Wake Me With a Kiss: A Fairy Tale Retelling (Regency Fairy Twists Book 1) by Samantha Holt

something worrying
you?”
    “Not at all. I promise.”
    Miss Taylor bustled past them. “Our Miss Rose is right as rain, are you
not?”
    “Of course I am.”
    There was clatter from upstairs. “Sounds like your aunt has returned.”
    “I will be but a moment. I hope she has the book I requested.”
    “More Highland history?” Miss Taylor asked, her voice utterly devoid of anything
mischievous but her eyes glinted. Surely Rose was blushing by now?
    Removing her apron, she washed her hands and followed the housekeeper
upstairs. When they entered the entrance hall, Rose came to a standstill. The
breath vanished from her, along with perhaps a lot of her blood, which dropped
down to her toes. She felt a little faint.
    Her aunt beamed up at Hamish, who had her arm tucked through his.
    “Mrs. Merriweather?” the housekeeper said.
    “Will you put some tea on Miss Taylor? Hamish shall be staying for some,
will you not?”
    He smiled, turning his gaze onto Rose. “Of course. I would not think of
leaving you at such a time.”
    “Such a time?” Rose asked, finally finding her feet and stepping
forward. His gaze lingered on her and dropped to her lips. Goodness, her stays
were tight. He had to be remembering, surely? It was as though unspoken words whooshed through the air between them.
    I remember.
    So do I.
    I want to kiss you again.
    I want you to kiss me again.
    “Hamish was quite the hero,” her aunt gushed, leading him through to the
drawing room.
    Rose followed them and perched herself on the sofa next to her aunt.
Once more Hamish’s frame filled the small chair and, she was sure, threatened
to snap the delicate thing in half. He would require very sturdy furniture at Baleith
Castle.
    “Hero?” Rose repeated.
    From the way her aunt smiled at him, she had to wonder if she had not
awoken in a dream. What had happened to the cool woman who had practically
thrown the man out?
    “I was coming out of the chandlery,” Aunt May explained, “and I had my
basket full of candles. Before I knew it, some young urchin shot by and pulled
the basket clean from my arm.”
    “Goodness, were you hurt?”
    “Only mildly.” She motioned to Hamish who did his best to look bashful,
bringing a smile to Rose’s face because bashfulness really did not suit a man
of his stature. “Hamish here saw what had happened, leapt on his horse, and
dashed after the boy.” Her aunt drew a breath. “Goodness, I feel all
lightheaded when I think about it.”
    Rose patted her aunt’s hand. “What happened to the boy?”
    “I had a stern word,” Hamish said. “He’ll be doing a little work for me,
as I dinnae think he’s a bad lad. Just desperate.”
    “That was kind of you, my laird.”
    “Needless to say, he got quite the clip around the ear and a good
telling off. I dinnae think he will be causing trouble again, not if I can keep
watch over him.”
    “It seems you did my aunt quite the favor.”
    He lifted a shoulder. “Not at all. I did what any man would.”
    Aunt May shook her head. “And yet no one else did. You leapt into action
without a moment’s thought.”
    “Ye forget I trained as a soldier, Mrs. Merriweather.”
    “Nonsense. Your actions were a mark of your character.”
    Surreptitiously, Rose gave herself a tiny pinch. She bit back a yelp.
Yes, she was certainly awake and Aunt May was certainly mooning over a highlander.
    “I am only glad to be of service.”
    Miss Taylor entered the room with tea and biscuits. She placed them on
the table to the side and retreated with a quick smile toward Rose. Miss Taylor
was far too observant. Did she notice how Hamish kept looking at her? How she
kept returning the look? Aunt May did not, thank goodness, though it certainly
seemed as though she had changed her opinion of him. Maybe it would not be so
hard to gain her aunt’s approval of a courtship after all.
    That was if he wanted to court her.
    Aunt May served the tea. Rose had to mask a giggle at the sight of the
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