A giggle of delight tickled its way up Lenore’s throat as her fingers paused in their scanning of the book in front of her. Snatching it up, she looked up and surveyed the space around her. Eager eyes met nothing but emptiness. What was taking Daniel so long? Narrowing her eyes at the offending open space in front of her and allowing a small growl of indignation to rumble in the back of her throat, she clasped the book to her chest with one hand and plucked up the hem of her skirt with the other. Her companions couldn’t be that far off. She would meet them half way. Charging forward, she rounded the aisle at a healthy clip.

Only a few rows of books blurred by in her peripheral vision before she spotted a distinct blue coat through the gaps in a shelf a bit closer to the clerk’s desk. The Admiralty forbade most wearing of the naval uniform when not on duty, but Daniel had grown so accustomed to the color, and indeed it suited him, he requested several coats of similar shade and cut made, almost without thinking of it. Grinning, she darted off in that direction.

“There ye are,” she announced as she rounded the corner separating her from her target. “Why huvnae ye–“

Daniel darted out a hand in her direction, clasping her by the arm and tugging her into an alcove between two sets of shelves before repositioning his hand over her mouth. A soft shhh sounded at her ear, ruffling the wisps of curls at the nape of her neck and causing her to shiver.

Lenore gasped, eyes going wide as she swung them up to Daniel’s face for an explanation. An explanation not immediately forthcoming as she noted his attention off to the side toward the clerk’s desk. An index finger pressed to his lips provided partial clarity as to his actions. From around the corner, the sound of voices drifted into her awareness.

“Why the devil did you let them in?” Tyrsdale’s angry voice hissed.

“Nothin’ Ah could dae,” The disgruntled tones of the clerk countered. “They showed up here wi’ a vouchsafe. He’s got th’ same right tae haunt th’ shelves as ye dae.”

“I haven’t searched for the other record yet.”

“Not mah concern.”

“Had you done as I’d told you to in the first place, you useless–“

“Ah earn my livin’ keeping these records, nae destroyin’ them. Told ye already, ‘at pittance ye gave me only guarantees Ah didnae tak’ note ay yer search.”

“How dare you–“

“An’ Ah dinnae guarantee that if ye tak’ up wi’ insults.”

A brief silence ensued, followed by the crisp clack of heels across the floorboards and the splintering slam of the front door.

“It appears our friend the clerk honors equality in his uninviting nature. Beneficial for us,” Daniel noted, but his thoughts were still preoccupied, and he didn’t seem to note how he still pressed Lenore into the alcove, one broad hand resting over her lips, the other having come to rest on her upper arm. “And it sounds as though we were right. The Tyrsdale records must still be here.”

He might not be aware of their position, but Lenore was. Very much. Her knees quaked and her head swam, her breath puffed in stilted gasps. Heat suffused her face while the rest of her traitorous body warmed to Daniel’s nearness, her arm burning where his hand rested on it. Embarrassed by the involuntary display and worried she might soon swoon from lightheadedness, she found her strength in irritation and pointedly cleared her throat.

The noise served its purpose and caught Daniel’s attention, his eyes blinking down at her in confusion a moment before they widened, and he snatched his hands away, taking half a step back and allowing the cool, semi-damp air to wash over her. Lenore dragged in a substantial breath.

“They are still here,” she breathed. “An’ Ah found them. With nae thanks tae ye, Ah might add.” She attempted a stern assertion, failing when a grin crossed her features.

“Perfect!” Daniel returned her smile, falling into boyish delight at their adventure and angling in close to her again with a nod to the book still clasped tightly to her chest. “Let’s have a peek then.”

Ignoring the inappropriate thoughts his wording and the direction of his gaze ignited, she held the ledger out to facilitate his observation of it over her shoulder. Trembling finger running along the first column, she attempted to ignore his arm snaked around her back, palm pressing into her lower ribs. Her sense of decorum demanded she move away from him, but her heart delighted in the nearness and the brief return of brightness to his eyes.

“It’s here,” she noted, deciding to focus on the task at hand rather than the more complicated play of emotions in her. There’s Tyrsdale’s great-grandfather, ours, an’ th’ sale price. Th’ date an’ land survey measurements are indicated here,” her finger glided across to a reference column on the other side of the page. “‘At book is in a different section ay th’ archives, but as long as this page is here, it should be what we need.”

“Then we shall see to it this page remains in place,” he asserted.

Anticipating the disappearance of the arm at her back now that she’d relayed the pertinent information, Lenore turned toward Daniel. “But how–“

She’d misjudged. Daniel remained in place, his arm caging her from behind as he leaned in to inspect the information in the book. The resulting tightening of space between them saw Lenore drowning in the sea of Daniel’s eyes, suddenly much brighter and more turbulent than they’d been a moment before. Their profiles hovered a hair’s breadth apart from each other.

Before her mind had time to contemplate her predicament, she absently registered Daniel’s movement. Not away from her as she ought to expect, but toward her. An instant later, warm lips pressed lightly against hers, uncertain. Her knees buckled, sending her leaning into him for support, her arms still occupied in maintaining a hold on the record book.

His arms tightened around her in response, holding her steady as his lips gained confidence, exploring the shape and texture of hers. She exhaled a soft sigh, unwittingly providing Daniel with greater opportunity. Her heart took up a violent thudding in her chest as he deepened the kiss, laying claim to her mouth with muted urgency.

A shiver wandered down her spine, dissipating in heated sparks flying along her limbs and spreading through her belly. The surreal sensation both invigorated and frightened her. Tingling fingertips hesitated between maintaining their grip on the book wedged between them and letting it fall in favor of searching out the texture of his raven-black hair.  Visions of her arms wrapping around his neck, their bodies pressing together unhindered, danced in Lenore’s imagination. Her fingers began to relax their hold as Daniel changed the angle of his lips against hers, sending the next bolt of newfound desire straight through to her heart.

 “Are ye two almost done wi’–“

The sound of Lily’s voice sent them jumping apart, but the expression on her aunt’s face indicated the move made little difference.

“Nae, Ah dinnae think ye are,” she mused. “But Ah think we best get going anyway.”