“Where music takes its leisure in the cool spring,” she read aloud.
“Hmm…” Lucas’ dark brows drew over his eyes. “Music… spring.”
Meredith re-read the missive, heart pounding, as other pairs darted away into the semi-darkness.
“I’ve got it! Come!” Lucas grasped her hand and pulled her towards the hedge maze. However, they passed the entrance and went around the corner towards the garden gate. ”It’s the birdbath,” he whispered quietly.
“Birdbath? Are you certain?” Meredith questioned.
“Yes. Think on it.” He turned to her, his features shadowed yet illuminated just enough to see the delight in his expression. “The music is the song birds, the cool spring is the water that’s drawn from the spring and put into the birdbath.”
“Oh.” She blinked. “That’s actually quite brilliant.”
He froze mid-step. “Pardon?”
“Nothing.” She waved her hand and walked on.
His warm hand grasped her wrist. “Oh, that was anything but nothing.”
She paused and turned to face him, trying to ignore the way the torchlight flickered across his features and made the smolder in his eyes more prominent. “You are more intelligent than I assumed.”
“Ah, you see… that is not what you said.” He pulled her wrist till she took a few steps towards him.
“Then why ask for me to repeat it if you heard correctly the first time.”
“I’m helping your humility grow.”
“I assure you it is the proper size.”
“I have doubts. You said I was brilliant.”
“No.” He pulled her closer still till his boots brushed the hem of her dress. “I said, ‘That’s quite brilliant.’ I was complimenting the riddle.”
“You can pretend all you want… but just know this.” He bent toward her, his gaze tenderly studying her. As much as she told herself to back away, she found herself staying in place and inclining forward as well.
“Know what?” she asked, her tone breathless.
“The only one you are fooling is… yourself,” he whispered.
Her eyes flickered closed as he started to close the small distance between them.
“Here it is! The birdbath! I told you!” Hugh’s voice burst through the moment like ice water, and Meredith pulled away, her heart hammering.
“Ah, I see you two figured out the clue as well,” Lucas answered, sidestepping Meredith and withdrawing the next clue and breaking it’s seal. “Too bad you’ll need to wait till we read the next clue.” He waved the envelope in the air, a defiant expression on his face.
“Well, be quick about it! I aim to win!”
“Me, too.” Louisa gave a silently competitive grin to her sister.
“A moment of privacy, if you will.” Lucas pulled Meredith’s wrist gently into the darker shadows. “Let us see what it says.”
“To the middle I’ll go, but I’ll not have to go through any rows.” Meredith read, her brow furrowing as she considered the words.
“It’s not the maze. That’s full of rows.” Lucas mused.
“The garden. The center of the garden! You know, where the—”
“The stone statue is! Yes! You know…” He tilted his head, just slightly, “You’re smarter than I expected as well.” With that, he tossed the envelope and clue into the air and ran toward the statue in the middle of the garden, chuckling as Hugh called foul behind him.
“That won’t stop them for long.” Meredith glanced behind her in time to watch Hugh grasp for the discarded clue.
“No, but I’ll take any advantage I can get.” Lucas replied, his tone thick with amusement.
“Do you think we’re in the lead?”
“Not sure, it is paramount that we continue quickly!” To punctuate his point, he paused and swept Meredith up in his arms and started to jog toward the middle of the garden.
“Put me down!” she insisted, keeping her voice low lest they attract unwanted attention.
“You’re far too slow to keep up. I had no other option since I simply must win.”
“You most certainly had other options!” She punched him in the arm with her fist.
“None.”
“Liar.”
“Oh, look! We’ve arrived.” With abrupt motions, he set her on the ground and searched the statue for another clue.
Slightly wobbly, Meredith righted herself and began searching as well. A crisp white envelope peeked from beneath a nearby bush with a small cherub as guardian. “I’ve found it!”
“Give it here.”
“No. Patience is a virtue. Plus, you’ve read the last two,” she accused as she slid open the envelope.
Lucas tried to swipe it from her hands, but she held tightly and spun away, trying to read the contents.
“Edges and lines make up my design, but when you’re within, you’re lost like time,” Meredith read the words quietly.
“Well, what does it say?” Lucas asked impatiently.
“It’s the maze, but…” Her brow furrowed as she considered the last part. The maze was quite large; the clue was somewhere specific within…