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Bram had seen soldiers’ wives clean and assemble their husbands’ firear like this Susanna didn’t just know the proper sequence, she understood the piece Those gloved handsgrace His desire, and his loins, had already been stirred by thatexercise Now his arousal approached rifle-barrel proportions
She shouldered the e The weapon gave a violent kick against her shoulder, but she didn’t even flinch
"Have I caught the trick of it, do you think?" she asked coyly, lowering the e to applaud He hadn’t been tiuessed the elapsed time to be under twenty seconds Perhaps as few as fifteen There were elite riflemen who couldn’t load and shoot in fifteen seconds
"Where did you learn to do that?"
"My father, of course" She lifted one shoulder in a shrug "Don’t s from their fathers?"
Yes Mostfro piece almost as soon as he’d been able to foruns so very much, but because he’d worshipped his father He’d always looked for any excuse to spend more time with theand marksmanshipthey were now some of Bram’s most cherished memories He wondered if it had been the sah similar lessons at Sir Lewis’s side Mastered this weapon, learned its workings inside and out, drilled and practiced until she could fire by instinct--all as a way to feel closer to him
And now Bram felt closer to her, in a way he’d never expected to feel Strange And da to shake the feeling off
"Did you want to see me fix a bayonet next?" she asked
"That won’t be necessary"
He stared at her--standing tall, ainst her shoulder, braced in perfect position He’d thought hi her proceed with this "I’m a man" charade The joke was on hi recruit He was te her enlist
But she would be too great a distraction For all theall day with her, while she wore those for drills with his staff at full, rigid attention
And more importantly, he could not let her best hie He would have to release her froe
His eye fell to the table The answer glea, MissMr Finch One more requirement for volunteers"
"Really? And what’s that?"
Brareen "Ladies, I must prevail on you for your assistance I need each one of you to locate a pair of scissors and bring it here, as soon as possible"
The women looked to one another Then quite the scuffle ensued, as they ducked into the Queen’s Ruby to raid their dressing tables and sewing boxes In sis was turned out like a pocket
When every available pair of scissors and shears had apparently been unearthed, and all the ladies were arht stepped forward "What would you like us to do with them, Lord Rycliff?"
"Put them to use," he answered "In my militia, all volunteers must have short hair Above the collar in back At the sides, above the ear"
He looked to Susanna She paled a shade, and those freckles fairly danced off her face
Turning to the recruits, he made a sweep of his arm "The ladies have chosen their weapons Men, choose your lady"
The wo back Sos were obvious, of course A woman he reckoned to be Mrs Fosbury already had her husband by the collar, tugging him over to sit on a stump and submit to the will of her shears But the un one another in silence Like Quakers at nal from above Good Lord, he needed to teach these men to take some initiative
Bram turned to his cousin "Aren’t you always the one to start off the dance? Do the honors now"
Colin shot him a look "I’m not a volunteer"
"No, you’re not You’re indebted and compelled You have no choice whatsoever"
Colin rose slowly, pulling down the front of his waistcoat "Very well As you say, I do like to have first pick of the ladies" He strode forward, doffing his hat with a broad, theatrical sweep and cohwood, would you be so kind?"
The fair-haired lady blushed "Er, yes Certainly, Lord Payne I would be honored"
The ladies tittered a this as partiality on Colin’s part Susanna was right about the ement by noon If only there were a bit of truth to it Colin elcoement, and then he wouldn’t be Bram’s problem anymore
His current problem tilted her lovely, freckled head "You were supposed to keep your men apart froreement first?" He picked up the pair of scissors on the table--the ones Thorne had been using to cut thetapes "Well?" he asked loudly "What will it be, Finch?"
She stared at the scissors, wide-eyed "Above the collar, you say?"
"Oh yes"
"Every volunteer in the militia?"
"No exceptions"
Her eyes pleaded with him She lowered her voice to a whisper "They’re boys Finn and Rufus, I mean Their mother is anxious for them Try to understand"
"Oh, I understand" He understood that she was ostensibly trying to shield those boys fro to her position of power in this village On that score, he could not let her win "Perhaps neither you nor I wanted it, but I’e My rules" He held out the scissors "Shear or be shorn"