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Of course, once she did sit next to him, he found his powers of concentration immediately diminished The dwarfish size of the table forced them so close, her shoulder rubbed his arine sweeter sources of friction To recall the feel of her body under his

The music resumed A cup of tea appeared on the table

She leaned close, bathing him in her hothouse scent In a hushed ar?"

Bloody hell She was offering him tea His body responded as if she’d stood naked before hiar bowl in the other, asking him which substance he’d rather lick fro hiainst temptation, Braenerous splash of whiskey to the stea on here?"

"It’s our weekly salon As I told you yesterday, here in Spindle Cove we ladies have a schedule Monday, country walks Tuesday, sea bathing We spend Wednesdays in the garden, and"

"Yes, yes," he said, scratching his unshaven jaw "I recall the schedule On Thursday, I hope you foster orphaned laroup activities, each lady pursues her own interests Art, music, science, poetry On Saturdays, we celebrate our individual acco ladies develop their confidence before they return to wider society"

Bra the pianoforte would ever lack for confidence in society He had little musical ability hi woman coaxed sounds from the instruhter and plaintive, heartfelt sighs And the girl was pretty, too Watching her in profile, he observed thick chestnut hair and delicate features She wasn’t Bram’s usual sort, but she possessed the kind of beauty hich a irl played, Bra short of enius could accomplish that

"That’s Miss Taylor," she whispered "She’s ourplate in the center of the table and helpfully dispelling the tension "There," he said "Food"

Bram eyed the refreshments "Are you sure?"

The plate was lined with rows of tiny pastries and bite-sized cakes, each iced in a different pastel shade Little piped rosettes and sugar pearls topped the dainty morsels

"This isn’t food" Braer and stared at it "This isedible ornamentation"

"It’s edible That’s all I care about" Colin shoved a bit of seedcake into his mouth

"Oh, these lavender ones are Mr Fosbury’s specialty" She nodded toward the cake in Bram’s hand and selected an identical morsel for herself "They’re filled with his own currant jelly Divine"

"A Mr Fosbury made these?" Bram lifted the lavender cake

"Yes, of course He’s owned this place for a generation It used to be a tavern"

So, this place used to be a tavern With pints of proper ale, one would assume And kidney pie Steaks so rare, a ave a despairing ru teacakes?" He cast a look about the place, so cheerily furnished and refined In the , lace curtains fluttered gaily, e Once the inn becay only er It’s a tea shop Instead of real, hearty food we have this assort, decentrosettes to earn his keep"

"Nonsense We haven’t ‘reduced’ Mr Fosbury to anything"

"Like the devil you haven’t You’veshriveled thefor soers In the end, he s Miss Finch’s gasp of dismay

"That’s a rather medieval view," she said, obviously affronted "Here in Spindle Cove, we live in modern times Why shouldn’t a s please hiy or medicine, if she takes an interest?"

"The women aren’t my concern" Bram looked around the place "So where do all these ‘, since they’re deprived of a tavern?"

She shrugged "They go hoe, are they? Not hard to believe"

"Soer towns There siaze met his "I realize this makes your task more difficult, but to be perfectly frankWe have not felt it as a deprivation"

She took a sip of tea He was surprised she could rin

As she lowered the cup, her eyebrows arched "I knohat you’re wanting, Lord Rycliff"