Page 178 of Hunting for Silence (Storm and Silence 5)

I continued to grin, unabashed. ‘Sorry to disappoint.’

‘You don’t look sorry.’

‘Oh my. Indeed?’

His small dark eyes scrutinized me for a long moment. ‘You look…happy.’

The grin on my face slowly morphed, until a soft, sincere smile was left, unlike any I could remember having on my face before. ‘I am.’

‘Hm.’ His jaw worked for a moment—then he glanced at Mr Ambrose. ‘Maybe we can discuss who shall take care of the wedding costs at a later date.’

Giving me a long look, Mr Ambrose’s hand squeezed mine. ‘Agreed.’

‘So…’ Reaching out, I took his gnarled old hand. ‘Will you give it to me? For free?’

He knew what I meant. His jaw worked, and, after a moment of intense struggle, he nodded.

‘You have my blessing.’

A Warning to the Grim Reaper

Chapter 33

‘Cold, Hard Commitment’ from Mr Ambrose’s Point of View

I stood there, in the garden, gazing up at the window pane at the back of the hotel. The window pane that blocked my way to her.

I knew it was a waste of money to pay for this much glass. I should just have left the windows empty instead, customer complaints be damned!

Well, no matter. This problem was easily resolved.

Bending down, I picked up some gravel from the path that ran behind the building and hurled it against the window.

Plink.

I waited.

And waited.

And waited another long, long moment.

By Mammon! Three entire moments of waiting? This whole ‘love’ thing was really getting out of hand!

Or at least that’s what I thought until she opened the window and I saw her face.

For one long second, we gazed at each other in silence, I ordered.

‘Come,’ I ordered.

Her face twisted in a way that made me want to tear the wall down, as well as any other obstacles that stood between us. ‘I can’t. I…I might have caught the disease. I can’t come near you until—’

My eyes narrowed. ‘Miss Linton?’

‘Yes?’

‘Get your derrière down here right now.’

‘I thought you had promised not to give me any more orders.’