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Aht bite, but I won’t," he teased

She chewed her lower lip

"Come on, before Dickie co" He walked past her and hopped over the low fence Then he held his hand out to her "It’s not far If you don’t like it, we can coo, A the rush of excite so co new and different

"What is your name?" she asked, as he helped her over

"Benedict But everyone call s me Benny"

"Hi, Benny" She smiled shyly "I’rand bow before col ecting his pole from where he’d set it aside to assist her They walked without speaking for a fewof trees until the sound of rushing water could be heard

"How is it that you ca hied "I heard there ork to be had and I showedis this?" she wondered "What skil s will you gain? What will you do when you are no longer needed?"

He s fro my way down to London, you see By the time I make it, I’l have experience Then I plan to work for St John"

"Who is that? What does he do?"

Benny stu at her He blinked and then whistled low "Yer green as grass," hehis head, then he continued on

"What does thatafter hied fro stream The bed was rocky and the water shal ow, a lovely place that carried the feeling of innocence, as if the area was rarely breached by anyone Aan to untie her boots, ith hair back over her shoulder Benny ed out of his coat While he settled hi her skirts, she moved to the water and stepped careful y into it Her breath caught as the water chil ed her feet

"Yer scaring off all the fish!" Benny complained

"Oh, this is wonderful!" she cried, fil ed with h mud with Colin "Thank you!"

Benny frowned at her "For what?"

"For bringing , she spun about, then cried out in surprise as she slipped on a smooth river rock and tumbled

Gal ant Benny leapt to his feet and tried to catch her, only to land flat on his back, half in and out of the water, with her atop hihed out loud, and once she started, she couldn’t seem to stop

"My sire always said the Quality was daft," heherself up when scuffed boots canobly hauled up by the scruff of her flowered gown

"What in bloody hel are you doing?" Colin growled, glaring down at her

Her laughter choked into silence, her eyes wide at the vision before her Colin was dark haired, dark skinned, and dark eyed with a big-boned build that overness had said

When had he grown so tal ? He towered over her, his hair fall ing over his brow as he stared down at her so intensely she squir boyish about hi eyes What had happened to the friend she had once loved?

Sadly, she realized he was gone forever

Her head fel forward in an effort to hide her grief over the loss "I was enjoyinginto the crown of her head Then a low, agitated sound rumbled in his throat

"Stay away from her," he bit out to Benny, who had pushed up to a seated position at their feet

Colin grabbed her elbow and pulled her away, catching up her boots and stockings as he passed the on dead leaves Withouta beat, he tossed her over his shoulder and strode into the trees like a conquering warrior