And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke

fortnight’s notice of your departure.”
    For the first time, Miss Dove had the grace to look a bit ashamed of herself. As well she should. “I regret that circumstances forbade my giving notice.” She turned and walked away. “I can only say,” she added over her shoulder as she paused by a window, “that my actions were dictated by the certain knowledge you will have no trouble replacing me.”
    “Replace you? Woman, have you not yet comprehended why I’m here? Haven’t I made it plain enough? I don’t want to replace you. I want you to give up this notion of writing silly etiquette stuff for Barringer and come back to work for me where you belong.”
    “What I write is not silly!” She whirled around, and her chin came up. The sun glinted off her hair. “Since you are speaking plainly, so shall I. What I write is important and useful, and I will not allow you to disparage it. As for where I belong, I have decided that it isn’t working for you! And who could blame me? I have been a loyal, reliable employee, doing everything required ofme and more, but in return I have been rewarded with nothing but more work.”
    “And generous pay,” he shot back.
    She ignored that. “You have piled task after task upon me, yet you have never spared a moment to discuss my writing, you have taken advantage of me at every opportunity, even going so far as to require me to buy the gifts you give your mistresses!”
    “I asked it. I never required it. And if it was such an objectionable part of your duties, you should have said so.”
    “You have never appreciated me nor any of the many things I’ve done for you and for Marlowe Publishing,” she went on as if he hadn’t spoken. “All you have done is take me for granted. Well, I have had enough!”
    Harry’s frustration faded into bafflement as she unleashed this torrent of criticism upon him. Never before had she shown a shred of anger, or any other emotion, for that matter. This was not the Miss Dove he knew. This was not the compliant secretary who had been gliding in and out of his line of vision half a dozen times a day for five years now, who followed his instructions and obeyed his orders with cheerful acceptance, no questions and no complaints. This was certainly not the Miss Dove who always behaved with efficiency, exactitude, and propriety. This was someone else altogether, someone he did not recognize.
    He studied her, and something about the way she stood in the shaft of sunlight through thewindow caught his attention. “Miss Dove,” he said in surprise, “you have red hair.”
    “What?” She blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
    “Your hair is red. I never realized that before. I always thought it was brown, but it’s not. In the sunlight it turns red.”
    She frowned at him, looking thoroughly vexed. “I know the color of my hair, thank you. What on earth has that to do with anything?”
    Somehow, he’d managed to offend her yet again. “No need to get touchy about it,” he assured her. “Some people don’t like their red hair, I know, but you needn’t worry. Yours isn’t a violent sort of red. It looks brown, but when you stand in the sun, it goes all coppery and shimmery. It’s…” He paused, feeling as if he’d just discovered something rather extraordinary. “It’s very pretty.”
    She was not pleased by the compliment. She actually seemed insulted. “Oh!” she cried, hands balling into fists at her sides, “you are the most manipulative man I have ever known! And the most insincere.”
    “Insincere? What, you don’t believe me?”
    “Of course I don’t! It’s too convenient a compliment to be a true opinion. Besides, you only like women with black hair.”
    She saw his surprise and gave him a look of triumph in return. “Hah! You see? I know you, Lord Marlowe. The five years I’ve been in your employ have given me a complete understanding of your character. I know you like the back of my hand, so trying to get around me