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"Really, it was nothing," Toby said, in a tone of false humility that he kneould draw him even more praise Isabel’s admiration was perhaps a bit more than he deserved, but he wasn’t about to spurn it

"It onderful And terrifying Oh, Toby I was so certain you would be trampled"

She nestled close to him, and he let his hand wander down the curve of her hip Really--

shouldn’t a daring rescue like that entitle a on for her, and Toby supposed subduing a panicked carriage horse was as close as he’d ever get

"Thank you," sheher head on his shoulder

"Really, the trick of it’s all in the tiht to thank," Toby replied, breathing in the delicious scent of her hair "I’d never have learned that maneuver if not for him"

"Truly?"

"My mother forbade me to practice that vault, you see Told ed me just to spite her I spent most ofTook me weeks, and I took my share of nasty spills, but I finally mastered the way of it"

"I can understand why your erous" She raised her head and looked up at him "Why on earth did you want to learn?"

"I had h deep down, I knew I never could With reat a risk If I died without an heir, my mother and sisters would be left alone Still, at fourteen I hadaround French battlefields, spilling Bonapartist blood"

Toby laughed a little Ah, to be young and spend hours spinning detailed, grandiose fantasies of changing the world Isabel certainly wasn’t a girl any longer, but she’d sorown He didn’t always understand her zeal, but he did admire it At times, he envied it Honor, Justice, Charity … the way she pronounced those terms, he could hear the capital letters ihtly And she took the sa a Lady, with a capital L Toby hadn’t thoughthiend: Sir Toby the Valiant Isabelto this whole notion of nobility, aside fro of bored aristocrats-- better to do of an afternoon than sit at the club swilling brandy Perhaps he could leam on a centuries-old suit-of-armor

Or perhaps Isabel could

"Cavalry or no, that vault turned out to be a useful trick" He squeezed her hand and donned a devilish grin "Soon I came to appreciate its other application"

"What’s that?"

"Why, iht kiss on her lips "Did it work?"

She nodded, blushing

"Very good Let’s see if I can impress you further" He thrust his free arm under her hips and swept her off her feet

She squeaked with surprise "Toby!"

"Oh, I like that noise," he said, holding her in his arain?" he asked, lowering her to her feet "Later tonight?"

She dis with a little wave of her hand and walked on ahead

"That’s rather bold of you," he said, grinning at the enticing sway of her hips as shedirection?"

"A to look back

"No"

"Well, then"

He watched her walk a few pacesher path at a leisurely pace, he twisted a length of ivy from a nearby branch and worked it with both hands

"Wait," he called "Hold right there"

She paused, fra in the doorway between this solden light surrounded her, caressing every lush curve of her silhouette

"What is it?" she asked

Toby couldn’t even answer He just stood there, blinking, awestruck by the vision of loveliness before hi the lump in his throat, he slowly approached his wife One by one, he pulled the pins from her hair as she looked up at him, adorably befuddled At last her dark tresses tued them about her shoulders with an unconscious toss of her head

"There, that’s better" Grinning like a fool, Toby adorned her glea ebony croith the ivy wreath he’d fashioned, then framed her bewildered smile in his hands "Isabel, I know I’ve told you this a hundred ti the words for thisthem to anyone else, because now the words seem too paltry, too common Completely inadequate But I proht here, right now You are … beautiful Truly, you take my breath away"

Her eyes widened "Oh, my Now that was ihed "Even I’ine what that little speech , i He’d never made that speech to anyone else The crown of ivy nonsense, countless times--but never that speech Those words were for her alone