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It was as the sky gained its first touches of dusk that Grace rammed into a patrolman, arms full of enough wheat to obscure her view, and found there’d been a shift change.

Dramatic apologies spilling from her mouth, Grace adjusted her load to find Garrick Clairmont grinning at her.

She inhaled in an attempt to swallow the dramatics, and bits of wheat entered her throat. She coughed emphatically, trying to rid her mouth of the sticky, prickly wheat frond.

Her hat hung behind her head, kept in place by the rope tied around her neck. Garrick reached for it and placed it on her head.

“Looks like I’ll have to keep an eye on you. No sense of direction. Choking hazard. And, by the looks of it, you already have a bit of a burn on your cheeks and neck.”

Grace grimaced. Curse her blotchy blushing, that grinning man knew it wasn’t a sunburn. She scurried away without a word and did not try any of her and Willa’s tricks the rest of the day. Willa, on the other hand, loved slamming into her cousin and getting in his way. It was relatively easy for her, since Garrick was often looking over at Grace, sending her stomach into an unfortunate dust devil sort of swirl.

The next day, Grace spent a perplexing amount of time scanning the passing patrolmen in search of Garrick. She didn’t want a repeat of the day before. She would keep herself well away from Garrick—and her growing awareness of him.

The attention paid off, but not in the way Grace had expected. Midday, after an early break for lunch, Grace returned to the fields to find James patrolling.

All sorts of emotions swirled through her.

Thoughts of the night they’d huddled beneath the verdure cloak warred with her suspicions of his involvement in the destruction of the Leroux home. She needed to know if he had been the one to break in, as the mayor had said.

But they were in public, so she’d have to ask carefully.

“James!” Grace called, waving when she was close to him.

James halted and turned toward her. He offered a half-smile, just as Grace was used to at the soirées.

“How are you, Miss Robbins?” he asked. Hearing his natural tenor threw Grace for a moment, since she was so used to the mystical adjustment the face cloth provided that that was how he spoke in her mind. But no matter. The disconnect would pass.

She stuck her tongue out. “Exhausted. Harvest weeks can be brutal.”

Displeasure contorted his face. “I’ve never envied the life of a farmer.”

Instead of admiration of her tenacity, Grace felt a bit looked down on. “It’s rewarding,” she said, “just a lot of work. But I’ve never been scared away by a little work.”

“But you enjoy a bit of leisure too, I’ve noticed. I look forward to our next dance, and the walk through town after the next market day.”

“Me too,” Grace said, but in actuality she was feeling disenchanted with the dancing, and even the walk they’d arranged. Or was it that she was disenchanted with James? She knew that he had a part to play to keep himself safe, but spending time with James as the Rogue had been far more exciting. An energy thrummed between them when he donned the mask and verdure cloak.

And that’s the version of James she needed to talk to now.

But could she?

She heard his warning echo in her mind, deep and smooth.I’m different in this disguise.If you knew who I was, we’d be as distant as we are without masks.

He had to be wrong. It was vital, now more than ever, that he let her see who he actually was.

Grace leaned closer to James, allowing a conspiratorial look so anyone watching would think she was flirting. “Although, I think climbing trees can be just as diverting as dancing, don’t you?”

James coughed. “Climbing trees?”

Stubborn man. Determination made her bold. “Or exploring dilapidated sheds on the edge of town.”

His small smile now completely gone, James began shaking his head. “What are you talking about, Miss Robbins?”

Subtle hints weren’t working. “Look, I need to talk to you about the break-in at Willa’s home.”

James stiffened. “I don’t think it’s wise to discuss such things.”

Grace searched the area. She’d returned from lunch early, so no one else was around. “It’s just us. We can talk for a moment.”