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"My dear Mr Shayne!" said the woman who rose froood toher hand, and as Matthew took it and gave it the obligatory kiss he wondered if she was thinking of how she ought to kill hih "Sit doon&039;t youi" She motioned toward the chair on the other side of the black-lacquered desk "Opali" This was directed to the young girl who&039;d shown hi hilass of brandyi"

"Tea would be fine Very strong, if you please" He turned to glance at the serving-girl, who he iined shot a look at his crotch Matthew rereen tricorn and gave the-rubbed her hip along his own as she turned to leave Matthew thought she&039;d had , because she&039;d covered the maneuver with his cloak and it was over and done so quickly nothing was left but the tingle

"Sit down, sit down!" said Mrs Lovejoy, , still warm, and perhaps she didn&039;t want to kill hi of any hter; perhaps there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for Slaughter&039;s possession of the sixth thief trap that Oliver Quisenhunt had made and sold to her

Perhaps, perhaps; but Matthew still intended to pass today as a young lawyer named Micah Shayne, and he intended to iven hietic tailor on Spruce Street The tailor had taken a look at the gold coin Matthew had offered and set to work altering a dark green suit left over in the shop when the youngon dog-versus-rat fights out in the woods north of town a little bringing in here and letting out there, and this dog was ready to fight

Two more days had passed since Matthew&039;s visit to the inventor&039;s house a shave and a hot bath had done wonders also, his bruises had faded to h they would still enter themselves into any conversation, and of course the plaster would reht, in his roo house on Fifth Street, he had unwound the leather fro sufficently healed His thoughts went to Greathouse&039;s condition; he hoped the great one had been so fortunate But now he had to think only about to with Ge he had secured a horse fro a pleasant pastoral route with its gentle wooded hills, its rich farmfields, its wide pastures and meticulous stone walls, and just past the Speed The Plow tavern turned his h he saw straddling the road a huge wrought-iron arch, painted white, with the word Paradise in blue letters above his head as he passed beneath He had obviously arrived at so the first touch of winter soon," said Mrs Lovejoy, having seated herself across from him

"I&039;m sure," said Matthew

"I do enjoy the autumn The crispness of the air makes one feel so fresh, so alive, after the doldruaze drift over the bruises and the plaster

"You have a letter for me, theni"

"Yes, madam, I do" Matthew retrieved the envelope from an inner pocket of his coat On the envelope, Quisenhunt had written To My Dear Ge Mr Micah Shayne It never hurt to have a proper introduction Matthew gave her the envelope Mrs Lovejoy opened it with one quick snap from a brass blade on her tabletop and, as the lady read the letter, Matthew attempted to also read the lady

She was probably in her mid-forties, and very handsome in the way of a lioness Matthew of course had never seen a lioness but he had read descriptions of them Mrs Lovejoy fit the bill The proud crown of tawny hair that was pulled back froed in a display of curls about her shoulders was probably more appropriate for the ray was not so outspoken yet, though it had begun to announce itself at the temples She was not a s bones, and she oith voluminous folds and frills She was dressed sioith a puff of tasteful cream-colored ruffle at the throat and cuffs, and on her feet were sensible black shoes decorated with black ribbons

Mattheatched her read She was devouring every word, and had one hand up to rest her chin upon He could envision her, like a lioness, reclining on her throne of rocks on so into the ruddy distance for the dust trail of a weaker beast He&039;d already noted that her eyes were clear green, wide-set and slightly almond-shaped, and that her jaas square and firal cat Her nose was long and sharp-tipped, her ht, he was thinking with Hudson Greathouse&039;s brain as yet Matthew hadn&039;t gotten a close look at her teeth, and wasn&039;t sure he wanted to She blinked slowly, taking her tireed gold bracelets

With the help of one of the coins Slaughter had left him after the Lindsay massacre, Matthew had made sure he would himself stand up to scrutiny The new suit, the new cloak, the new tricorn all were necessary for the deception The investigation, as it were On his feet were a pair of black boots that his tailor friend had found for him from a shoemaker friend, at a reasonable price The moccasins had had their day; when Matthew had taken them off they&039;d been nearly ready to fall apart

"Mr Shayne," the woman suddenly said, as if just to repeat the name She didn&039;t divert her attention from the letter "How is my friend Oliveri"

"He&039;s fine Did you know that Priscilla will be having her baby in four monthsi"

"Yes, I did I saw her at the ust" She put the letter aside with a brief and unrevealing s crotch-glancer had returned, bringing a silver tray that bore his cup of tea He accepted it and the linen napkin that was also offered In the exchange of tea and napkin he caught Opal staring right at hihtly parted, and he wondered who really was the lioness in the roorayfor a woman&039;s charm and perhaps was meant so Under the cap Opal&039;s hair was jet-black and the eyes that stared so piercingly into Matthew&039;s were a bright blue al with their heated appraisal She was the proverbialmaybe two inches more than sixty even in clunky black heels Matthe sht nostril She scared the hell out of hi the letter to its envelope "I won&039;t need you here any longer Go to the laundry house and help there"

"Yes, ave a quick curtsey to both of theain

"always so, the cooking, the general "

"and an ad to Oliver" He winced inwardly, and cautioned hier

"Sometimes adhtly, as if to exale "I want you to understand that Paradise is very expensive My guests-I always refer to theuests, for that&039;s how much I respect them-require the best in food, care and consideration But before I quote you a one year&039;s fee, which would be our least expensive arrangement, let me ask you to tell me the particulars of your situation"

Matthew paused for a drink of tea, and then he forged ahead "I a a law office after the first of the year My wife and I will be-"

"In Philadelphiai" she asked "Your officei"

"Yes My wife and I will bedown from New York We have one son and another child on the way"

"Congratulations"

"Thank you" He brought up a frown "The probleed Seventy-two years Come December," he chose to add, just for the sake of texture He felt he was drawing a picture, as randmother has been dead these last few years, e over, and entleland"

"This world," she said, with no expression

"Yes, a trying place But the situation is that rand-father-"

"What&039;s his namei"

"Walker," Matthew replied

"an active na smile He decided then was the time to touch the plaster under his eye "Unfortunately of late he has been too active"

"I ondering My pardon if you caught one The clear green eyes did not s fro But what had he expectedi He swept his gaze around the rooather his next confession of the trials of this world, especially those of a young laho needs to get rid of an uncoress The house, on the outside painted white with a light blue tri, was siht have owned The furnishings were tasteful, the colors restrained, the panes spotless and the throw rugs unsullied by a dirty boot He wondered if Tyranthus Slaughter was lying upstairs in a bedroo his injuries For Matthew had coht well lie down together