Lucinda laughed at that. "I don't know how much she can respect me if she's ordering me around the diner, but all right."

Aurelian blinked, "Oh dear, is she being bossy? She doesn't mean anything by it. She just takes everything so seriously most of the time. I'm sorry."

The last details were then quickly gone over. Seemed very workable.

"So sound like a plan?"

"Yes." She smiled, squeezing his hand. "I suppose after tonight I won't see you until church on Sunday."

"If I do stop in town, I will make a point of looking you up. At the diner or at the boarding house, depends on when. And, if all goes well which I think it will, by Sunday we will know our future or at least be able to start working on furthering that future. You know...wedding arrangements and such," he declared with a confident look.

Lucinda felt more laughter bubble up in her. Clara, bossy? The girl knew what needed to be done, but didn't go lording her authority over others. "She's very kind about telling me what needs to be done," she clarified. "But it will be an interesting conversation, given that she is my boss at the moment."

The thought of Aurelian stopping by the diner was appealing, but Lucinda made a mental note that they'd need to take a stroll down the boardwalk if he ever came to the boarding house. The Wigfall's parlor might be comfortable, but she didn't care to have the whole household privy to her courtship with Aurelian.

"Wedding plans already?" She pretended to look shocked, although if Wyatt and Clara were both all right with it, there was no reason why they couldn't be married right away. In some ways this was a marriage of convenience -- she needed a permanent situation, and Aurelian needed someone around the house to cook and clean -- but it wasn't just that. He knew it as well as she did.

"My, Aurelian. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were the one who initiated things that first Sunday. Not me throwing myself at you, the way Arabella and Jemima are telling people." She grinned, looked at him for a minute, then stood on her toes. "Well, how's this for throwing myself at you?" She leaned in to kiss him softly, a little uncertain at first.

Aurelian knew his daughter could be a bit gruff on occasion and quite blunt when it came down to tasks and business but it was just her solemn nature. It seemed Lucinda realized that, thankfully.

"Well if she ever gets too bossy, you just remind her you know her father and to settle down," he joked.

As part of all this future palaver, he mentioned a wedding. Well arrangements for it anyhow.

"Wedding plans already?"  

"Isn't that what is coming down the line if our relationship continues like this?" he raised one eyebrow, he was confident it was.

"My, Aurelian. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were the one who initiated things that first Sunday. Not me throwing myself at you, the way Arabella and Jemima are telling people."

"Arabella and Jemima? There are two reliable sources. Pay them no heed, I doubt much of the town does either," he seemed nonplussed.

She grinned, looked at him for a minute, then stood on her toes. "Well, how's this for throwing myself at you?"

She leaned in to kiss him softly, a little uncertain at first.

"Let it be known you started this now," Aurelian then swept her up into this arms and gave her a much fuller kiss.

Aurelian was so good at easing Lucinda's fears and concerns. Whether it was about Clara or the gossip of Arabella and Jemima, he knew just what to say to make her feel better.

She smiled a little and rolled her eyes. "Well, they may not pay attention to Jemima, but they pay attention to her mother." That was only slightly more true, but Jemima's often macabre thoughts sounded more respectable coming from Mrs. Wigfall's mouth.

She wasn't sure how Aurelian would respond to her kiss. After all, they'd only just acknowledged their attraction to each other and decided on a course of action. And it almost felt wrong to be kissing another man so soon after Francis's death last winter. But Aurelian was here, and Francis was not.

So when Aurelian took her in his arms and returned her kiss, she felt relieved. He certainly didn't have any doubts about kissing her. Her knees went weak and she leaned into him, reveling in the feeling of being in his arms and his closeness.

When they separated, she leaned her head against his chest. "I may have started it, but I'm glad you decided to pursue it." She sighed contentedly and put her hand on his chest. "I don't want to leave, but I should get back into town. I don't want Mrs. Wigfall to worry--or worse, gossip. Thank you for a wonderful evening."