“Did anyone see you come in” Milly glanced at the library door.
“Stop.” He pressed a kiss on her forehead. “Worrying.” He kissed the side ofher nose.
“You’re not allowed to kiss me?” She pushed him away and slid under his arm. “You’re not single, remember?” She walked into another alcove to search for the book Du Montfort wanted.
“Actually, I am.” He leaned lazily against the shelves and checked his watch. “As of twenty minutes ago. When something needs doing, I don’t waste time.”
“Well, you needn’t look so smugabout it.”
“not smug, just very, very happy.” He said, his voiceroughened
She let him pull her into a kiss even though it felt too soon, and something else was bothering her. Unfinishedbusiness.
Although business finished or otherwise couldn’t compete with the lingering kiss that seemed to go on forever.
“Hello?” Mrs B called fromthe door.
Millie pulled herself free from George’s arms and stepped out from behind thebookcase.
“Mrs B?”
“Oh, there you are, dear. Have you seen Master George?”
She could feel her colour rising. “Er, I was just trying to find a book for Mr Du Montfort.” The answer made her sound guilty, and her cheeks burned.
Fortunately, George was quick. “I’m here, Mrs B,” he shouted, still out of sight behind the bookcase. “Millie can’t reach the highshelves.”
Good thinking. Millie went with it. “You can come down from the ladder now.”
George made a face and shook his head. She followed his eyes and saw the ladder at the other end of the library. Hopefully Mrs B didn’t notice.
George put a finger to his lip and grabbed a huge volume off a random shelf before stepping out into view. “There you are, Millie. Anything else you need?” he asked as courteously as if he’d been helping an old lady in a supermarket.
Millie was grateful for the ruse. “Just the Walter Scott.”
George lifted his eyes to Mrs B, who had remained by the door. “I’ll just be a minute.” He retreated back behind the bookcase as if he were indeed looking for the book. Millie followed him and picked up the Walter Scott anthology she’d found earlier and gave it to George so he could hand it to her in frontof Mrs B.
“Oh, good,” George said loudly, but his eyes spoke a much softer message while he reached not to take the book from Millie but to do up the top button of her dress, which had come undone earlier.
A shiver ran through her as she thought about his hand on her, insideher dress.
George’s eyes burned. He must have been thinking along the same lines.
Mrs B coughed delicately. “Evans and the cart are herefor you.”
“He’s half an hour early.” George spoke as he walked away from Millie. They’d barely had ten minutes alone. He schooled his face to neutrality and went to talkto Mrs B.
“He says you’ll need to leave now.” Mrs B stepped back out of the library, no doubt expecting him to follow her. “I’ve had your luggage loaded into the cartalready.”
“No, it’s far too early. I still have a few things to take care of here.” He marched out to the hall and found Evans by the door, turning his cap in his hands nervously. Before George could tell him to come back a little later, Evans spoke.
“Afternoon, Master George, I know it’s not three o’clock, but the main road is blocked w’ fallen trees. Ye know, from the storm last night. They’re a bit slow with the clearing up, so it’ll ‘ave te be the long way round, on the village road.”
George suppressed a groan. The village road would add another half hour on the ride to the ferry terminal. His time with Millie was up. He ground his teeth. Of all the times not to have a car.
He turned and found her, books hugged to her chest, standing inthe hall.
“I’ll say goodbye, then.” She turned towards the stairs. “Mr Du Montfort will be waiting for me.”
