Colin’s hand rose reflexively to the back of his head. “Not your flat.”

“Your aunt Arabella’s, then. Or we could take a mini-break somewhere.” It would have to be somewhere cheap, since neither of us was exactly flush with funds, but there had to be some moldering seaside resort that had seen better days and would be willing to take us in for the price of a large London dinner. Or we could go to one of the old Regency watering holes and I could drag Colin to Jane Austen re-enactments. “It could be fun.”

A loud crash and a curse resonated from the flagstone path below. At least, I was assuming there was still a flagstone path below.

Our eyes met over the computer monitor.

I sighed. “Or we could stay here and keep an eye on the film crew.”

One side of Colin’s mouth pulled up in something that wanted to be a smile but didn’t quite make it. “Thanks. You’re a brick.”

I would have preferred to be something more decorative, but I appreciated the sentiment. “Look, it will all be fine. It’s only two weeks and you can charge them double for every shrub they squish.”

Colin didn’t look convinced. He nodded towards the computer. “Anything interesting?” he asked, with forced heartiness.

I hastily moved the monitor. “Oh, just this and that.”

“What is it?” Colin was way too sharp sometimes.

“Nothing!” I staggered clumsily to my feet. My legs had gone numb from sitting on them. “But I probably should get back to work if I don’t want to be one of those five-thousand-year-old grad students.”

Colin smoothed my hair back, turning my face this way and that as he examined it for lines and wrinkles. “You still have a ways to go yet.”