Free Talk Sweetly to Me by Courtney Milan

the spire is opened by this little key here, the copper one.”
    She blinked at him in confusion.
    “You’ve got twelve minutes until the transit starts. There’s a great many stairs, but if you hurry, they shouldn’t prove to be much problem. There’s an excellent view of the river once you get to the turret.”
    She shook her head. “What are you saying?”
    “This is a rare astronomical event,” he told her. “It won’t happen again until the year 2004. Do you really think I would let you miss it? If you can’t go with me, go by yourself.” He leaned against the wall. “I’ll wait here. I need to get the keys back to Father Wineheart when you’re finished.”
    “You’re really not going to come?”
    “Did I not just say that? Go. Hurry. You don’t want to miss it.”
    He gave her a wave of his hands, urging her through the door onto the dark staircase. She started up. The stair was cold and just a little musty, but she couldn’t think of that.
    She had come, expecting him to wear down her every defense—and hoping, almost, that he might succeed.
    And…he hadn’t even tried. No jokes. He’d taken no little jabs at her when she’d balked. He’d just handed her the keys and told her to go. He hadn’t tried to wheedle or charm her, and if he’d made even the slightest effort, he could have brought her around. She knew it all too well. And Mr. Shaughnessy, Actual Man, expert that he was with the human female, must have known it, too.
    It was almost as if he cared what she wanted. She came to the topmost landing on the stair turret. Her calves were already a little warm from the exertion; the air around her had become colder. She could see out the little rectangular window, down onto the river, over to a sun dipping lazily in the sky. Clouds far away over London threatened, but they’d not be here in time to block her view. She took the key ring out, found the copper key, and put it reluctantly in the door that led to the spire.
    Eight minutes until the transit started. Eight minutes until she stood, watching it alone, with her heart still back down the stone stairs.
    Rose inhaled. And then—stupidly—she started back down the stairs, slowly at first, and then faster and faster, until her shoes pattered heavily against the stairs, taking them two and then three at a time. When she reached the final landing, she was going so fast that her feet skittered against the smooth stone. She held up her hands to stop from slamming into a wall, and then she pushed off once again.
    She went out the little wooden door. He was sitting on a bench nearby. He had a little book out and he was reading.
    “Stephen.” She’d never called him by his Christian name before, and hadn’t intended to do so now. It had simply slipped out.
    He looked up. She hadn’t understood herself why she’d come back. Not until she saw his face. He caught sight of her. His eyes widened and he burst into a smile, a lovely, brilliant smile that seemed to cast light throughout the darkening corridor. She felt an answering smile spread shyly across her face.
    “Rose,” he said. “What are you still doing here? There’s a transit about to start.”
    “I can’t watch it without you,” she said. “I won’t enjoy it.”
    He looked at her.
    “Come now,” she said. “Hurry. If I miss this because of you…”
    He stood. And then, very slowly, with a broadening smile, he came toward her.

Chapter Five

    R OSE WAS SWIFT. She had a head start on Stephen, darting up the stairs. By the time he’d entered the stair turret, he saw only a swirl of pink skirts as she turned, already on the landing ahead of him. He followed after, his mind a maelstrom of confusion.
    She stopped halfway up the next short flight of stairs and turned to him. Her eyes were shining from the exercise—and then she reached back to him, holding out her hand.
    “Well?” she said. “Come along.”
    He stopped dead. For a moment, he wasn’t sure what she