Nimiane’s heart sped up. Her foolish heart. Her heart that knew better. But still it betrayed her with its rapid thumps in her chest as he agreed to come inside. Her breathe even caught in her lungs as he stepped forward. Surges of memories, half buried in her mind, burst forth of him approaching her, his warm hands taking her own and his breath mingling with her own. But he stopped a polite distance away. Trying to collect herself Nimiane gave him a small tentative smile and nod. “Certainly. I have nothing but time.” The words slipped unbidden over her lips and she turned back toward the cottage before he could see the pale pink blush spreading over her cheeks. It was true though. She had nothing but time. That was all that was left of her life in truth, unmarriable as she was. She had her writing and her stories to keep her company, but the hope of something more had sunk in and now she felt the minutes slowly passing her by as if she had had something to use them on but lost it.

She led them back toward the cottage, carefully on the dewey path that lead to the front door. Despite every rational thought in her mind she could not keep her traitorous heart from pounding. Breathe. She reminded herself as she quietly opened the door and led Mr. Delaney into the sitting room where they had first met. Nimiane turned to face him, trying to keep her face neutral, as if her heart and mind weren’t playing tricks on her.

“Will you have time for a cup of coffee?” She asked, still remembering that he preferred coffee to tea. She had made sure that the staff picked it when Mr. Delaney had first told her and they still had some left. Turned out that her butler was overly fond of it. Nimiane still preferred her tea, but she couldn’t offer Mr. Delaney something she knew he did not prefer, no matter what the history was between them.