Sooner or later you will grow tired of small-town life, and of playing the domestic father, and you will go back to your real life, and it will be perfectly reasonable, and it will break my daughter’s heart.”

“I’m not playing at anything, Mabel.”

“You know what I mean.

Your real life is elsewhere.”

Damian was quiet for a moment.

Then he crossed the room, stopping a careful, respectful distance from her.