‘No, Diana and Phyllis were nice about our engagement.’ ‘Meaning the others weren’t?’ ‘No, silly. Meaning that women are more romantic than men.’ She slipped her hand into his pocket and tickled the top of his thigh through the thin cloth. ‘Can I come in for a while when we get to your place?’ ‘My father’ll still be in the Morning Star, and my mother will be looking out for us. She was none too pleased at our news.’ ‘So I gathered.’ She slowed her steps as they passed a shop that had been closed and shuttered for years. On the left was the lane opening that led to Shoni’s pond. ‘We could go for a walk.’ ‘To Shoni’s, in the dark?’ ‘There’s a moon. And I don’t want to say goodnight yet.’ There was a huskiness in her voice that was all the persuading he needed. Once around the corner he wrapped his arm around her, cupping her breast with his hand. ‘The quicker we walk, the sooner we’ll be at the lake,’ she teased provocatively.
