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I froze for a moment. I did not want to live apart from Kimber, and I definitely didn’t want to spend more time with the Loths. But how exactly could I deny such an offer from Elmyra?

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Waylon has suggested that the stable might not be the best place for you,” Elmyra elaborated. “If you lived in the house – in your own room – it would be far easier for you to help with the household. Especially with the new baby coming, we will be in need of help during the night. The rooms we have for servants are small, but they’re warm, and the bed is comfortable enough.”

She tilted her head, watching me carefully. “What do you think, Harlow? Would you like to live in the house?”

“Yes,” I lied and forced a grateful smile. “Of course I would. That would… that would be amazing.”

“I haven’t decided yet. It’s too soon, I think.” She leaned back in her chair, immediately retracting her offer when she thought that I might actually want it. “We haven’t had a servant living in the house in quite some time, and you haven’t been here that long. I’m not sure if we can trust you with so much access to our home.”

“I understand.” I nodded, my smile still in place even though I wanted to vomit. “Please let me know whatever you decide.”

“I will.” Elmyra turned back to her cross stitch. “Now, I should stop chatting with you and let you get back to your work. There’s still so much left to do today.”

I went back to my chores, working as diligently as I could. I was relieved when my day came to an end, and I could return back to the stalls with Kimber.

As he escorted me back, Waylon told me a “funny” story about a zombie who’d impaled himself on the fence earlier that day.

“That does sound hilarious,” I said, but I wasn’t able to muster my usual faux enthusiasm conversing with him today. My heart was weighed down by the thought of being torn apart from Kimber.

I’d lost Lazlo, and before that Remy, and before that Lia, and before that Sommer, and before that a dozen more people that I loved, starting with my mother.

I couldn’t lose anybody else. I didn’t think I could survive it anymore.

“Is something wrong?” Waylon asked, and I realized I had been silent for too long. “You seem quiet tonight, Harlow.”

“No,” I said, but then decided there was no point in denying it. If I didn’t want to lose Kimber, I needed Waylon’s help. “Elmyra told me that you’ve suggested I move in the house.”

“It wasn’t really my suggestion,” Waylon disagreed, sounding rather sheepish. “More of a conversation we were having. You’d have your own room, and it’s a lot nicer than a horse stable.”

“You don’t have to sell me on sleeping somewhere that isn’t a filthy stall,” I said.

“Then what’s wrong?” he asked.

“Elmyra sounded hesitant. I don’t think she wants me in the house.”

“Really?” Waylon asked, seeming genuinely surprised that his mother wasn’t keen on moving his teenage servant/potential paramour into their historic home. “Why do you say that?”

“Well, she told me she still needed to think it over,” I said, and then, I took a risk and decided to nudge him further, adding, “And she was also kind of chastising me for how long it takes you to walk me back at night.”

“She said that?”

“I’m concerned that she doesn’t like our… friendship,” I replied carefully. “What if she tries to intervene?”

Waylon was quick with, “I would never let her do that.”

“You can’t be with me all the time,” I contended. “You’re out in the fields, and I’m alone in the house with her. If she gets mad about us, she can take it out on me however she likes.”

“She wouldn’t do that. But… if you’re worried, we can be less conspicuous,” he suggested. “We’ll cut our walks shorter.”

I paused and looked up at him, doing my best to appear heartbroken about the thought of not spending more time with him. “When will we see each other?”

He smiled, and in the dim light, his eyes twinkled. “I’ll come to you at night, once everyone is asleep. We can go up in the hay loft and talk.”

“You would do that to see me?” I asked.

“I would do a lot more to see you,” Waylon vowed in a low voice. “I should head back before Mama starts to worry, but tonight, I will visit you.”