That was perhaps a little too bold for Belle and her mind instinctively and inexorably considered how it would look to everybody who saw they leave together and not instead to whether she wanted him to escort her home, which was the much more pertinent question. But she couldn’t allow herself to think about it. If she did then…well, she might have to give serious thought to him and at the moment she was so enjoying his flirtatious manners and considering their implications would ruin it entirely.

“Oh I don’t think that would be an especially wise idea Mr Byrne,” she replied demurely, a smile still on her features – he seemed rather taken with it and she simply could not help herself it seemed. He couldn’t be serious of course, she was hardly a real prospect such a young man would consider, though she had not entirely consigned herself to widowhood just yet, but with four children, a profession and her advance age…

“Not that I would be opposed to it but…well, you understand I’m sure.”

He did have soft hands, she recalled in a baffling moment of clarity. Much more so than she had expected. “I need you to be the sort of man that understands,” she added significantly, glancing towards the same group of people, wondering what they were saying about them even now.

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Lady made me sexy <3