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“And you? How did little Hannah fair, growing up with a father like that?”
“As you can see, I still have a bit of backbone left,” she said with a confident grin.
Stephen snorted. “A bit?”
“Is there something you’d like to say, Stephen?” Belle asked, blurting out a laugh.
“Only that I’m willing to bet that you and your Father went head-to-head many times because you’re not willing to back down in front of him.”
“And are you saying this out of personal observance or are you simply assuming because you claim you know me?”
“A little bit of both.”
“Well, you aren’t completely wrong,” she admitted with a sigh. “Although you aren’t completely correct, either. Father and I butted heads many times, but I learned that sometimes it is easier to just let him have his way.”
“And how do your parents feel about you going to Scotland?”
The thought had her sobering up. “Mother supports everything I do. Father...does not.”
She decided to leave it at that. The mention of Scotland, talk of her parents, it was slowly filling her with the guilt she’d been trying her hardest to ignore. Lying to Stephen even worse somehow and now, it was too difficult to even look at him without the feeling consuming her whole.
She did a small yawn behind her hand. “All this walking has truly tired me out,” she said. “I think it’s best that I go to sleep now.”
“Then I should take my leave.” He rose. “Goodnight, Hannah.”
“Goodnight, Stephen.”
Stephen hesitated. Then, after a moment, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against her lips. Belle nearly stopped breathing. As he pulled away, she held his gaze, his eyes that were soft on her. A shadow of a smile appeared on his lips and then he was leaving. Walking away from her, going out the door. Belle wanted to get up and run after him and had it not been for her bad ankle, she would have.
