“I’m not coming in. I told Dad I’d walk up and get us a couple of sandwiches to keep us going. And we could use a couple bottles of beer.”

“Step back out and close the door.”

“I will not.” To annoy him, she leaned against the jamb. “I’m not hurting anything way over here. Whatever makings you have handy’ll do. We aren’t particular.”

“That’s obvious enough.” He bumped back the orders he’d been filling and got out bread and meat.

It amused her to see him work with a great deal more speed than was his habit. “We’ll be a couple hours yet. Then I’ve a few things to do.”

“I hope bathing’s one of them.”

“It’s on the list. From the looks of things in here, the weather’s not slowing down your business.”

“Half the village is in day or night. People look for company as much as anything else, and a change of view from their own four walls.” He layered meat and cheese generously. “We’ve a seisiun going most the time and a few heated tempers over whatever sporting match is on the telly now that we’ve got the generator running.”

“It’s keeping us hopping as well. I don’t think we’ve had an hour free, Dad and me, since the storm rolled in.”

“I’m looking forward to it rolling out. Haven’t seen sun nor star in a week now. Tim Riley says she’s breaking, though.”

It was easy talk, weather and work, the sort she could have with anyone she knew. Wasn’t it nice, she mused, that she liked having it with Shawn best of all? That was a kind of treasure, one she hadn’t cherished enough in the past.

“Well, whether Tim’s right or he’s wrong, I was thinking I might wander up to Faerie Hill later on. Say a bit after midnight.”

“The door’s open, but I’d appreciate you cleaning off your Wellies first.” He put the sandwiches in a sack, added a couple of bags of crisps and two bottles of Harp. When she started to dig out payment, he shook his head. “No, this is on the house. I don’t think I want any coin you might have in those pockets.”

“Thanks.” She took the bag, rested it on her hip. “Aren’t you going to kiss me?”

“No. But I’ll make it up to you later.”

“See that you do.” With a grin that might have been flirtatious under different circumstances, she sauntered off and left him to close the door.

• • •

She was a woman of her word, and she opened the door of his cottage at the stroke of midnight. Too early, she knew, for him to be home from work. But she liked the quiet of the place, the mood of it when she was there alone.

She took off her boots at the door, as Shawn often did himself, and wandered around in her stocking feet lighting candles and oil lamps, as the power had yet to be restored. And as she did, she was half hoping Lady Gwen might show herself.