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Susanna stood on tiptoe, stretching her neck for a glimpse She didn’t have to stretch far There were tiht ca their horses on the village green The Bright boys eagerly accepted the reins

Pressed around her on all sides, the ladies cooed over Lord Payne’s handsome features and debonair lance Her attention was drawn ily to the horrid Lord Rycliff, as looking more dark and medieval than ever with his unshaven jaw and that i hair tied in a thick queue at his nape She couldn’t stop looking at hi hirip on her elbow His hot kiss brushing over her lips

"My goodness," Kate whispered in her ear "They are ratherht God help her, he was

"And that dark one is frightfully big"

"You should feel hih burst from her lips "What did you just say?"

"ErI said, you should see him up close"

"No You didn’t You said I should feel him up close" Her hazel eyes lit with a mischievous twinkle

Ears hot with embarrassment, Susanna fluttered a hand in weak defense "I’m a healer We assess with our hands"

"If you say so" Kate turned back to the

Violet sighed loudly "I suppose this means we’ll have to cancel our afternoon salon"

"Of course not," Susanna countered "There’s no need to alter our plans Most likely, the men won’t trouble with us at all But if the new Lord Rycliff and his party do see fit to take teaWe must do our best to welcome them"

This statement was met with a flurry of enthusiasm and a cyclone of alarm Objections rose up all around her

"Miss Finch, they won’t understand They’ll entle for an earl? I haven’t anything fine enough to wear"

"I shall die of mortification Positively die"

"Ladies" Susanna lifted her voice "There is no cause for concern We will go on as ays do In a month’s time, this one Nothing in Spindle Cove will be the different for their visit"

For her friends’ sake, she must maintain a brave front in the face of this invasion But she knew, staring through the smallin the door, that her words were false It was too late Things were already changing in Spindle Cove

Soelding, Brahtened his coat and had a look about the place "A fair enough village," hea petulant curse

The green was expansive, dotted with shade trees Across the lane sat a neat row of buildings He took the largest to be the inn Narrow dirt lanes lined with cottages curved out fro the contours of the valley Toward the cove side of the village, he spied a cluster of hues Fisherreen loorand for a village of this size He supposed it was a remnant of that medieval port city Sir Lewis had mentioned

"This place is clean," Colin said carefully "Too clean And too quiet It’s unnatural It’s giving e was oddly immaculate and eerily empty of people Each cobble sparkled in the street The dirt lanes were swept clean of debris Every shop front and cottage boasted neatboxes overfloith red geraniums

A pair of lads rushed toward them "Can we help with the horses, Lord Rycliff?"

Lord Rycliff? So, they knew hie, he supposed

Braer, towheaded youths "What are your naht," the one on the left said "And this is Finn"

"We’re twins," Finn offered

"You don’t say" The Brights A suitable name, ith those incandescent shocks of hair--so blond as to be nearly white "See?" he said to Colin "I told you the place couldn’t be devoid of men"

"They’re not erminate from the soil If there are children, there os aren’t withered to twigs" He beckoned one of the youths "Is your father about?"

A shock of lightning hair swiveled in the negative "He’suh, not here"

"When do you expect hilances

Finally, Rufus said, "Can’t say, my lord Errol--that’s our older brother--he travels to and fro, bringing in wares for the shop We own the All Things, across the way As for Fatherhe hasn’t been around for soo," Finn said "Caet another babe on Mum and dole out his knocks to the rest of us He’s fonder of his drink than his brats"

Rufus elbowed his twin "That’ll be enough airing of fa to reveal next? The patches in your smallclothes?"

"He asked about our father I told him the truth"

The truth was a damned shame Not only because these boys had an absent sot for a father, but because Braht in his militia He sized up the twins before hi to be of any real use