An icy touch on his hand startled Lucas. ‘Sorry,’ giggled Clara, wrapping her fingers around his. ‘There are so many people here to watch the fireworks, and it’s very dark. I didn’t want to lose you.’ ‘Never,’ he said, smiling at her shyly. ‘But you should worry more about losing a finger,’ he exclaimed, wrapping both his hands around hers to transfer heat to them. ‘Where are your mittens?’ ‘I must have left them at Mum’s, but I wasn’t going back for them. I’ve been coming to the fireworks in Farmer Edwards’s field my whole life. I’m not missing it just because I don’t live in the village any more.’ ‘They don’t have firework displays in London?’ asked Lucas, glad some heat was returning to her fingers. He wouldn’t usually take her hand in public - there were enough rumours about them flying around the village as it was - but he couldn't leave her freezing half to death, could he? It didn't matter that the gossip was completely accurate, of course. Knowing you couldn’t so much as sneeze in your own back garden without everyone asking after your health for the next fortnight made the thought of openly conducting your first romance rather... intimidating. And he couldn't subject Clara to such neighbourly scrutiny, either. ‘Well of course they have fireworks,’ laughed Clara, interrupting his thoughts. ‘It’s not the same though, is it?’ ‘They’re probably better,’ said Lucas, glancing over his shoulder to check they weren’t being watched – particularly not by her overprotective older brother Henry. ‘Practically everything there is.’ ‘Not everything,’ she said twinkling her eyes at him in a way that always made his heart race. ‘Really?’ She shrugged, a mischievous smile curling on her beautiful face. ‘I can’t find an egg custard to match Mr Guthrie’s for love nor money. It’s worth coming back just for that’ ‘And there I was, thinking you missed me,’ joked Lucas, reaching for her other, equally frigid hand. ‘Desperately, darling,’ she said, quite solemnly. ‘Not seeing you every day has made these the longest few weeks of my life.’ He was just about to say he felt exactly the same when a whiz and a flash near the bonfire caught their attention. ‘Ooh, it’s starting,’ said Clara, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the crowd. ‘Hurry, or we’ll miss it.’ ‘Put your hands in your pockets, or they’ll get cold again,’ he advised, sounding disconcertingly like his mother. She gave him a cheeky grin before standing in front of him, leaning her back against his chest and placing her hands in his. ‘But you’re so much better at keeping me warm,’ she said, wrapping her arms - and by extension, his arms - around her waist. Lucas looked around in alarm - not that he didn’t want to hold her in his arms, quite the opposite, but if anyone noticed… However, everyone’s eyes were fixed on the Catherine Wheels and Roman Candles and Squibs being lit as the opening of the display, so he relaxed a little. And if anyone asked, Clara had forgotten her mittens, hadn’t she? And the grass already crunched with frost, so it was perfectly natural for two old friends to stay close for warmth on a cold November evening. No one could possibly think there was anything peculiar about how they were standing… Right? So Lucas watched the fireworks with Clara snuggled up against him, but kept getting distracted by how lovely her face looked lit by the intermittent flashes of gold, red, and blue sparkling in the sky and filling the crisp air with the scent of gunpowder. Besides, the fireworks were even more beautiful reflected in her eyes, wide with wonder and joy. Between the explosions splitting the usually peaceful night, Lucas caught snatches of a conversation - no, an argument, taking place on the edge of the crowd. Carefully, he turned his head towards the disturbance and saw Henry talking heatedly with Jane Kingsley, the prettiest girl in the village according to everyone except Lucas. She seemed quite upset, and Henry was trying to calm her down and explain something. Odd. But then again, perhaps their supposedly secret relationship was on the rocks? Lucas smiled and watched the latest rocket glimmer in the sky, eliciting a chorus of oohs and ah’s as it did so. Henry thought he and Jane were so sneaky, but it was a topic of general conversation amongst the villagers, and one more reason Lucas was keen to keep his own romance on the down-low. But now Clara lived in London, they might get a little privacy occasionally… That was a cheering thought. Still, he was curious to know what was going on with Henry, but seeing as he’d never confided in Lucas about Jane, it might be tricky to bring up. Lucas strained his ears to catch what he could of their discussion between the explosions. If he didn’t know better, it sounded like Henry was trying to end their… whatever it was, because he’d found someone he really was serious about. Curious. He’d not mentioned anything to Lucas - but then again, Lucas hadn’t mentioned anything about his all-consuming adoration of Clara to Henry, though he felt that was rather different. Henry had made it very clear over the years that his precious baby sister was strictly off limits to Lucas, which was yet another reason for secrecy. He sighed and rested his cheek against the top of Clara’s woolly hat, watching the finale of the display. It was magnificent, as always, but watching it with his arms around the girl he loved made Lucas’ heart swell with an overwhelming amount of affection for her. Had they have been as alone as he wanted them to be, he suspected he’d have made a declaration to her, though he wasn’t sure if this would be simply reminding her of his true feelings, a kiss, or a marriage proposal. Perhaps all three. And maybe next year they could watch it together without having