‘Please, Steph, you don’t have to justify yourself. It’s OK to change your mind.’ Harry knew that and of course respected that, but his mind was a little bit more understanding than his body. He turned away and adjusted his clothing, giving Steph space to do the same. Then, not wanting to feel as if he was snubbing her, he turned back and tipped her face up so that she could look at him. ‘Honestly, I’d hate for you to do something you’re not happy with, and, to be honest, you’re right.’ He looked around the hide. ‘Not exactly the most romantic spot.’ He smiled and dropped a kiss on her forehead. And now, with the heat of the moment extinguished, he could think of much nicer places to have sex with Steph. It suddenly felt cheap and almost disrespectful to Elizabeth’s memory.

Chapter Sixteen

Conmere, Saturday, 11 May, 11.45 a.m.

‘Look, I don’t mean to sound crass or anything,’ said Harry, ‘but I have to get back soon for a meeting.’ He genuinely felt bad just saying it. This wasn’t how he’d like to leave things at all. ‘What are you doing later?’ he asked, his hand on the wall above Steph’s shoulder.

‘I need to look at my pictures and see if they’re up to your high standards.’

‘Maybe you want some help with that?’ he replied, relieved the confident banter was back between them.

‘Maybe I would,’ Steph replied as she ducked out from under his arm. ‘But isn’t there the small matter of the gala dinner tonight?’

Harry groaned. ‘Don’t remind me.’ All sorts of notions ran through his head of what he’d rather be doing than sitting at a gala dinner later. ‘You’ll be there, won’t you?’

‘Of course. I’ve bought my LBD especially.’

Harry raised an eyebrow in question. ‘LBD?’

‘Little black dress,’ offered Steph.

‘Now, that I’d like to see,’ said Harry, pushing himself away from the wall.

‘You will, at around seven-thirty tonight.’ She picked up her rucksack and walked out of the hide.

Harry looked at the empty doorway for a moment. Had all that really just happened? He hadn’t planned it at all, not that it hadn’t crossed his mind just how attracted to Steph he was. He’d like to get to know her better. The thought that she’d be gone in around twenty-four hours spurred him into action. He jogged to catch up with her.

‘Hey, I was thinking,’ he began. ‘Don’t take this the wrong way but you know what you were saying about needing to earn a bit more money – I wondered if you had anything planned for the coming week?’

She stopped walking and looked cautiously at him. ‘No, I don’t, as it happens,’ she said slowly.