And she had been claimed by the Wights. Which was enough to eclipse the happy glow in her chest and replace it with dread. She didn’t want to break out one of her evening gowns, have Mabena dress her hair, and spend the evening trying to remember the right thing to say to a viscount and his rich cousin. She wanted to lounge about in her braid and her cotton and talk about unfinished fairy tales and the slides she’d made for her microscopes and listen to his stories about whatever mischief Mamm-wynn or Tas-gwyn Gibson would have found by then.

“You’d better come with me, Mrs. Tremayne.” Mrs. Gillis had appeared while Libby was trying not to say anything more. She flashed them each a smile and held out a hand toward the grandmother. “Mrs. Dawe said she needs to get the bread in the oven.”

The lady turned placidly around, still chuckling over whatever Enyon had said to her, and put her hand in Mrs. Gillis’s. “My toes are a bit cold.” Though rather than walking immediately away, she instead held Mrs. Gillis there, facing Libby and Oliver, and gave a contented little smile. “Aren’t you glad our Ollie finally found someone? And don’t they make a handsome pair?”

Now Libby had to bite her lip to keep the laughter from spilling out at the way Oliver Tremayne’s eyes yet again went wide with panic. “Mamm-wynn! We’re not—Mrs. Gillis, she’s—”

But Mrs. Gillis chuckled and winked at them. “I know, lad.” Though to Mamm-wynn she added, “Aye, they certainly do strike a fine pair. I always did like seeing the dark and the fair together like that. Though as I’ve said many a time, Mr. Tremayne, you could do with a visit to my brother.” She made a snipping motion with her hand, aimed at his hair. “Don’t you agree, my lady?”

Her opinion, she suspected, was solicited solely to pressure him to the barber. But Libby shrugged and grinned up at him. “I rather like it long.”

Mrs. Gillis tossed her free hand into the air and nudged Mrs. Tremayne forward. “Now he’ll never cut it.”

“Tremayne! Are you going to help with this gig or just stand there flirting all morning?”

Flirting? Were they flirting? Libby turned along with Oliver to see his friend’s teasing gaze and raised brows, knowing she was the one blushing now.

Oliver grinned. “Well, if you’re giving me a choice—I’ll take the flirting.”

His friend roared with laughter and waved him over. “Come on, Ollie. Some of us have work to do yet today.”

She expected him to simply follow, but instead he looked down at her, eyes still sparkling with amusement, and his fingers cupped her elbow, squeezed. “I’ll see you on Saturday.”

Her stomach did a lovely little flip. “I look forward to it.”