Page 43 of To Know Miss May

“I be sorry it did come to this,” Mr. May said, but August refused to acknowledge the truth in his eyes. “And I swear, if ye do your best where me daugh’er be concerned, your secret—Mr. Cuff’s and Miss Pengelly’s secret—I’ll take ’em all to me grave.”

As if the man’s word meant anything to August now. The defiance still trying to sprout within him sparked, telling him to fight back. Perhaps Mr. May was lying. He wouldn’t remove two innocent individuals from their places of employment and then reveal a forbidden love. Or would he?

Perhaps August could report him to someone. Sir John, another supervisor?

As if they’d believe a young, newly hired undergardener to a man who’d worked as head gardener for over fifteen years.

August looked into Mr. May’s eyes, saw the desperation still saturating his features from the day before, and finally admitted the truth. There was nothing else to be done.He should have known this would happen. What other sort of man would force his only daughter from her home—the home she loved more than anything—simply because he thought it would be best for her?

His daughter. Miss May. Her soft features and blue eyes filled August’s mind, and his heart pinched. She was yet another innocent victim in all of this.

“What say ye, Moon?” Mr. May asked, his jaw twitching with impatience. Or was it guilt?

August truly had no choice in the matter. If it was merely his job at risk…but then, it wasn’t. There was nothing he could do but relent. He couldn’t risk Emma and Nicholas’s happiness. He couldn’t risk Nicholas losing his work. And August’s family would suffer if he had to leave, too.

But then, how could he knowingly trick Miss May to be his friend, to leave the Mount?

“Moon?”

August’s clenched his jaw. He couldn’t voice it, he couldn’t verbally agree to such debauchery, so he merely nodded.

“And ye swear to not tell me daugh’er?” Mr. May asked.

Again, August delivered a single nod.

Mr. May nodded. His vibrant blue eyes so like his daughter’s—but holding so much more darkness—closed for a moment. “Thank ye.”

“Do not thank me, sir,” August said. “I do not do this for gratitude. And I do not do this for ye.”

A flicker of shame crossed over Mr. May’s features, but it was gone in a flash. “Well, the decision ’as been made. The deal be done. Ye know what ye must do?”

Lie to Miss May. Trick her into being his friend. Encourage her to socialize. Convince her to marry off the Mount.

He nodded again.

Mr. May turned toward the door, paused, then faced August again. “One more thing. I think it be best for ye to continue me daugh’er’s belief that ye be attached to Miss Pengelly. I be sure ye can understand why.”

He needn’t explain further. August caught his meaning at once. Miss May needed to know August was unattached to keep the two at arm’s length from one another because Mr. May still wished for his daughter to marry someone off the Mount.

Did that mean the man was concerned that Livvy was falling for August?

He didn’t allow himself to dwell on the thought, delivering another silent nod instead.

Mr. May motioned to the doorway of the gardens. “Ye best be ’bout your work, then. Busy day ahead o’ we all.” Then he unlocked the door and led the way forward.

August didn’t follow him. He couldn’t. He was far too tempted to attack the man from behind, to shake some sense into his addlepated brain.

What did Miss May do to deserve such a father? What did any of them do to deserve such horrible treatment?

His final words to Mr. May echoed in his mind. No, he was not doing any of this for him. So why was he doing it?

He was doing it for the sake of his friends.

He was doing it for the sake of his family.

And he was doing it for the sake of his childhood dream to work on the Mount.

More than anything, however, something else spurred him on.