Lester was in awe, almost, as she shared the story with him — he followed her instructions and his heart thumped swiftly in his chest. He could hardly believe that he'd forgotten the encounter she described, but then again he had never again been that drunk — and if this was the sort of thing he was forgetting when he was that drunk, then he would never be so again.

He wanted to tell her that she wasn't a nuisance. He was going to tell her, every time he saw her from now on, that she wasn't a nuisance — but for now, Lester focused on kissing her deeply, trying to pour into the kiss what he could not say with words. It was only the sound of footsteps in the hallway that led him to break the kiss off abruptly, and take a step back.

"Mr. Thompsett," Lester said in greeting, with what he hoped managed to be a casual smile towards her brother. "Miss Thompsett, thank you for seeing me — but I ought not take up all of your calling hours, I suppose." 

  

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set by Bee!

If she had been able Sisse would have stayed in that moment forever. The way Lester was kissing her was so different from that first time, from even earlier today. There was something in it, some ferocity that had not been there before. Sisse's pulse raced, her chest beating against the rapid beat of his own heart. In that moment it was so much more, she couldn't doubt it, not in his embrace, not with the way every single caress of his lips felt as if he understood her very soul. It was a moment that needed no words and would never need words. It was something bigger than she had ever experienced before.

Then she felt him go rigid, her first instinct was that he remembered how much he didn't want this. But before the pain of rejection could bleed into such a beautiful moment she realized she heard footsteps. Lester stepped back and she echoed him, keeping still with her back to the door. She watched Lester address her brother, trying to act as if everything were normal.

"Allowances can be made in such circumstances." She assured him, a catch in her breath, even as she turned to Matthew. "Mr. Hatchitt was nice enough to stop by to see how I was handling the news." She waved an airy hand at her brother, hoping he mistook the shake in her voice and the red in her cheeks from the heightened emotions she had since she'd found out Sloane was alive. "I hope I have assured you all is well." Sisse directed toward Lester.

Matthew seemed to accept this and after a few unbearably long moments of idle chitchat between the two men, Lester finally took his leave of them. Sisse promptly excused herself with a comment she wished to get ready to visit Sloane and left before her brother could question her further. But as she went upstairs her heart felt as if it were mending itself, as if everything were finally turning out the way it ought to be. It was fragile and beautiful and Sisse wasn't going to do anything that would damage it.

  

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