(a/n - ooh, soppy Elizabeth and charming Emmett. I do not have a teensie weensie character crush on Emmett. At all. Whatsoever. Oh, who cares... Somebody I know may or may not have one on a certain leather-clad rogue in another British comedy... Not mentioning any names though... Er so [that does have a purpose - bonus points for those who get why I wrote those 4 letters...]. Right. On we go.)

Chapter 3

It was a couple of weeks later that I was able to speak to him properly again. Those two weeks were wonderful in their own way, though. Every morning, I would turn up early, and he would have gotten there earlier. I would find a coffee on my desk and a note or token of some such, be it a small 'good morning! X' or a longer 'extra costume fitting at 12:30, don't forget to make notes of the new measurements! X'. I would read the note, and analyse the little kiss which he wrote on them. I wouldn't take it too personally, afterall, he was a delightfully charming man, and perhaps this is how he treated all of his secretaries. I didn't know. When I looked up, however, I was guaranteed to catch a glimpse of his irresistible smile disappearing into the main hall. Those two weeks were lovely and sweet. And they made me realise just how much I loved my job. How much I was falling in love with him. Fast and unstoppable. I liked it, though.

Of course, there was still Hyacinth to manage. I felt like I was in a constant state of happiness that would never wear off: I had a job in the theatre, I had a great work/life balance and I had fallen in love. Whenever she appeared, I had to act relatively normal, while I was still flying high upon cloud nine, never wanting to return. Daily, I would be interrogated by her.

"Oh hello Elizabeth! You must come to one of my candlelight suppers again sometime! I shall see if the vicar would like to attend!" she would holler across the wall to me. And that would be all. She never suspected a thing. I had a close call one day, though. She caught me coming back from work, positively glowing from all of the little smiles I had stolen with him in a dress rehearsal.

"Oh, Elizabeth! Coffee? You haven't been in much during the day recently!" I nearly jumped out of my skin and hurried next door. I had just about spilt the entire contents of her coffee machine and biscuit barrel on the floor when she said it.

"So, my dear, what's made you so happy? You look like a freshly married teenager!" I almost went tomato red, but managed to control myself.

"Oh, it is nothing really, Hyacinth. Just a gentleman friend... OH! A gentleman friendly with my husband has promised him a promotion, yes, a promotion!" I stammered out, furious at my slip of the tongue due to my runaway thoughts and concentration on my emotions. Luckily, she began to talk about all of the promotions Richard had received, so I never had to make that sort of mistake again. Thankfully.

Anyhow, after those two weeks, I got to speak to him properly again. I got to work that morning, and noticed that my coffee wasn't there. I mentally slapped myself for becoming too accustomed to it. Perhaps after two weeks it stopped? Perhaps during the main weeks (we were getting ever nearer to the performance) he hadn't the time. I shrugged, and made to get my own, when a hand appeared in front of me, pushing the cup and note across my desk. I looked up to see him with a nervous expression upon his face, which he quickly turned into a lopsided smile before disappearing. I read the note.

'Perhaps an evening coffee for a change? After rehearsals finish, would you mind? X'

I gave a little squeal as I read that, completely startling the young lady who was playing the good witch, who had just arrived, since she leapt in the air slightly. I smiled and signed her in. Once all were present, and rehearsals were underway, I made my way to the empty kitchenette and spent a while working out what to make. I had noticed that he drank his coffee quite strong, since that morning I could smell it upon him (and in my opinion, coffee is not a bad scent to be mingled in with your aura, if you are a man). I also knew that he didn't have a huge sweet tooth, so I decided I would make a simple black coffee and hope for the best. I then made three pieces of toast (well, four, since I decided I might as well have one) and picked up the jar of Marmite which sat on the side. I guessed it was his, since barely anybody else used the area. I set about carefully spreading it upon the toast so that it read the 'Y E S' along the three pieces. I smiled as I set the coffee and the toast by his small desk, and praying that nobody else would enter, I crept back to my desk, grinning from ear to ear.

During the mid morning break which the whole company took, around ten minutes after I left the office, I prayed that he would find it. I sat and registered people in and out who wished to travel to a nearby supermarket for a snack, and hummed to myself happily. He had asked me to coffee! I kept yelling at myself internally to calm down. Perhaps all secretaries got coffee in and out of the theatre. Perhaps he was married, engaged, even gay! I was getting my hopes way too far up. I just couldn't get the gorgeous gentleman out of my mind, however. Towards the end of the break, I looked up to see him leaning against the door into the hall, staring at me intently. When our eyes met, he smiled (oh, that smile was beautiful) and mouthed a silent 'thank you' at me, before entering the hall once more. Needless to say, I spent the rest of my day at work over analysing that moment to the minutest of details, much like a young girl would a movie star's love life, or Hyacinth would her son's social life. I was hopelessly besotted by him.

As the end of the day crawled nearer, I began to panic. What if my outfit wasn't right? Hyacinth seemed to think that all social occasions require a specific outfit type. What if what I had worn to work didn't fit with what he expected? I had on a simple floral dress, he a loose shirt and trousers, with the jacket I loved with the patches on the elbows. What if I didn't handle it right? What if I turned into the gibbering wreck I do around Hyacinth? As rehearsals ended, I was close to hyperventilating, I was that worried. I breathed slowly and deeply, and signed everybody out.

I picked up my coat and turned to see him standing behind me, smiling handsomely and holding out his arm.

"Well, Liz, Shall we?"

I smiled, and took his arm. Everything was going to be fine. Hopefully.