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"I know" She dried her eyes and drew in a breath "I don’t knohy I’ I just wanted so badly for this hened hand over her delicate one, touched by the implication of her words She wanted ht She wanted this to work between them, and so did he But it wouldn’t be easy

"There’s hope yet" With a fond squeeze to her hand, he stood "Let’s clean this up and ether While Aaron rebuilt the fire, Diana wiped the table and swept the floor--and then she ducked outside for a moment to wash her face and tame her frazzled hair She did have sos and hard cheese from the larder

"I hope omelette will do," he said "I don’t know any fancy cuisine, but I’ve beco Once my mother and sisters moved away, it was that or starve"

"Omelette sounds wonderful" She s in one hand, holding theers "Where did they move to? Your mother and sisters, I mean"

"They both married sailors One married a navy man, and she moved to Portsmouth Mum ith her to help while he’s at sea The other lives over near Hastings Her husband’s a merchant sailor"

"Do you have nieces and nephews?"

"Five so far," he said proudly He broke the last egg and added it to the bowl "If you want to help, you could pare soathered a board and a s the cheese as thinly as she could Simple as the task was, she still had a near miss with the blade His forear in the kitchen as they were in the forge She was entranced, watching hiood with his hands in every situation It was hard not to iine the wonders those hands could work on her

She ducked her head and finished paring the cheese

He took a skillet fro it over to the fire

While he cooked the omelette, Diana sliced a loaf of bread and set the table for two A burst of whih shelf, dust them, and fit them with tapers

He set used often"

As they sat down to eat, she felt like she’d finally done so" He jabbed at his food, gathering a s "So you’re nainity" Her lips quirked

"Right" He wolfed down another bite of eggs "And then your next sister is Minerva"

"Roe"

"So where does ‘Charlotte ’cooddess, too?"

"She was meant to be Those classical names were all the fashion in my mother’s day, and you know my mother is always concerned with the latest fashion" She pushed the eggs around her plate "She had the idea to nahters after deities I think Charlotte was supposed to be Venus No, no Vesta"

He choked on his food "Either is cruel"

"I know, I know My father’s na to nanant the third time I think my mother knew there wouldn’t be a fourth child, or any son at all So that’s how Charlotte was named Charlotte and spared the cruelty of Vesta"

He put down his fork "I’ her father I shouldn’t have joked"

"Don’t be sorry Nearly everything my mother does is ripe for ridicule But occasionally she does mean well"

They finished their simple meal all too quickly

"Look at that," he said "The sun’s coht to be going back to the Queen’s Ruby If I’m not there when dinner’s called, they’ll be worried"

He walked her outside and they stood there, side by side, watching the sun sink toward the horizon A fiery red ball, painting the clouds with vibrant shades of pink and orange

"It’s beautiful," she said

"My father used to say, Christ ht be a carpenter, but the Heavenly Father is a blacksain the next ht"

"No, it’s rubbish At least that’s what I decided after he died If a good e of two-and-forty, his Creator is no kind of craftse, not his faith" His chest rose and fell in a thoughtful sigh "But then, every once in a while, I see soht"--he turned to her--"I can’t help but wonder Maybe he was right"

He brushed a light touch down her cheek "Only a divine hand couldthis lovely Christ, you’re perfect"

She laughed a little Partly because she was amused by his blend of reverent wonder and shameless blasphemy And partly because it made her uncomfortable

"I’m not perfect," she said "Not inside, not out"

"You’re a terrible cook That I’ll grant you You can’t hold your liquor, either And you have questionable taste in men So no, you’re not perfect" His voice sank to a husky whisper, and his gaze dropped to her h to restore a man’s faith in miracles"

Her heart fluttered as he leaned in for a kiss

"Dawes!" The call came from around the other side of the smithy "Dawes, are you here?"