Poppy released her hold on Mr. Beauregard as he gently bent to set her down. A heated blush scampered across her features like the swipe of a paintbrush, even as she gazed at him gratefully. From this still too close distance she couldn’t help but notice the brown of his eyes in the sunlight. He was… as handsome today as he’d always been. She settled a hand on his arm unconsciously then, gathering her wits, and upon realizing it her blush heated, and the girl took a step away, quickly.

“Ah, so it would seem,” she managed, tucking a stray curl that had come displaced behind her ear. “Thank you, Mr. Beauregard, really and truly.” She offered him a small, embarrassed little smile. “I do promise to keep my creature incidents to myself in the future,” she teased, gently. “I’ll wear out your gallantry all at once otherwise.” Her gaze caught a little on his features again and Poppy laced her fingers tightly together. She couldn’t believe she’d latched onto his hair like that.

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