When she handed him the gloves he could not resist catching her hand in his for just a second, so that he could place a kiss on the soft skin on the inside of her wrist. After he released her, he held the gloves she'd just given him up to his cheek. He closed his eyes for just a minute and breathed a short, contented sigh. If he had his eyes closed, he could pretend it was her hand on his cheek, not just her gloves.

Opening his eyes again, Alfred tucked the gloves into the pocket of his coat and smiled at her. "See you soon?" he asked hopefully.