An Outdoor Thing

Peter sighed happily, contentment radiating through his body. He and Rose were once more at the cottage, had taken advantage of an unusually warm weekend to drive up from Kendal and simply hide. The zanzare had finally sussed out that Rose was, in fact, dating him; wasn’t simply using him to meet some physical needs, or to amuse ( Read more... )

Peter awoke early, consciousness coming to him as though a switch had been thrown. He had been asleep, dreaming about...something involving cars and Pennington and a skein of wool...and then suddenly he was awake, very aware of the woman asleep in his arms, of the chill of the room against his exposed skin.

Two thoughts immediately came to mind: ( Read more... )

They’d been greeted with smiles upon their return from their wedding ceremony, the owners of their escape taking a paternal interest in what had happened. Rose had been glowing, smiling as wishes for their happiness were offered; Peter had been taken aback, still surprised by the kindness strangers could offer and the very real interest they could ( Read more... )

He’d awoken that morning as content as he could ever remember, Rose curled next to him under the duvet. He’d had no grand plans for the trip north, had just known she needed a break, and he wanted her to himself for a bit. He’d been astonished to rediscover the day before, just how very much he loved her, as though he’d somehow forgotten the ( Read more... )

Part One | Part Two

Peter had surprised her with a mini-break, squiring her away to Yorkshire at the conclusion of her most recent case, insisting that she needed time to relax, to be able to focus on herself instead of the needs and demands of others.

Rose had no idea how Peter had found the romantic hideaway, so far off the beaten path it was; she ( Read more... )

He met her at the train station, was once again amazed by the intensity of feeling that consumed him when he saw her on the platform, looking for him. The smile which spread across her face when she saw him made his heart stop, and he wondered how long it would be before he finally had the courage to tell her exactly how he felt about her.

( Read more... )

“Are you certain that’s what you’d like to hear tonight?”

“Yes.” The answer was definite. Peter was often amused by how similar in temperament Rose and her youngest brother were; once a decision was made, it was almost impossible to get them to change course. The young boy was only three-conceived, he suspected, over the weekend that he and ( Read more... )

Rose sighed; Peter wanted to spend the New Year at his house in Kendal, wanted her to come up a week early so they could have two weeks together, uninterrupted, before Twelfth Night. He broached the subject during one of his visits, as they lay in bed together in the soft morning light.

“You...don’t have to...” Peter’s voice was uncertain; he ( Read more... )

Peter was silent on the drive back into town, his jaw clenching and unclenching as he looked at the road. Something had occurred to him-or startled him-as he’d kissed her, and she wondered what it was. He glanced over at her several times, smiling, before returning his attention back to the road, and she felt a slow excitement build as they neared ( Read more... )