Chapter 8

– A Willow –

Elias and Jacob joined the others at the table, and soon after, Chester announced the hunt, instructing his servants to prepare the horses. He even made sure to ready some gentle ones so the ladies could ride without fear.

Everyone was soon mounted. Grace and Plumette rode along a safer path, watching the others hunt from a distance. However, since this outing was originally meant to be a small date between Grace and Chester, aside from the hunt itself, Chester made an effort to stay close to her and strike up a conversation. Before long, the two drifted into their own world.

Plumette, meanwhile, kept glancing back at where Elias and Jacob were riding. Not wanting Zachary to notice her obvious interest, she stayed silent. Elias, however, was quick to notice. He gave Jacob a small nod of approval before riding ahead to engage Zachary in conversation, leaving Jacob riding alone. Taking the opportunity, Plumette slowed her pace and drifted toward the back of the group.

“Lord Jacob, aren’t you going to hunt any animals?” she asked, starting a conversation.

“I will,” Jacob replied, “but today feels more like a social gathering than a hunt.”

Plumette couldn’t help but agree. Everyone seemed far more interested in conversation than in the hunt itself.

“That’s true. Are you disappointed, then?” she asked.

“No,” Jacob said with a gentle smile. “It’s been a while since I had time for myself. It feels rather peaceful.”

“That’s why your friends keep telling you to step out of your office more often,” Plumette teased. “Why are you already such a workaholic?”

She shook her head in mock disappointment, making Jacob chuckle.

“There’s just more work every day, Lady Plumette.”

At that moment, Zachary noticed Plumette’s absence and glanced back, finding her conversing with Jacob. He found it mildly intriguing but chose not to intervene; instead, he joined Elias to hunt some smaller animals nearby.

“You know,” Plumette said lightly, “lately you’ve been appearing everywhere I go. It’s almost suspicious.”

“Then I suppose I’ll pretend not to see you the next time we meet, Lady Plumette,” Jacob replied playfully.

“You can’t be serious. That would be terribly rude for a gentleman,” she said with a dramatic sigh. “I’d have to assume you avoided me because I make you uncomfortable.”

“I couldn’t possibly make such a lady sad,” Jacob replied, holding back a laugh as he gave a slight bow. “I suppose I’ll behave like a proper gentleman, then.”

They both laughed at the ridiculous exchange. After a moment, Plumette’s expression shifted, and she suddenly turned toward him.

“How boring,” she said. “Do you want to sneak away from this event, Lord Jacob?”

“Sneak away?” Jacob asked, surprised. “Where to?”

“Into the woods, or anywhere,” she said, glancing ahead at the others, all busy with their own activities. “Maybe we’ll stumble upon something unexpected. Or we can wander for a while.”

Jacob pretended to think it over, though he knew he couldn’t let Plumette wander alone in the woods.

“Alright,” he said at last. “Let’s do it, Lady Plumette.”

They waited for the right moment. When the group became distracted, they slipped away unnoticed. Elias saw them leave but said nothing, assuming they would return before anyone realised they were gone.

“If anyone asks later, we’ll say we were hunting in the woods,” Plumette said, clearly pleased with her improvised excuse.

Jacob laughed and followed her deeper into the forest.

Before long, they came upon a cluster of trees surrounding a wide pond, its surface glimmering beautifully under the sunlight. Dense greenery encircled it, and several willow trees leaned gracefully over the water. The sight made them stop.

When Plumette looked back, she realised how far they had strayed from the usual hunting grounds. She dismounted, and Jacob took both horses’ reins, tying them to a nearby tree before returning to her side.

“Well,” he said, looking at her, “are you satisfied with stumbling upon something unexpected, Lady Plumette?”

“Yes,” she replied happily. “This is definitely something worth remembering.”

She glanced at him, then added, “You knew this place was here, didn’t you?”

Jacob smiled faintly. “I did. I found it years ago during a hunt when I wandered too deep into the woods. It’s been a long time since I’ve returned.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me? Do others know about it?” she asked, a hint of disappointment creeping into her voice.

“No,” he said reassuringly. “I kept it a secret. You don’t need to worry.”

Plumette let out a relieved sigh and walked closer to the willows.

“Lord Jacob, these willow trees make the pond even more beautiful,” she said. “Maybe we should rest here for a while before going back.”

Jacob nodded in agreement.

Plumette wandered around, pointing out every little thing she noticed, as if discovering the world for the first time. She had only seen such sights in books before, and experiencing them with her own eyes left her mesmerised.

Jacob’s heart skipped every time their eyes met. He had never felt this way before meeting Plumette, nor had he ever allowed himself time like this due to his busy schedule. Yet, in that moment, he felt content—satisfied with simply being there.

After exploring the area, they sat down by the pond. Jacob spread his coat on the ground for Plumette to sit on.

“You know I can sit just fine without all this,” she said.

“But I can’t let your dress get dirty, Lady Plumette.”

“Then we’ll share it,” she insisted, pulling him down beside her. “I can’t let your clothes get dirty either, Lord Jacob.”

“I suppose we’ll have to leave soon,” Plumette murmured, disappointment clear in her voice.

“We can come back anytime,” Jacob replied softly. “It’s deep in the woods. No one would notice.”

They fell into comfortable silence. Eventually, Plumette’s excitement faded, and the exhaustion from the morning caught up with her. Her head slowly leaned against Jacob’s shoulder as she drifted off to sleep.

Jacob noticed and stayed perfectly still, afraid to wake her.

“I wonder if you’ll ever rely on me like this someday… Plumette,” he whispered, barely daring to say her name aloud.

His heart refused to calm down. Every small movement she made in her sleep sent his thoughts spiralling, her soft breathing brushing against him. Flustered, he looked away, desperately trying to distract himself, hoping she would never realise the mess she had made of him.

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