He was serious and sincere, an irresistible combination in a fabulous man, so I didn’t even try to resist. I put my arms around him and his lips went to mine. Delicious sensations rippled through my body, and I thought of the magical kiss that awakens a sleeping princess and the magical kiss that transforms a frog.

Oswald pushed me through the doorway into the room and kicked the door shut behind us.

Each taste of his tongue sent all sorts of happy signals along my synapses. Maybe my memory could be recovered by a different magical act. I pressed myself against him, wrapping my leg around his, and then someone rapped on the door.

Oswald took his mouth from mine.

“In a minute,” he called out. To me, he whispered, “You always do this to me.” He went to face the window, blowing out his breath and adjusting himself in his jeans.

Through the door, Lily said, “Please don’t do anything detrimental to the healing process.”

Oswald said, “We’ll be out in a minute.”

After a few seconds, we heard her walk away.

He said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that when you’re not well.”

“I liked it, Oswald. I like you.”

“When you get your memory back, you may not feel the same way about me.”

I thought of the scarf I had found in my bag and I thought of how I’d come here when I was in trouble. “Can’t we start over? If we loved each other once … unless you’re involved with someone else.”

He gazed out the window for a long time and said, “There’s been no one else for me since you left.”

“So maybe …”

“Maybe. Let’s go back out.” He came to me and stroked his finger along my throat. “I think you came back to me for a reason.”

“I think so, too.”

When we returned to the terrace, everyone acted as if nothing had happened, but Oswald sat by my side and I kept glancing at him.

I had amnesia, but I also had a second chance with exactly the sort of man I’d always wanted—someone worthwhile, a human version of a substantial, hardback book, instead of the guys I usually dated, paperback beach reads that could be left on the bus for the next bored and aimless girl.

thirteen

Once Bitten, Twice Snide

After dinner, AG and Mrs. Grant went to watch a movie in her cottage, and Oswald and Gabriel went to the study to talk.

Lily said to me, “I’ve got to make phone calls. Will you be all right on your own?”

“I’m fine. I can work on my project.”

“The memoir?”

“From what I can tell from my notes, it’s entirely fabricated. I’m thinking that it’s more of a fakeoir, or maybe a fabrimento. I’ll see you tomorrow.”