It felt more like March than May as the crew team gathered at the dock and prepared to row its way across the lake, with Powell as coxswain. Allison sat bundled beneath a blanket and watched from the porch. The screen door creaked and closed.
“Allison.”
She smiled upon hearing his voice.
Samuel glanced inside the house, where housemaids were at work. Quietly, he slid a chair over until it touched Allison’s. They looked out over the water as Samuel leaned to within an inch of Allison’s ear.
“I want to touch you,” he said in a low whisper.
Allison slid her hand from the arm of her chair until it hung hidden between the two chairs. Fingertips touched and interlaced.
She whispered, “We need to talk.”
Samuel lurched back against his chair as Andrew burst onto the porch. Allison pulled th