to hide their feelings. After all, year was a long time, and maybe it was time to talk to Henry again… As the crowd dispersed, Clara released her hold of Lucas’ hands and put her own in her pockets, to keep the heat he’d loaned her safe. They chatted about everything and nothing as he walked her back to her mother’s house, and as they walked up the familiar garden path, Clara invited Lucas inside for hot cocoa. ‘It’s the least I can do, considering you’ve been keeping me warm all evening,’ she said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and looking up at him through her eyelashes with a smile. He didn’t need asking twice, and as Clara disappeared into the kitchen of the empty house, Lucas hung their coats on the hall stand. There was a suspiciously mitten-sized bulge in Clara’s coat pocket. He smiled and checked, just to be sure. There they were, nestled all the time in her pocket as she insisted he was her only hope of avoiding frostbite. ‘Should make enough for Mum and Henry too?’ asked Clara, reappearing in the hallway with the tin of cocoa powder. ‘They’ll be home soon, and - oh.’ Lucas held up the mittens with a grin so wide he thought the top of his head might fall off. Clara blanched and shrank back, biting her bottom lip, before stepping forward apologetically. ‘I’m sorry I lied, Lucas,’ she said. ‘It’s just -’ He met her halfway, took her hand, and kissed her like he'd wanted to all night. ‘I’m not,’ he whispered. ‘I think it’s rather adorable, if I’m honest.’ She flushed a terribly attractive shade of pink. ‘You do?’ ‘I do,’ he said, lacing her fingers with hers. ‘I had a marvellous evening.’ ‘Yes, the fireworks were lovely, weren’t they?’ ‘Probably, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off you.’ Her mouth fell open, and he gently raised her chin with his forefinger before softly caressing her cheek, that overwhelming feeling enveloping him once more until he thought he might burst with emotion. ‘And you’re not cross with me for lying about the mittens?’ she asked, looking worried. 'Only, I wanted to watch the fireworks with you, and I though, if we had a excuse...' He laughed softly and took her other hand in his, because he wanted to this time, not just to prevent a chill reaching her bones. ‘I’ve never been able to stay cross at you, but I can certainly live with you telling the occasional fib if it leads to another evening like that.’ As he stood, gazing lovingly into her eyes, he decided he wasn't content to keep the greatest thing that had ever happened to him a secret any more. He closed the remaining gap between them and leant his forehead against hers, their noses resting alongside each other. ‘Clara,’ he murmured, his heart pounding with nervous excitement. No, not nerves. There was nothing to be nervous about. ‘I’ve been thinking,’ he continued, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. ‘And, I think that perhaps it's time. People will breathe down our necks and gossip about us, but if you don’t mind that, neither do I.’ She smiled, which was rather encouraging. He softly pressed his lips to hers again - just as the handle on the front door turned, allowing the voices of Mrs Jenkins and her eldest son to leak into the hallway. Lucas and Clara untangled their fingers and took a large and embarrassed step away from each other. At least, Lucas's cheeks burned. Clara painted a happy, welcoming smile on her face seemingly effortlessly, even if her cheeks were rather pinker than usual. ‘Excellent,’ she declared. ‘I was just making cocoa.’ Her eyes met Lucas’s for a moment before she fell into easy conversation with her mother, and they discussed the evening’s entertainment as Henry gave his best friend a piercing look. ‘What were you two up to just then?’ he asked suspiciously. ‘Hmm? Nothing,’ lied Lucas, wishing his heart rate would return to normal, though the terrified hammering in his chest was far less pleasurable than the excited patter of a few moments ago. ‘We were, uh, just looking for her mittens,’ he added, realising a lack of explanation wouldn’t remove the scowl from his friend’s face. ‘Her mittens?’ said Henry, frown increasing. ‘She was wearing them when we left the house.’ ‘Was she?’ said Lucas innocently, fighting a smile. ‘How strange.’ Henry scowled and opened his mouth to give Lucas an earful. ‘Is Jane all right?’ asked Lucas hastily, deciding attack might be the best form of defence. Henry took step back, his face a mask of shock. ‘I saw you talking to her earlier,' continued Lucas, glad to have derailed the all too familiar lecture, at least for now. 'She looked upset. I hope her latest fling hasn’t died a death,’ he added in a falsely innocent tone. 'That'd be a terrible shame.' Henry flushed scarlet and muttered something about how it was a disagreement over a stray dog she’d brought in to the police station. ‘Oh, you didn’t tell me about that,’ said Lucas, hanging Henry’s coat up for him. ‘Did you find out who’s dog it was?’ ‘It escaped before we could,’ snapped Henry as he stalked towards the kitchen. 'So it didn't seem worth mentioning.' Lucas breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he'd been terribly mean but feeling no regrets. But what choice did he have? Henry berating him yet again over what, as far as he was concerned, was mere gossip and suspicions would have spoiled a marvellous evening - and it was none of his business, anyway. Though as Lucas joined the others in the kitchen, heart singing as his eyes met Clara's a he saw a smile curling at the corners of her mouth, he thought there was a lot to be said for having a little deniability. Yes, perhaps they should enjoy wat privacy they had whilst it lasted. They'd made it this far, after all. Another few months wouldn't matter...