‘What, Lancaster?’ she asked in surprise.
‘Well, it is my local city now, isn’t it? And who better to show me the sights?’ he grinned with a raised eyebrow. His lips twitched at seeing her reaction, she looked a tad taken aback.
‘Err… yeah, if you want.’
‘Hmm, I do want,’ he replied almost laughing now.
‘Do you want to go now? This can wait.’ Emma started to close the piano lid.
‘No. I tell you what, I’ll make us a bite to eat, while you stay here and carry on. We’ll go after we’ve eaten,’ Felix told her assertively.
Emma blinked. ‘Are you sure?’
Felix laughed. ‘Yes, I am capable, you know.’
‘But that’s my job,’ replied Emma.
‘Well, not today.’ He shook his head. He looked at the playlist. ‘Maybe we could do a duet?’ he teased.
Emma burst into giggles, imagining the very scene. ‘Stick to the day job, Felix,’ she spluttered.
‘Yeah, perhaps.’ He smiled and made his way to the kitchen.
He took a while in preparing them bacon sandwiches, wanting Emma to have enough time to practise. He hummed merrily along to the set she was singing, currently Norah Jones’What Am I To You?Good question, he thought – and one he was increasingly asking himself. Was he strictly Emma’s employer, or had he become something more? She was certainly becoming more than just his housekeeper to him, that was for sure. It was no good denying it. Felix got so caught up in his thoughts he almost burnt the bacon. Get a grip, man, he thought sternly. Having poured the tea into mugs and put a few biscuits on a plate, he went up with it all on a tray.
Emma was just finishing when Felix placed the tray down on the console table in the hall and applauded.
‘Bravo!’ he called.
‘Why, thank you.’ She got up to curtsy, then joined him.
‘Come on, let’s eat this in the drawing room,’ said Felix, taking the tray.
After finishing their tea and sandwiches, they wrapped up to face the cold air outside. Felix wore a beanie hat and thick scarf, covering most of his face. Emma wondered if it was because of the cold, or as disguise. He drove them into Lancaster under Emma’s direction, chatting all the way as she guided him into the nearest car park.
‘Are you worried someone might recognise you?’ she asked, tipping her head towards his scarf.
‘It’s more habit than anything.’ He shrugged. ‘In London it happened a lot, but perhaps here not so.’
‘Yeah,’ agreed Emma, ‘I mean, who would expect the likes of me to be out and about with a famous actor?’
He turned to face her, pausing before answering.
‘Why not?’ He frowned.
Emma stalled. ‘Well… you know…’
‘No, I don’t.’
‘Right, forget it. Come on, let’s go.’ She made to unfasten her seatbelt, but he stopped her, his expression staid.
‘Emma, please don’t think that way. You’re a beautiful, talented lady and great company. Why on earth shouldn’t we be out and about together?’ He cocked his head on one side.
Emma blinked, taken aback by his declaration. She was speechless.
‘Right, where to first?’ he asked, rubbing his hands together.
‘Well, I could really do with a new outfit for the gig,’ said Emma, not really sure Felix would enjoy being traipsed around the shops.
