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"Papa, please stop jesting," she said lightly "We don’t want to waste the gentlemen’s time You know very well, a militia would be useless here"

"Useless?" Bramwell cut her a look "Militias aren’t useless To the contrary, they’re essential In case you were unaware, Miss Finch, England is at war"

"Naturally, I’m aware of that But everyone knows the threat of French invasion has passed They’ve had no real naval clout since Trafalgar, and Bonaparte’s forces are so depleted after that drubbing in Russia, he hasn’t the strength to invade anyone As ton’s forces on the rasp is tenuous"

The room went silent, and Bramwell frowned at her, intently Yet another instance of Mrs Worthington’s Wisdoous to her undergarh, Susanna had never known it to work that way

"You know a great deal about current events," he said

"I alishwoman with an interest in the war’s outcome I take the trouble to inform myself"

"If you’re so well informed, you should also knoe’re at ith not only France, but America Not to lers of every stripe" With a single fingertip, he drew the one unsecured so long"

"There’s nothing astonishing about it" Reaching out, she tugged the ht back "No one would attempt to coed since the Normans invaded The landslide forate it, even at high tide Many a ship has foundered and wrecked in that cove Not even the slers trouble with it" She looked up at hih We don’t need unifor defensive flared in those bold green eyes, and she wondered at the thoughts crossing his er

"I’, "this happens to be a disagree sort"

Susanna sht of it?"

"No, my dear The sort where both sides have equal merit"

"How do youthem all to sit "Susanna, you are correct," he said, once all were settled "The chances of any ene Spindle Cove are so small as to be infinitesimal However--"

Suddenly, Lord Payne choked and sputtered, replacing his teacup with an abrupt crack

"What’s the " Payne dabbed at his spattered waistcoat "Sir Lewis, did you say Spindle Cove?"

"Yes"

"This place, here Is Spindle Cove"

"Yes," Susanna echoed slowly "Why?"

"Oh, no reason" Payne rubbed his h "Please, do go on"

"As I was saying," Sir Lewis continued, "chances of invasion are slim indeed However, Bramwell here will tell you that a solid defense is based on the appearance of readiness, not the probability of attack Si the coast have been fortified with Martello towers, defended by local volunteer militias Spindle Cove cannot appear to be the weak link in the chain"

"There’s nothing weak about our village, Papa Visitors know it to be perfectly safe If this militia comes to pass, that reputation can only suff--"

"Susanna, dear" Her father sighed loudly "That’s quite enough"

It wasn’t nearly enough Papa, do you knohat kind of ue He’s a bomber of defenseless sheep, an ene women! A perfect beast We can’t have hi respect for her father kept her quiet

He went on, "To be perfectly honest, there is another reason I aentleman, you see This duty should have been e is responsible for the Sussexme for over a year now to provide a display of our local readiness" His eyes fell to the carpet "And so I have promised him one, at this year’s midsummer fair"

"The midsummer fair? Oh, but that’s not even a month away," Susanna said, dismayed "And we’ve always made the fair a children’s festival Suits of armor, crossbows A few melons fired out to sea with the old trebuchet"

"I know, dear But this year, we’ll have to treat our neighbors--and the duke--to a properhis arrees, that is If he doesn’t embrace the Rycliff title and take on this militia as his dutythe task will fall to ht alone made Susanna wilt Her father could not be responsible for e, and his heart eak And he was her only family She owed hi this horrid Bramwell and his friends into their safe, secure community filled her with dread But if the only alternative would endanger her father’s health, how could she argue against this militia scheme?

The ansas plain She couldn’t