Well Maddie just about spontaneously combusted when he flashed her that grin, trying desperately to maintain her composure.  She had to drop her eyes to focus on his chin, because if she looked up any higher on his face she might lose even more of her composure.  There was something in those warm brown eyes and roguish smile that made her stomach do strange little flips.  She had fancied herself in love with Handsome Whitledge, but this feeling was entirely something else.  Something she was sure that good girls did not experience encountering random men at the library. 

’I will certainly try not to,’ she managed, her mouth having suddenly gone dry.  ’I should…’ she made a vague gesture in the direction of the door,  ’they’ll be looking for me’ she added, and sure enough her chaperon, who she had left sleeping in a chair by the library’s fire shuffeled around the corner of the stacks tutting. 

’thank you for your help sir’ she said rather loudly and formally, mostly for the benefit of the chaperon, and bobbed a curtsey, and gathering the books she had identified before she and the gentleman had spoken.  ’I shall be in touch soon.’ she said, finally managing to meet his eyes and managing a bashful but broad smile.

She trailed off with her chaperon in tow, but couldn’t help but steal a glance back over her shoulder at the handsome and mysterious curse breaker.


Reuben Crouch/// Ophelia Devine