"This way, then." She picked up one of the lamps she'd lit during the meal and led him through the kitchen into a butler's pantry, then down a narrow hall. A plain wooden door opened into a small suite, simply but comfortably furnished. She led him through the sitting room into a bedroom with a decently sized wrought iron bed and a fire ready to be started in the grate.

"This is perfect," he said, leaning against the doorframe. His arm around her shoulder felt natural and he ...