Page 86 of The Clockmaker's Cottage
They shifted closer until their bodies fit like two pieces of a puzzle. His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her in, and she went willingly, almost melting into him.
‘Pippa…’ he murmured.
‘Don’t overthink it,’ she whispered, kissing him again.
‘I’m not,’ he murmured, kissing her back with more certainty now. ‘For once, I’m not thinking at all.’
She smiled into the kiss as her hands slid up into his hair, tugging slightly, and he made a small sound that sent sparks down her spine. Theo moved carefully, slow and considerate. The duvet shifted around them as he rolled her gently underneath him, bracing himself so he wasn’t crushing her, even though she was clinging to him and she wouldn’t have minded in the slightest.
The way he looked deep into her soul caused her whole body to spasm as he kissed her again. Softer at first, then deeper as she wrapped her arms fully around him and pulled him closer. Nothing else mattered. She was choosing him and it took her over completely.
‘Nice T-shirt,’ he teased as she felt the slow, warm sweep of his fingers along her waist. Goosebumps rose immediately, and she couldn’t hold in a soft gasp.
Theo buried his face into her neck for a moment before he lifted his head, eyes warm and unguarded in a way that made her chest tighten. He kissed her again; long, slow, and full of feeling.
When they finally curled up together afterwards, the rain still loud around them, Pippa felt a bone-deep peace she hadn’t known in years. Theo’s arm slid around her waist as if without thinking, and she felt his sleepy contentment in every inch of her body.
She rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heart beneath her ear.
‘You okay?’ he murmured.
‘More than okay,’ she whispered. ‘You?’
‘More than okay too.’
She smiled in the dark. She didn’t want the night to end.
* * *
The next morning, Pippa wasn’t sure what woke her: the soft light creeping under the curtains, the drizzle still tapping against the window, or the faint smell of coffee drifting through the room. She blinked slowly and immediately felt a twinge of concern. Was all this happening too soon? Was she moving on too quickly? But before she could start spiralling, Theo appeared in the doorway holding a mug.
His hair was a disaster and his T-shirt was crumpled, but he looked incredibly handsome, and all she could think about was Rose’s words. Whatever this was that was happening between them, it was meant to be, and she wanted to grab it with both hands.
‘Morning,’ he said.
She sat up, clutching the duvet to her chest. ‘You made coffee.’
‘Of course.’ He passed her the mug. ‘I’ve already had mine. I thought I’d let you sleep while I checked that the cottage hasn’t flooded, and thankfully it has not.’
She wrapped her hands around the mug.
‘I can’t wait to see what they’ve done to The Clock House, and stand inside a piece of history.’
‘I have to say, I’m every bit as curious as you to see it, and to stand where my own grandfather worked as a young adult.’
Pippa was quiet for a moment.
‘What are you thinking about?’ Theo asked.
‘What are we going to do about the letter we found, and the ledger?’
‘I’ve been thinking about that too. Is it worth saying anything? What would it achieve? Andrew Wetherby’s gone, and if Horace Vale was hiding something, he’s hardly going to stand up now, at ninety-odd years old, and say, “Yes, actually, I framed someone.”’
Pippa sipped her coffee.
‘Then there’s my grandfather,’ Theo added softly. ‘He’s elderly too. The last thing he needs is… drama.’
She nodded. He wasn’t wrong. But she also wasn’t wrong about the uneasy feeling twisting in her stomach. ‘I know what you’re saying,’ she said, ‘but… I think the note made it pretty clear that Andrew Wetherby didn’t do what he was accused of…’ She shook her head. ‘It doesn’t sit right with me. Why frame him?’
