by Betty Neels
‘You’d gone,’ she muttered into his chest. ‘They said you’d gone home and I—I couldn’t bear it. I wanted to tell you that I loved you, only each time I tried you were so casual and—and friendly, but now I don’t care what you are, you can laugh if you want to, only if you don’t love me, just say so and go away!’ She beat his shoulder with a furious fist; it was like hitting a tree trunk and just as painful.
Gideon smiled down at her tenderly. ‘The silver thaw at last,’ he said softly, and kissed her with leisurely satisfaction, ‘and I must say it suits you: all these weeks I’ve been waiting—ever since the moment I saw you, my darling heart, and now—now it’s like standing in the countryside, watching the sun turn the frost to silver as it thaws.’ He studied her flushed, tearful face. ‘It’s better than that,’ he added, and kissed her again, interrupted this time by the woman with the umbrella who had managed to open the door a little wider behind him and poke him on the shoulder. ‘I never did, young man!’ she exclaimed furiously.
Gideon looked over his shoulder at her. ‘Then, my dear madam, may I suggest that you do as soon as possible? It’s most enjoyable.’
The woman retreated, looking stunned, and he finished the interrupted kiss. They might have been on a desert island, or for that matter, sitting on top of the world.
Amelia kissed him back. ‘Oh, dear Gideon, what shall we do?’
He drew her out on to the pavement, where they stood, delighted with each other’s company, while the unseeing crowd pushed and jostled past them.
‘Why, get married, my darling.’ Gideon looked around him. ‘It’s your lunch hour, isn’t it? There’s something called Percy’s Place across the street, we’ll get a cup of tea and a sandwich and talk about it, shall we?’
‘Oh, Gideon, please—there’s such a lot to say...’
She was interrupted by the woman with the umbrella who suddenly thrust her face between them.
‘Well, congrats, I’m sure,’ she shouted, and nodded her head in its deplorable hat. She smiled unexpectedly. ‘Go on, give ’er another kiss!’
And Gideon did.
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781460321577
Copyright © 1980 by Betty Neels.
THE SILVER THAW
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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