They woke up a little while later, still together, bodies still entwined and the blankets ravelled around them. The sight of him half-awake made her smile and she stretched forwards a little to kiss his lips. He kissed her in return, cupping her face softly, resting his hand on the back of her head, against her hair, when he was done.

"I'll probably have to head back soon," she told him sadly.

"I know," he replied.

"I don't want to," she assured him, her voice low and soft, "I want to stay here with you."

"I want you to stay too," he replied, resting his forehead against hers.

She closed her eyes for a second.

"This has been the best afternoon of my life," he told her quietly.

She beamed, opening her eyes, cupping the back of his head with her hand and kissing him again.

"I'm so glad," she told him, "Of mine too."

There was quiet for a moment, before she told him, a smile quirking at her lips again;

"You know, I didn't come here thinking I was going to sleep with you."

"I know," he replied, smiling back at her, smoothing her hair gently, "But I'm glad you were open to the suggestion all the same."

She rested her head gently against his chest, her eyes closing again, heavy with the warmth and the love and the sleep.

"Where are we going to go from here?" he asked her, before she had the chance to open them again.

She blinked softly, leaning her head back just a touch so that she could look at his face. The question came more suddenly than she had expected it, and for a moment she was too surprised to answer. Her heart rate seemed to pick up, just slightly.

"I don't know," she told him, "I'm not sure."

I don't care, she wanted to say, so long as I don't lose you.

"What do you want to happen?" he asked her, watching her carefully.

"I don't know," she replied truthfully, "I just want to stay with you."

"Just for now, or for good?" he asked her gently.

A lump seemed to form in her throat at the earnestness with which he posed the question.

"For good, of course," she told him quietly, "You ridiculous man- I love you."

He smiled at her.

"Would you be my wife?" he asked her quietly.

She stared at him for a moment.

"Yes, of course I would."

His lips met hers and they kissed soundly. Their hands moved, cupping one another's faces, caressing one another's skin.

"I can't believe this is happening," she told him softly, "What would have happened if I hadn't come down today? What if your father hadn't been ill?"

"Then I would have broken down some other time when you were away in London, and blurted out that I loved you over the telephone," he surmised.

The accuracy of that idea made her smile.

"I think I prefer this way," she told him softly, stroking her hand gently down his back.

He smiled back at her.

"Me too," he agreed.

Their lips met again, their tongues languidly exploring each other's mouths.

"Stay a little bit longer," he asked her when their kiss ended, "It isn't improper now; we're engaged."

She laughed out loud at that.

"If I go home and tell them we're engaged, they'll take one look at me and know exactly what's happened. Or at least Mrs Hughes will guess," she assured him, "I won't be able to stop smiling. Better wait a few days."

"Alright," he agreed with her, "Should we wait until I come back?"

"Yes," she replied, "That's when we'll do it."

There was a contented silence for a moment.

"You know, if your dad still isn't better by this time next week, I'll be able to come and visit you again," she told him.

"Will you?" he asked.

"I think after this visit you'd be hard pressed to stop me," she told him, and he grinned appreciatively.

"Stay," he asked her again, "Just a little bit longer."

"Alright," she told him gently, "On the assumption that you intend to make it worth my while."

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