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“Sohtened and wondered if she was strong enough to lift hiht forht inches taller than she was and he looked well-muscled
“So you’re British, right?”
He slowly opened his eyes “We’ve established that, yes”
“Know anyone in the royal fale, isn’t he?”
“Prince Harry? Yes, I believe so”
“Do you know him?”
“I’ve met him a few times, of course”
Paige stared at him “Excuse me?”
“I’ve met him At my father’s house”
“What was Harry doing there?”
“Playing polo”
“You play polo?”
“Not well”
“I’ve been her level, so I knohat you mean”
He looked at her then “You play?”
“Of course Weekly Just me and the ponies Come on, lean forward”
He did as she asked She grabbed his hands and pulled hiravity did its thing The forward momentum propelled him to his feet
“I think you’re joking,” he said as he staggered a couple of steps
“I a into the house and then upstairs”
“As you wish”
“You keep saying that If only that were true Take a step Then another one Walking is good”
She maneuvered him into her house and then paused at the bottom of the staircase
“We’re going up,” she told him
He barely nodded
She put his hand on the railing, then stepped behind hiet this over with”
He started to move up the stairs
“That’s it Tell me about your father How does he know Harry?”
“He knows the whole royal family”
“Because?”
“He’s an earl”
Paige nearly stopped pushing Alistair started to lean back They were already halfway up—there was no retreating now
“Seriously?” she asked, shoving as hard as she could “A real earl?”
“Are there unreal earls?”
“I don’t know So that makes you what?”
“A viscount”
“Should I call you so? Mr Viscount?”
“My Lord is traditional, but unnecessary”
“Good because I’m not the type to curtsey”
They’d reached the top of the stairs Alistair turned to her “One only curtseys to the queen”
“Does one?”
“Yes”
“Good to know” She guided him into Sophia’s old room and pointed to the bed “How does that look?”
Alistair sighed “Heavenly” He reached for the buttons on his shirt “You’ll want me to take my clothes off”
“If I had a nickel,” she started, then stopped when he didn’t In a round and he was reaching for his belt
“Yikes,” she said, backing out of the room “Leave on your underwear, or we’ll both be embarrassed Let me knohen you’re done”
“It’s all right,” he told her “I’m a doctor”
She shut the door and stood in the hall “Maybe, but I’m not” She waited a couple of seconds “Alistair?”
There was silence, then a thunk She flung open the door and found Alistair Woodbury, the viscount of so else on her Aunt Sophia’s bed
And to think she’d assu to be a very ordinary day
Chapter Two
Alistair didn’t believe in angels, yet every time the fever threatened to suck hiel was there Blond, with large hazel eyes and a soothing voice She talked softly, even laughed, and her hands were cool Sometimes she insisted he eat, but mostly she was simply a presence
Ti it had been since he’d shown up at his friend Simon’s house He was content to siel Until so sat on him and tried to kill him
He opened his eyes to find hie cat perched on his chest The black-and-white feline glared at hier where none should be Sharp claws dug not so gently into his chest
“You’re up,” the angel said, walking into the bedroo attacked by Daytona Sorry He strolled in thisand I didn’t think he would come find you”
She scooped up the cat and held hi?”
She was both familiar and not Slowly, his memory filled in the pieces His trip to visit Simon and his friend’s wife, Montana The onset of the fever The cough
“Measles,” he muttered “I have the measles”
“You do, and a very impressive rash, too” The blonde smiled “Do you remember me at all?”
“You’re the angel”
She laughed “Not exactly, although my Aunt Sophia would be so proud to hear that”
He frowned “She’s a nun”