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Hetty smiled, and quickly blanked out the mental image of his masculine stature sprawled out in front of the hearth.
“You and Simon both,” she replied obliquely, and valiantly tried to ignore the tell-tale blush that stole over her cheeks.
“Is Simon around today?” he asked. He glanced enquiringly around the busy market square.
Hetty nodded toward the blacksmith’s establishment in the far corner of the square. “He has gone to Warders to get some straps mended.”
Charlie nodded his thanks, but didn’t take his eyes off hers. The intimate way he looked deeply into her eyes while he listened to her reply made her quiver. She made no attempt to move when he shifted infinitesimally closer.
“Will I see you at the tavern tonight?” he murmured hopefully.
Hetty smiled. She tried to appear unconcerned, but just couldn’t quite keep the delight from her face. “I should hope to be there, yes.”
She opened her mouth to say something else only for a loud whistle to shatter the moment. Charlie took a step back and looked up, and lifted a hand to acknowledge Simon’s call before he turned back toward her.
“Later then,” he drawled huskily. He hovered close to her for a few moments more before he slowly, reluctantly, moved away.
Hetty watched him walk over to speak with her brother. She wished she could think of something engaging to say that would make him inclined to want to chat to her.
It was a shame that her mind went blank whether Charlie was around. She heaved a sigh of regret and looked over at the two men, who had fallen into what looked like deep conversation. Neither man bothered to give her a second glance.
“Do you want one or two of those cabbages, Hetty?” the stall holder asked from beside her.
Hetty glanced down at the cabbage in her hand, and groaned in disbelief. Not only had she been gaping at him like a stunned codfish, she had the added indignity of being burdened by vegetables. She glared down at it accusingly as she dumped it into the basket she still held.
“I will just take one today, I think,” she sighed in disgust before she turned her attention to finding the right money to pay the man.
As she did so, she quickly blocked out the little voice that warned her she was becoming too attached to a man who was only being polite and friendly because of his friendship with her brother.
Charlie was debonair, handsome, and incredibly charming. Men like him didn’t usually pay the slightest bit of attention to country-mouse like her.
As long as she remembered that then she stood some chance of finding some way of dealing with the roiling emotions that swept through her. In particular, the attraction that seemed to come from nowhere, which she had no idea how to ignore.
CHAPTER TWO
Later that night, she wandered into the busy tap room of the local tavern, and sighed in dismay at the volume of people who were there.
She had spent most of the day telling herself that it was best to forget about Charlie because he was, by far, the very last man she should spend her days, and nights, thinking about.
Unfortunately, her mind didn’t appear to be in agreement with her because, as soon as she saw him across the crowded tap room, a wild flurry of excitement swept through her that was impossible to ignore.
Charlie knew the second she walked through the door. Although he was ostensibly deep in conversation with Simon, he had no idea what his friend was talking about. Since his arrival at the tavern an hour ago, all of his thoughts had been focused on her arrival; waiting for that moment when she would walk through the door.
Now that she was here, all of his attention locked firmly upon Hetty, the woman who had haunted his every waking moment over the last couple of days.
As soon as he saw her, everything else within the tavern seemed to fade into insignificance. Nothing was as important as being able to get to her; to speak to her; to look into her eyes again. The chatter of the assembled patrons became a dull hum.
The golden glow from the flickering torches that lined the walls seemed to bath her in a shimmering light that made her look ethereal, and beckoned him to get closer.
The only thought that stood out in the forefront of his mind was that she was even more beautiful than he remembered. The image of her in the market earlier had been stunning but, bathed in firelight as she was now she seemed to have an angelicism about her that gave her an appearance of fragility. However, in addition to that, there was a hint of wildness about her that intrigued him, captivated him, and left him intrigued to know everything about her.
When she stopped to chat to a couple of women beside the door, Charlie couldn’t stand it a moment longer. He didn’t realise that he had abandoned Simon mid-conversation, and left him to stare blankly after him as he wove his way through the assorted patrons to get to her.
“Good to see you again,” he murmured when she turned to look at him.
“Hello,” she replied with a soft smile.
Their eyes met and held and, for a moment, neither of them spoke.
