Arthur wasn’t sure what woke him, but he reached instinctively for the warm female body in his bed. She wasn’t there. He blinked blearily and looked around. It was close to dawn, and pale light was filling the room. He heard a soft rustle of cloth and saw a feminine figure standing near the windows, its pale light making her a silhouette.
“Mattie?”
The woman at the window turned toward him in surprise. Neither of them knew each other well enough for such an intimacy, but he wanted a pet name for her, something that tied him to her, at least while she was here. He spent most of his life living cavalierly but when it came to mistresses, he always had a bit of a soft spot for them. He enjoyed spoiling them, being sweet to them. It felt good.
“Why are you out of bed? Are you feeling all rig
