By the third day at Greystone, Eleanor already felt as though the castle gardens belonged to her. The fountains, the hedges, even the wide lawns where she and William raced until their lungs burned — everything seemed alive with laughter now.
That afternoon, the three children wandered beyond the maze to a row of old apple trees. Their branches stretched wide, heavy with green fruit not yet ready for plucking. William's eyes sparkled the moment he saw them.
"Let's climb," he announced, brushing dirt from his hands as he sized up the trunk of the tallest tree.
Eleanor tilted her head back, staring at the branches far above. "It looks very high," she said quietly.
"That's what makes it fun," William insisted, already gripping the bark. He looked over his shoulder at her. "Unless you're afraid."
"I am not afraid," Eleanor shot back, though her small hands fidgeted with the ribbon at her waist.
Theodore, who had been walking a few paces behind them, stopped. His brow furrowed as he took in the sight of the tree, the distance to the ground, and Eleanor's uncertain expression.
"She doesn't have to climb just because you want to," he said evenly.
William smirked. "You always spoil things, Theo. You sound like a grandfather, not a brother."
Eleanor giggled at the jab, and for a moment Theodore's ears turned pink. He turned his gaze on her, softer now. "You don't have to prove anything, Eleanor."
But something inside her fluttered — a need not to disappoint him, nor William. She placed her palm against the trunk. "I want to try."
Theodore sighed, stepping closer. "Then do it properly."
He showed her where to place her foot, guiding her hands to the lower branch. His touch was careful, his voice steady, though every time she wobbled he moved as though ready to catch her. Slowly, with Theodore's help, Eleanor pulled herself up onto the lowest branch.
Her face lit with triumph. "I did it!"
William cheered, scrambling higher into the tree with ease. "Come up further, Eleanor! There's a view of the whole garden!"
Eleanor looked up, but the branches above seemed dizzyingly high. She shook her head, clinging to the bark. "This is far enough."
"See?" William teased. "You are afraid."
"I am not," Eleanor replied hotly, though her knees trembled.
Theodore planted himself directly below her, crossing his arms. "You've climbed enough. Come down before you fall."
She looked down at him — his dark eyes fixed on her, his stance steady and sure — and felt her heart beat faster. Slowly, she lowered herself back into his reach. When her feet touched the ground, he didn't let go of her hand right away.
"You're braver than you think," he murmured.
Eleanor smiled shyly, a warmth filling her chest.
William jumped down a moment later, brushing twigs from his hair. "You didn't even reach the second branch," he teased, though there was no real malice in it. "But I suppose it's better than nothing."
Eleanor laughed with him, but when she looked back at Theodore, he was still watching her — not smiling, not teasing, only watching, as though he saw something no one else did.
---
On the terrace above, the parents watched once again.
"Do you see the way she follows his guidance?" Lady Beaumont whispered.
Lord Greystone's lips curved. "She trusts him. That is enough."
"They are children," Lady Beaumont said softly, though even she could not ignore the bond beginning to weave between them.
"They will grow," Lord Greystone replied. "And when they do, the foundation will already be laid."
---
That night, Eleanor lay awake long after her maid had blown out the candles. She thought of William's laughter, of his daring grin. But more than that, she thought of Theodore — his steady hands, his quiet voice, the way her heart raced when his eyes lingered on hers.
She didn't understand it yet. She only knew that Greystone had given her something she could not name — a feeling that even when she left, she would carry it with her forever.
And somewhere in the dark halls of the castle, Lord Theodore lay awake too, listening to the wind sweep past the stone walls, wondering why a girl with bright eyes and tangled laughter had already found her way into his thoughts.