Matchmaking by Moonlight

“Judge, I thought you wouldn’t be able to join us today,” Eleanor said as she approached him.

“I’m not,” he said. “I just need to talk to Judge Walters for a moment. Court business. Do you know where he is?”

“I’ll find him. Why don’t you wait for him in the study? It’s nice and quiet there. I’ll take you.”

“Thank you,” he said, following her down the hall, down another one and then into a blessedly quiet private room.

“You look tired. And I imagine you’ve had a difficult couple of days,” Eleanor said. “Judge Walters and I are old friends. I believe I know the case he handed you.”

“I’m sorry, I’m not supposed to talk about it,” Ashe said.

“Of course not. Have you eaten? We have plenty of food. I’d be happy to send someone with a dinner plate for you,” she offered.

“I’m fine, Eleanor, thank you. I’m just going to talk to the judge and go home.”

“Well, I’ll send him right away.”

Lilah forced herself to watch the wedding and reception. She’d also stayed away from the wine, so her head was perfectly clear when Eleanor asked her to deliver a dinner tray to the study.

“Of course.” Then Lilah wondered why a server wasn’t handling this particular job. “Eleanor, who’s in the study?”

“A tired, hungry man who’s just finished a very difficult job. Be nice to him,” she instructed.

“I will, but why am I doing this?”

“Because when the man he’s with right now leaves, he’ll be all alone, and you’ll be able to apologize in private.”

“I can’t do it,” Lilah cried. She’d confessed some of what she’d said and done with the judge the night before to a delighted Eleanor that morning. “I can’t face him.”

“You can, and you will. He’s a judge, darling. He’s heard everything.”

“But I’m not one of his court cases. He’s not required to be fair, reasonable or impartial to me.”

“Lilah, dear, I told you, he’s tired, hungry and in need of a little comfort at the moment—”

“Comfort? What exactly do you mean, comfort?”

“I’m not asking you to walk in there and take your clothes off. Just be nice to the man. He had a bad day.”

“But I don’t think he finds anything about me comforting,” she said.

“Well, do your best, dear. It’s fine and good to challenge a man, to throw him off balance a bit, but sometimes a man needs a sympathetic ear and a soft touch.”

“Now, see … touching him is definitely not a good idea.”

“I’ve seldom found that putting one’s hands on a handsome man is a bad idea,” Eleanor claimed, as they got to the study door. “Don’t be a coward, dear. Tell the man you’re sorry, give him his dinner and let him tell you about his day. This silly misunderstanding will be forgotten in a moment. And reassure him that Gladdy’s not here. I sent her home with Kathleen.”

There was a plus. No Gladdy. Still …

“I didn’t tell you everything,” Lilah admitted. “He made it clear that he wants me to leave him alone.”

Eleanor dismissed that notion with a wave of her hand. “He’s a man. A very handsome man, and you’re a lovely woman. I’m sure he didn’t mean it.”

“He said it wouldn’t be wise to get involved with me,” she added.

Eleanor laughed. “My dear, surely you don’t believe men are always wise in their involvements with women.”

“He was absolutely clear,” Lilah said, trying again. “He said, ‘I am not a toy. Stop playing with me.’”

“Then stop playing,” Eleanor said.

Stop playing?

Lilah fell silent.

That was Eleanor’s advice?

She would have protested even more, but she heard the doorknob to the study turning. Eleanor looked positively triumphant for a moment, then hurried away. Which left Lilah just outside the door as it opened, and out came an elderly gentleman, who’d been in the midst of congratulating the judge on a difficult job done well.

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