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She looked hed

"Only children usually want big families, don’t they?"

"Couldn’t say," he said "But I do" He leaned across the boxes and kissed her suddenly

"Me too," she said Her eyes went slanted when she smiled She didn’t look away, but a faint blush -ripe apricot

He wanted kids, all right; just at the moment, he wanted to do what led to kids a lotup, first?"

"What?" The sense of her words penetrated only vaguely "Oh Yeah Right, guess we should"

He bent his head and kissed her again, slowly this time She had thefor her face--but not quite

He had her round the waist, his other hand tangled in silky hair The nape of her neck was sripped it and she shivered slightly, n of submission that made him want to lean her backward over his ar made him jerk his head up, startled out of the embrace

"Who’s that?" Brianna exclaimed, hand to her heart

The study was lined on one side by floor-to-ceiling s--the Reverend had been a painter--and a square, whiskered face was pressed against one of these, nose nearly flattened with interest

"That," said Roger through his teeth, "is the post out there?"

As though hearing this inquiry, Mr MacBeth stepped back a pace, drew a letter out of his bag and brandished it jovially at the occupants of the study

"A letter," heat Brianna He cut his eyes toward Roger and beetled his brows in a knowing leer

By the ti on the porch, holding the letter

"Why did you not put it in the letter slot, for God’s sake?" Roger demanded "Give it here, then"

Mr MacBeth held the letter out of reach and assunity, soer’s shoulder

"Thought it ht be important, didn’t I? Fro lady, not you, lad" Screwing up his face into a er, ar through his whiskers "With the compliments of Her Majesty’s Mail"

"Thank you" Brianna was still rosily flushed, but she’d smoothed her hair, and smiled at MacBeth with every evidence of self-possession She took the letter and glanced at it, but er saith red postal-forwarding marks, but the distance was too far to , are ye, ma’am?" MacBeth asked heartily "Just the two of ye here, all on your ownie-o?" He was giving Brianna a rolling eye, looking her up and doith frank interest

"Oh, no," Brianna said, straight-faced She folded the letter in half and stuffed it into the back pocket of her jeans "Uncle Angus is staying with us; he’s asleep upstairs"

Roger bit the inside of his cheek Uncle Angus was a moth-eaten stuffed Scottie, a re of the house Brianna, charmed with him, had dusted off his plaid bonnet and placed hiuest room

The postman’s heavy brows rose

"Oh," he said, rather blankly "Aye, I see He’ll be an Aus?"

"No, he’s fro at the end of her nose, Brianna’s face showed nothing but the uilelessness

Mr MacBeth was enchanted

"Oh, you’ve a wee bit of Scots in your family, then! Well, and I should have known it, now, you wi’ that hair A bonnie, bonnie lass, and no mistake" He shook his head in ader found only slightly less objectionable

"Yes, well" Roger cleared his throat fully "I’m sure we don’t want to keep you from your work, MacBeth"

"Oh, it’s no trouble, no trouble at all," the postlio "Nay rest for the weary, is there, er said, with so the door "Good day to you, MacBeth"

MacBeth glanced at hiood day to you, Mr Wakefield" He leaned close, dug Roger in the ribs with an elbow, and whispered hoarsely, "And a better night, if her uncle sleeps sound!"

"Here, going to read your letter?" He plucked it from the table where she had dropped it, and held it out to her

She flushed slightly and took it from hio to the kitchen, if it’s private"

The flush deepened