*Leah*
It is late when we finally arrive back at Kai's hotel, and soon I am safely ensconced inside my shop. After turning off the lights, except one, I head for the stairs where a pale glow filters down from above. Halfway up, at a tiny landing, the steps make an abrupt right turn and the light becomes a bit brighter. Mr. Willoughby must have left it on so I wouldn't be stumbling about in the dark.
At the top of the stairs, I can see it isn't a light in the hallway, but rather one coming from the reading parlor. The secretary must have simply forgotten to turn it off.
Walking into the room, I come to a stop at the sight of Michael sitting in a chair by the fireplace, so lost in a book he hasn't heard me arrive. I am taken aback by the joy that strikes me, as though I have traveled the
