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"I’m certain of it"

"And Lord Payne, you devil" The matron’s face creased with a smile as she waved her handkerchief at Colin "You must promise her a nice, slow quadrille this ti"

Colin bowed "As you like,to redirect the conversation, Susanna cleared her throat "Now, for preparations I will ask Miss Winterbottoht and Mr Keane--you two possess the best eye for color, so decorations are yours Miss Taylor is the natural choice for music, and Mr Fosbury, I do hope you’ll bake us some cakes Our chef at Summerfield can’t match your confections" She se--"

The wolad to compose a poem for the occasion"

"That would be very" Susanna paused "Special," she finished "Thank you, Mrs Lange"

"What about me?" Charlotte waved her hand "Everyone else has a task I want one, too"

She smiled "I have a very important job for you, Charlotte And I’ll explain it to you later, back at the roo, our usual activity schedule is suspended"

"We have a lot of work ahead of us," Bram said "And it starts this afternoon Finish your refreshments Pack away the blankets and canopies Take the scarf off the sheep All men should assemble for drill in a quarter hour’s tiroup dispersed, "ill adjourn to the inn to begin cutting pieces for uniforan to remove all evidence of merriment, she turned to Bram "I think that went as well as could be expected"

He nodded "It ell indeed"

To be truthful, she’d enjoyed the past quarter hour i next to Bra together, instead of over each other’s words As they’d addressed their friends and neighbors, the air had hummed with a pleasant chord of harmony, and she’d almost felt as if

She dropped a step back, cocked her head, and peered at hi self-conscious

"It’s justYou look very lordly, all of a sudden Standing there in front of the keep, addressing all the villagers It’s as though you were born to the Rycliff title, instead of gifted it a week ago"

"Well, I wasn’t" His brows drew together "My father was a et that, ever"

"Of course not I didn’t reat man, and naturally you’ll always be proud to be his son But that doesn’t mean he couldn’t be proud of you today, does it?"

He had no reply to that After a prolonged pause, he said, "I’d best go ready , too"

As he began to walk past her toward the keep, she once again noted the slight hitch in his gait An impulse seized her "Wait"

She could have reached out to catch his ar her hand flat against his strong, solid chest Realizing herecho of his heartbeat lingered on her pallance around her indicated that no one had observed the bold gesture Not this ti her cheeks, Susanna knew she was going to have to work very hard to keep her attraction to Bram below notice

Which

"There’s one other task we need to address One not on the list" She still clutched the paper in her hand and spoke low "Soether Alone"

"Is that so?" Surprise--and desire--flared in his jade-green eyes "I can’t deny that I’ued Name the place and ti up a prayer that she wasn’t ht"

Twenty

Stars blanketed the clear night, and the , or Braht by which to pick his way down to the cove He kept his eyes trained on the path, careful not to misstep As a result, he reached the pebbled shore without any idea where--or even if--he would find Susanna He didn’t see her anywhere along the beach

Perhaps she hadn’t been able to slip away Perhaps she’d changed herhim Perhaps she’d never intended to meet him at all, but only meant to play him a clever trick

A soft splash drew his attention

"Over here," he heard her call

He approached the water’s edge "Susanna?"

"I’m here In the water"

"In the water?" His eyes adjusted to the darkness There she was, his alluring ed to her neck in the sea "What are you wearing under there?"

"Come join me if you want to find out"

Braht down to his skin This wasn’t one of Spindle Cove’s war walk back to the castle, and he didn’t want towet clothes

"Da it with his toes

"It’s not so bad tonight, truly You’ll grow accusto it was better to douse hirees He met her some distance out from shore, in a place where the water line hit hiave her shoulder an exploratory grope

When he caught a handful of rough fabric, he groaned "Not the wretched bathing costuh

Blast it, he knew he shouldn’t press matters too far But she was so close, and they were finally alone again He couldn’t resist doing what he’d been wanting to do all day In a quick s about her slender forht

In his arid as steel

"Bra you It’s cold"