORTLISTER!! ☆
A tragic misunderstanding. A murder. A secret. An unlikely partnership. A spirited countess and an enterprising racketeer.
~~~
Manchester, England. May 1925.
The Roarin' 20s. An era of glamor, decadent parties, jazz mus...
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When William took off toward the back of the property, Teddy grabbed Rose's index finger and scampered after his father like he knew exactly where they were headed. Bemused, Rose followed.
After a few minutes' trek, they stood in the midst of a small meadow. In the distance was a line of large old trees, and a gentle stream flowed before them, its muted babble supplying ambient white noise.
William collapsed on the grass next to the stream, his actions almost childlike. He patted the spot on the ground next to him, indicating that Rose should do the same.
Rose surveyed their surroundings. The meadow surprised her in the most pleasant of ways. Based on her observations of her new employer, she'd expected him to lead her to a distillery, or a shooting range. But the view here was idyllic. The atmosphere peaceful. Like finding the last uninhabited place on Earth.
She carefully lowered herself to the ground beside William and smoothed her skirt beneath her. “This is beautiful,” she murmured.
Teddy looked back and forth between them, his little brow furrowed, as though he couldn't decide which lap to sit upon. After a moment, William gave Teddy a gentle nudge toward Rose.
At his father's prompt, Teddy sank down onto Rose's lap and slung his arm around her neck. Rose was touched by this little show of affection and stroked the boy's wispy hair off his forehead.
“Is this your favorite place, too, Teddy?” she asked.
The boy swiveled his head from side to side. “No,” he answered. “I like the stables. And my bedroom. But this is nice.”
“That's fair,” Rose said. “I admire your honesty.”
The sound of the stream flowing softly before them calmed Rose's nerves. She glanced over at William and saw him lean back until he was propped up on his elbows.
Suddenly, Teddy jumped to his feet and took off at a clumsy trot.
“Teddy!” Rose exclaimed, her cry overlapping with William's. “Not too close to the water!”
The stream was not Teddy's intended destination, however. He ran over to a small thicket of bushes, squealing in glee. “Bunnies!” he cried, pointing.
Rose exhaled in relief. The momentary fright had caused her heart to pound. She looked over at William, and their eyes met. “I had no right to raise my voice to your son,” she said. “Discipline is your job. My apologies.”
William waved his hand in a dismissive manner. “Never apologize for keepin' my son safe,” he said.
“Fair enough,” Rose agreed.
Teddy dashed around the bushes, trying to catch the little brown rabbits. They maneuvered out of his grasp without difficulty — something he seemed to find immensely entertaining.
