Chapter 29

Emily paused at the open doorway to Godric's study. He was seated at his desk, pouring over ledgers and letters. She took the opportunity to memorize his features, paint them on the canvas of her mind, and burn them into her heartthe way his dark hair fell into his eyes, the strong hands that gripped the pages, the lean muscled legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles.

With a tentative step she crossed study's threshold. The wooden floor creaked. Godric glanced up at her, smiled and resumed his work. Perhaps another woman would have been upset that she hadn't been addressed. But Godric's polite acceptance of her trespass had a wholly different meaning. It represented trust. She didn't wish to ruin the moment by being bothersome and distracting. She selected a book from the shelves, a botanical discussion of plants native to Kent, and settled herself on the couch near him.

After a quarter of an hour she looked up to find Godric glaring down at a ledger before him, his teeth gritte