She slanted him a look. “I have spent many hours climbing around after boys.” The Zhong daughter had trailed after her brothers as much as possible, which meant that Li-Na had done the same.
“He knows better,” Lord Daniel said with a grumble.
She snorted. “All boys know better. Few boysthinkbetter.”
He sent her a glance, his lips curving into a grim smile. Meanwhile, the woman called from behind them. “Daniel! Daniel, let her do it. I can’t get the lantern lit.”
He turned to look behind him, frustration on his face.
Li-Na kept moving forward, her pace slowing so she didn’t trip on the uneven ground. “I will see the boy safe. You can get us better light.”
She watched as he quickly scanned the area from the boy climbing down, the rocks on the path, and Nessie as she strained with the carriage light. In the end, he gave her a quick nod.
“Don’t climb, step carefully, and bring him straight to me.” His words held the low growl of an irritated tiger. She did not envy the child, but she was curious to see how the tiger managed an unruly boy. Meanwhile, he turned back toward the carriage. “Step down, Nessie. I’ll do it.”
Li-Na quickly made it to where the child would come down. He could have made it by the time she arrived, but he was moving slowly, no doubt already knowing he was in trouble. She smiled up at him.
“Did it break as you expected?” she asked.
His eyes widened at her question, then he shook his head. “I thought it would split when it landed on the other rock, but it didn’t. It just landed in the dirt. But the other rock shattered beneath it. It went everywhere.” Then he looked to his left and pointed. “Can I show you?”
Meaning, could he delay facing the tiger? “You know you cannot.”
His face tightened, but she knew he understood his fate. The resignation was clear in his shrug. Finally, he made it to her side, and they headed back. Meanwhile, Lord Daniel’s conversation could be heard clearly over the wind.
“Do you believe it? He’s your father. Would he do that to you?”
“He’s always said I was too weak. That it’s my fault Joseph’s the way he is.”
“But that doesn’t mean he’d take the children from you.”
“Maybe not Joseph,” she said, her voice cracking on the name. “But he would Stefan.” The lady’s voice grew more distressed. “He has spies here in Cornwall. They tell him everything I do—everything that Joseph does—and he blames it all on me.”
The boy’s steps slowed, and Li-Na adjusted to his pace. Like her, he wanted to listen to the conversation. Unfortunately, it was too late. Lord Daniel gestured to the child’s mother to be silent, then stepped forward, his hands on his hips with the letter clutched in one fist.
“Stefan. Were you throwing rocks off my wall?”
The boy slowed to a stop beside Li-Na, his eyes wide.
“Best go forward,” she whispered. “Stand tall as he speaks to you.”
The child took three more steps until he stood in front of Lord Daniel.
“Well?” Lord Daniel asked.
“I threw a rock off the castle wall.”
“Do you know how dangerous that is? You could have tumbled off with it. Someone else might have been hurt below.”
“I was careful. No one was about.”
“And the shattered pieces no doubt damaged the castle further.”
The child didn’t respond, but his hands tightened into fists where they were pressed to his sides. Li-Na knew the gesture. He was controlling himself, keeping his words inside with effort. Lord Daniel must have seen it too because he arched his brows.
“You have something to say?” he challenged.
“I was careful,” the child repeated. “And the wall will need to come down anyway when it’s time to rebuild.”