“I’m not entirely as patient as I’ve pretended to be,” Elias said, half-amused and half-abashed, as he tightened his arms around her and Daffy’s laughter brightened the room. It was a relief to know she was sick of waiting too: that might be just enough to get him through however long was appropriate before they actually married.

“I love you too,” he returned, smiling just as softly as she reached up to un-muss his hair.

“I don’t know if I’ve been hiding it all that well, either,” Elias added sheepishly, about being in love with her; being ready to marry her – Merlin’s sake, he had said as much to Evangeline back at the harvest festival. “I’m sure everyone I’ve spoken to about you has guessed.” Elias had always been honest at the core, but he had never been so open a book before, so Daffy’s presence in his life must have helped that: she was the most open person he knew. But he felt sure his feelings and his hopes and his intentions were as good as emanating from him now – and if it had not gone to plan now he wasn’t sure he would know what to do with himself.

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