If the world had ended at that moment Tommy would have died replete. They had briefly held hands before but this time Barbara had initiated the touch and he was giddy from the implication. His senses were enlivened and he was aware of every ridge and line in her hand. It was much softer and warmer than he had imagined and where their palms kissed the heat generated seemed to scald him. He could feel the soft thud of her heartbeat where their wrists converged and it pulsed through him making his own heart race. When he gripped her fingers tighter and ran his thumb tenderly over the ridges of her knuckles the beat quickened, echoed by his own. Barbara looked over and smiled and he had never been so completely at one with someone.

Calef and Turandot were still sparring and the theatre was lit only by the diffused orange and yellow glow from the stage. Tommy could see the outline of her face silhouetted by the mellow light. Holding her hand excited him and yet calmed him; made him feel free and yet bound him to her. It was a risk to push it further but he needed to know how what was in her heart. He had held back for fear he might hurt her but he was more sure of his feelings than he had ever been. There was an old Greek proverb that he remembered from Eton, a ship will be safe in its harbour but will be eaten by worms so better to let it fly through the sea and risk breaking in storms.

No one was watching them even if they could be seen, and as Calef and Turandot declared their love he swivelled in his seat. "Barbara," he said quietly. She turned to face him and he reached out with his left hand and placed it gently on her cheek, drawing her face closer. He watched her eyes carefully for any sign of fear and was rewarded with the same soft desire he had seen earlier that night. He paused slightly to savour the moment and then pressed his lips against hers with a force that was barely perceptible. Her lips were as silky and pliable as he had imagined and when she returned his gentle kiss with a light pressure against his own lips Tommy thought he might faint. The Chinese gongs sounding out the capitulation of Turandot merged with the bells that were ringing in his own head. Vincero!

As the lights came up Tommy ran his fingers lovingly over her face and they separated. It had been a perfect moment and Tommy saw in Barbara's look the same emotions he was sure shone from his eyes. She loved him with as much intensity as he loved her. He rested his forehead on hers and wanted to tell her he loved her but he knew the timing was not right. Normally such a simple gesture would have been merely a prelude to a deeper, more sensual kiss but this had been much more erotic for Tommy. It spoke of a total love, not just passion and desire, and held the promise of so much more. Reluctantly he sat back in his seat, still gripping her hand. They would be expected to join the others for supper but he did not want to move.

"Thank you Sir," she said dreamily, "that was beautiful."

"Hmm, it was." Tommy was floating somewhere outside of his body.

She laughed quietly as she unlaced her fingers and stood. "I meant the opera!"

He knew disappointment flashed across his face. The opera had been good but kissing her, even so briefly, had been the beautiful part. "I was hoping something more important than the opera happened tonight."

He looked at her and saw that she had been teasing him. The joviality on her face was replaced with a disarming honesty where he felt he was looking directly at her soul. "It did Tommy."

A sense of peace and euphoria rippled through him and his face broke into a huge grin; one of his slightly naughty secret grins that he smiled only for her. It was the very last thing that he wanted to do now but duty called. "Come on or the others will think we are up to no good."

It took them half an hour of handshakes and forced small talk to reach the cab where his sister and mother were waiting. Tommy watched with pride as she deftly handled questions about the opera and their relationship from his acquaintances. "We work together" or "We're good friends" were her standard lines which revealed almost nothing. He was happy to keep their relationship between them until they understood it themselves. He helped her into the cab but she deftly shook off his hand and they sat side by side talking to everyone but each other. It was as if nothing had happened and Tommy was not sure whether to be grateful or confused. He wanted to touch and hold her; take her home to make love to her. He turned and caught Barbara's eye and for the briefest second saw the same look she had had before he kissed her. Neither broke their gaze. Tommy knew that the conversation they were having with their eyes to the exclusion of others was bordering on rude and he could not have cared less. He wanted Barbara to understand that he loved her. His raised eyebrows had questioned if they should make excuses to leave but her frown reminded him of his obligations and he had regretfully acquiesced.

The restaurant was small and lit with old fashioned gas lamps that created an almost surreal ambience underlined by the feint acrid scent of burning coal and the coating of sawdust on the raw timber floor. The plaster ceiling was broken by strong oak beams that were supported by heavy timber columns that would not have been out of place in a riverside warehouse. The front window was arched, the glass panels fanning out like the rings and sections of a dart board. The light was dim and flickering and Tommy wondered if he had stepped into a Dickensian novel. The waiters were smartly attired in crisply starched nineteenth century shirts and waistcoats. The small tables were dressed with the whitest of linen and pure silver cutlery that by modern standards was over-sized. Matthew had selected the venue and Tommy worried that Barbara would be intimidated by its pretentiousness. "Sorry," he whispered, "not my choice."

To his surprise she was smiling. "I expect Jack the Ripper is lurking around somewhere."

He understood exactly what she meant and instinctively put his arm protectively around her shoulder. She shrugged free but smiled. "Don't worry Sir, I'm fine."

Sir! "What happened to Tommy?" She shook her head and he was again confused. Did she regret kissing him?

Tommy was relieved to see that the menu had nothing but traditional British food and Barbara seemed quite at ease ordering bangers and mash. He shivered at the thought and ordered the roast beef. Conversation flowed freely as they talked about the opera patrons and their friends. Barbara was joining in the conversation with his family far more easily than he had thought and he was relieved that the night had gone well. But why had she called him Sir?

'You seem to enjoy opera Barbara," his mother said and Tommy began to worry what might follow, "do you have a favourite?"

