Page 26 of To Know Miss May

His confusion must have shown on his face as Mr. May shook his head. “No, I misspoke. Livvy knows ’ow to behave.” His lips stretched into a grim line. “She simply chooses not to.”

August paused. Very well, that made more sense. She had seemed to laugh and quip more than most women, and she definitely didn’t bat her eyelashes as much as most. But then, how had she not behaved properly? By speaking of books when her father didn’t approve? What was so very wrong about that?

“I be grateful for your kindness in speakin’ with ’er,” Mr. May continued. “Most people find ’er too odd to do so.”

August was once again reminded of how his conversation with Miss May had ended, with her admitting to not having very many friends—a fact he still could not wrap his mind around. He knew the Mount to be filled with kind, welcoming people. Was her experience so very different from his own?

“It be no trouble, sir,” he reassured him.

He was toeing a fine line between expressing how greatly he’d enjoyed his time with Miss May and not wishing for Mr. May to assume that anything was going on between August and the man’s daughter.

His words must have felt a little lackluster, however, as Mr. May grimaced. “Now, Moon, I don’t bring this up lightly…”

Unease crept behind August, the same that accompanied seeing a sudden storm burgeoning on the horizon. He didn’t know what Mr. May would say, but his instinct told him not to expect praise for his work any longer.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“We are not to judge the feelings of others by what we might feel in their place.”

The vicar of Wakefield, Oliver Goldsmith

“I be at me wits end,” Mr. May continued, his eyes still focused on the yellow flowers behind August. His long hair—quite similar to Miss May’s in color and curls, fell out around his face from beneath his cap. “Ye see, other than meself, I’ve not seen me daugh’er interact with another soul as she did with ye last night.”

August’s ears were ringing. How could such a fact be true? And if it was…why him?

“I be certain ye saw me watchin’ ye both.”

“Yes, sir,” August mumbled.

Mr. May nodded, as if unsurprised by August’s affirmation. “I couldn’t ’elp it, seein’ ’ow often she smiled, ’ow she didn’t try to escape the second ye were alone. I ain’t ne’er seen ’er so ’appy. And I couldn’t ’elp but notice that ye seemed to be enjoyin’ yourself, too.”

The knot in August’s stomach secured itself ever tighter. This was what he’d been afraid of, the very thing his sisters had mentioned the night before.

“Ye seem awfully defensive o’er the girl,” Ophelia had accused. “Per’aps ye’ve taken a likin’ to her. I do wonder what Miss Pengelly would think if she ’eard o’ such news.”

Father had gently instructed the girls to leave their brother alone, but August knew this would not be the last he heard of such matters.

Truly, were it not for his agreement with Emma and Nicholas, August would’ve been flattered to learn of Miss May enjoying his company. Indeed, he would have been the first to admit his enjoyment of her company.

But he couldn’t do that to his friends. He couldn’t risk it. If news broke of August and Emma not being attached—though nothing official had ever been spoken and would never be spoken—the attention would fall on Emma more than ever, which meant that she would have to be even more careful with Nicholas than she was already.

So how was August to proceed now that Mr. May was involved? It was simple. He needed to stamp out the sparks before they grew into flames.

“I be that glad to ’ear she enjoyed the evenin’,” he said gingerly, “and while I’d love to take credit, I do fear that ’er joy was simply due to speakin’ o’ books, and that be all.”

But Mr. May shook his head. “’Twasn’t just joy, Moon. I’ve seen ’er face countless times when she blabbers on ’bout ’em books she loves so greatly. But with ye, there be more to it. She e comfortable. And I ain’t seen ’er that comfortable with another soul in years.”

August stifled a sigh. While he wished desperately to be finished with this painfully uncomfortable conversation, he couldn’t be so blunt as to injure Mr. May—or in turn, Miss May—by declaring his lack of interest in her.

Even though I ’ave a distinct interest in ’er.

Instead, August settled with something more indirect. “I do make it a point to ensure all those I speak with feel comfortable. I be glad Miss May did, as well.”

Mr. May stared at him, his eyes narrowing slightly before he folded his arms across his chest. “Listen, Moon…”

August winced. Here it came. The blow.

“Me daugh’er be the single most unsociable creature on the Mount,” Mr. May proclaimed. “And ye be one o’ the most sociable. As such, I was hopin’ that ye might…take ’er under your wing.”