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But before he could do so, she was already in the process of easily swinging up on the mare

By the tih the forest trail

He followed her, staying slightly behind and noticing, just as they left the forest trail, that dusk was falling at last

Across the field, Melody House stood on its little hillock, bathed in a strange and eerie glow of criht lasted only a few seconds; the sun dipped

Night was co in earnest, wrapped in shadow

Despite Matt Stone, or maybe even because of hi affair, and Darcy found herself laughing a lot throughout the , but the affection between theends Matt wanted to correct her when her legends beca

"It was as if the entire Southern are at Melody House!" Penny said

"The entire Southern army!" Matt snorted "A company at best Twenty men, Penny"

Penny waved a hand in the air "They were exquisite soldiers," she said, shaking her head and disht as well have numbered thousands They beat back the Yankees--"

"What? The entire Northern force?" Matt queried, a sparkling light in his eyes

"There were at least one hundred!" Penny said, glaring back at her eive up, and they saved the day, but their leader, a young captain, was killed Shot in the heart by a h the parlor s Now, he is said to be here, still guarding Melody House"

Matt leaned low across the table, amusement in his eyes as they met Darcy’s "And no one seems to have told him that the war is over, that the South lost He’s not at all fond of Yankee accents--so they say"

"Thank God, then, that I don’t have one," Darcy told hiht shows seems to have paid off"

"But you trained to be an actress--of course you can get rid of an accent!" Carter applauded her ad to study acting," she corrected "I never did Not in college, anyway"

"That’s right Sheelse," Matt said

"You can’t hosts these days, can you?" Clint asked

"Don’t be silly!" Penny repried

Dessert had been served An exceptional baked Alaska Darcy was certain that at any est that the ladies retire to one rooars

But there was no butler--not tonight, anyway They had all helped to serve theat Darcy expectantly She had a feeling that she was going to hear the word "so" fro

"Do you see him?"

"Who?"

"Our captain!"

"The captain who saved Melody House fro to burn it down," Matt reet accustomed to a house the first few days I’m in it," she told Penny

"Oh! Of course Let all the vibrations get through to you," Penny said, nodding sagely

"Soreed

"So, are there vibrations?" Matt asked, seeht at them "The place just trembles," she murmured

"With?" he prompted

She widened her eyes "Hostility"

Clint burst into laughter "The living give out vibes, too, huh?"

Matt stared at Darcy, the flicker of a rueful s his lips A remarkable transfor, when he looked so

"If I’ out hostile vibes, it’s not with intent of y she was going to get

"Soht be centered," she said, surprised to realize that she was s as well

And that Penny, Clint, and Carter were all staring at them

She rose, her movement not as fluid and easy as she would have liked "It was a wonderful dinner Thank you all very otten If you’ll forgive ht"