Barbara smiled and said, "yes, Turandot actually. I have some very special memories from the times I've heard it but tonight was the first time I'd seen it performed and I wasn't disappointed." She looked pointedly at Tommy and he swallowed hard.

"Do you prefer Italian or German operas?" Judith asked and Tommy groaned inwardly.

Barbara seemed unruffled. "I prefer Italian because of the contrast between the arias and recitative sections but I can understand people like Lord Asherton here who favour Wagner's more holistic musical style. I also think the Italian operas are more romantic and have greater appeal to the masses than the German ones with their loftier ideals."

Tommy's mouth fell open both at her statement and at her form of address but no one else seemed at all fazed. Then he remembered her book. It seemed she had been reading, extensively, and he wondered if she had been listening to other operas. "I must take you to see Wagner then Ms Havers so you can compare the style of performance," he said in his most pompous tone which raised a wry smile from her.

The conversation moved on swiftly to talk of Howenstowe and how Judith and Dorothy had met their new partners. George had retired to Cornwall after giving up his legal practice in the city and Matthew was a horse breeder. They chatted easily and Barbara joined in so effortlessly Lynley had almost forgotten how nervous she had been. Over their meal Barbara talked far too much to Matthew for Tommy's liking. Judith seemed unperturbed and so he ate his bland roast silently and tried to quell his rising jealousy.

"Tommy!" his mother said, "you seem very distracted tonight. I asked what you thought about Matthew's offer."

"Sorry Mother," he said refocussing his attention, "what offer was that?"

"To bring down two new mares at Easter."

Tommy was horrified but tried not to show it. He had assumed he and Barbara would have Howenstowe to themselves for Easter. "Don't come especially if you have other places to be," he said casually to Matthew who looked perplexed at the sudden coolness of his host.

Judith glared at Tommy and he knew he was in trouble. "I invited Matthew down for Easter and I don't think he has other places he would prefer to be."

"Sorry, I was thinking about a case. I didn't realise you were already planning to come down." He smiled and tried to sound much more generous than he felt. "It will be wonderful to have everyone down and a perfect time to bring the mares." He turned to his mother and said, "why don't you invite Peter down as well?" He hoped his mother understood his tone.

"Peter is busy this year." She seemed oblivious to his meaning.

Tommy looked at Barbara in apology. She simply smiled but seemed amused at his plight. Judith excused herself from the table and Tommy quickly followed. They stood at the rear of the restaurant near the bar. "Sorry Judith, I like Matthew. I was just hoping Barbara and I would be alone at Howenstowe this Easter."

Judith's smile was more of a smirk. "So it is serious!" she delcared, "we talked about you two throughout the whole opera. A private box just for the two of you; and you've been flirting shamelessly all night. I wonder how much of the opera you saw." She raised her eyebrows provocatively and he felt his face flush.

"It's not like that," he snapped and Judith stepped back, "Sorry…it's new and fragile and I don't want to mess it up."

"Tommy," his sister said gently, "you two have been close for years and if it has grown into something more then I'm happy for you. You are clearly besotted…" Tommy looked at her with such indignation that she laughed. "And she has clearly made an effort to be a better hostess tonight than you have as host. Matthew was quite nervous meeting everyone but she has made him feel at home. I like the way she cuts through your snootinesstoo Lord Asherton. "

"I want to marry her Judith; I was going to propose at Easter," he blurted out, unsure why he had confessed that to his sister. It had only really been a vague idea floating in his subconscious.

"Ah, I see little brother. So you would like us to suddenly have other plans?"

"No, that would be too obvious and I think I would be rushing her. I have a tendency to get carried away don't I?"

"Yes, you can smother your women with your enthusiasm. You can't make them love you because you want them to love you."

"I know."

"With Barbara you need to let her come to you in her own time and her own way or you'll lose her and you'll regret it."

His smile was more of a tight grimace acknowledging what she said was true. They re-joined the table and ordered dessert. His pudding was tasty and he smiled contentedly remembering how they had stolen food from each other's plates at the pub. His mother would be horrified but he was tempted to steal some of her chocolate cake. Barbara had affected him in ways he could never explain but he liked not feeling as constrained.

They all parted with genuine affection and promises of looking forward seeing each other on Friday. Tommy and Barbara climbed into a cab and he asked hopefully, "north or east?"

She smiled at him. "North."

He knew he had not been able to hide his frustration but he was mindful of his sister's advice. It was unrealistic to think that she would be ready to stay with him, even though he would have been perfectly willing to just have her lie in his arms all night. They chatted about the evening and Tommy slipped his hand into hers. She did not pull away until the cab arrived, all too soon, at her flat unhindered by traffic. He escorted her to her door and waited hoping she might invite him inside.

"Thank you for a memorable evening Sir. Are we still on for tomorrow?"

He put his hand on the top of her arm and traced his fingers over her shoulder. He bent down towards her. "It was a perfect evening, one I will never forget," he whispered as he kissed her cheek affectionately. He felt her hand on his hip. "I'll see you at ten." He pulled away half-heartedly and turned to walk away.

"Tommy."

He spun back to face her and she shyly grabbed the lapel of his coat and pulled him towards her. He saw his desire mirrored in hers eyes and they paused before she tugged him closer and kissed him softly. Her arms circled his waist as his arms enfolded her. The kiss was no more passionate than the one at the opera but for Tommy it was magical and was only broken by the insistent tooting of the cabbie.

"I'll see you in the morning then," she said and broke from his embrace.

"Yes". It was the only reply he could muster. He watched her door close and then went to the cab. As he sank into the seat his only thought was how ten o'clock could not come soon enough.