He lay his hands on top of hers as he smiled down. “I sometimes forget how fierce you can be. What are you doing outside of your room? Didn’t you see my note?”
She narrowed her eyes, relief barely tempering the frustration. “What am I doing out here? What about you?” Over his shoulder, she noticed an open door in the panelled wood. “Were you seriously going into the passageways alone?”
“I know you do not like them. I thought I could get ahead on the work and seal some of the doors near our room.” He shrugged. “It is safer now that I have the mask.”
“That doesn’t matter. We’re supposed to do this together. You should have at least woken me so I knew where you were going. Or written it on the note. Or something. What if you went missing? I wouldn’t even know where to look for you.”
No matter what she said, he refused to look chastised. A small smile curled over his mouth, and his dark eyes were filled with something Clare couldn’t quite pinpoint. She squinted at him, a challenge. “What?”
“You are so beautiful.”
She resented the way heat flowed over her face. “Don’t think you can sweet talk your way out of this.”
He laughed. His thumb grazed along her jaw, then he ducked in to steal a kiss. Clare was caught off guard but closed her eyes to savour the touch. Warm lips, nuanced and tender, explored hers. He made a faint, happy noise in the back of his throat, then his nose grazed her cheek as he reluctantly pulled away.
“Don’t think you can kiss your way out of this, either,” she mumbled, but the frustration had drained from her. It was hard to stay angry at Dorran when he was so intently affectionate.
“Of course not. I promise I am thoroughly repentant.” Dorran’s eyes were bright as he lightly pulled on her hand, leading her back towards the stairs. As he passed the open door, he nudged it closed, sealing off the dark cavern within.
“Did anything bother you?” Clare asked.
“No. No sign of anything.” He looked more relaxed than Clare could have felt if she’d been inside the passageways. “I managed to close three doors near our room, so as long as there are none that I missed, we will have bought ourselves a shade more protection. The creatures will have to travel through the main hallways if they wish to reach us.”
Clare had to admit it was a nice feeling. They didn’t have complete security, and probably wouldn’t for a while, but it was a relief to know she would at least see the hollows coming in that part of the house.
As they moved onto the stairs, Clare asked, “Did you want to keep on with the passageways? I can help this time. Beth will be calling in about an hour. Or we could have an early lunch and maybe spend some time in the garden.”
He stretched, flexing his back muscles. “Or we could visit the shed behind the property and look for our motor.”
“Really?” She hadn’t expected him to be so ready to step outside after the previous day.
“It is directly behind the house. Not far to walk. And not as risky as the forest.” He opened the door to their room and let Clare enter ahead of him. “If we are able to bring the motor inside, I can check it to make sure it will work. The weather is likely to stay erratic. We might have a limited window of time to reach your sister, and I want to be prepared.”
“All right. I’m game if you are.”
He found the untouched breakfast on the bedside table and pressed it into her hands. “Or… consider this. You could stay inside, where it’s warm, and keep lookout for me.”
She lifted her eyebrows.
Dorran sighed. “I knew it would not work. But you cannot blame me for trying. Very well, eat first, then we will make the trip while the sun is nearing its zenith and the weather is calm.”
Clare finished the breakfast in a hurry while Dorran marked his progress on the maps, folded them, and tucked them away in the drawers. Before they left the bedroom, Clare collected the radio. She wouldn’t let herself miss Beth’s call for a second day in a row. She checked the batteries were still good then tucked it under her arm as they went downstairs.
Her luggage waited in the foyer. Dorran had removed the food and locked it in their room, where it would be protected from any hollows roving the house. He’d left everything else, though, and Clare knelt to sort through the cases.
She had to laugh. The final morning in her old home had been so rushed that she’d barely paid attention to what she packed. The stash included shorts and blouses, which would be too light to keep her warm in Winterbourne. The day she left had been a mild autumn morning, she remembered, and her closet had still been full of thin, comfy clothes. But the bag also included shoes, which meant she would finally have some that fit her well, and underwear. She had never felt completely comfortable wearing another woman’s.
The batteries would be invaluable, and she set the packs on the side table where they would be within easy reach. The box also included two books she’d grabbed off the shelf as a last-minute bid for entertainment. One was a thriller she’d already read twice. The other was a dusty, never-used reference book. It wasn’t the best selection, but that didn’t matter. Winterbourne had vast libraries. The books were all from the nineteenth century or earlier, but she didn’t mind classic fiction.
“That’s pretty,” Dorran said.
Clare looked down at the gauzy, floral print top she held. She felt herself turning pink as she folded it back into the bag. “Not much use here.”
“Keep it. We don’t know when the weather will warm up again.”
The house was so cold that it was hard to imagine
