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Her sister clucked her tongue "I tell you, so house I think we have a thief in the Queen’s Ruby"

"I think you just enjoy believing so"

"I have my eye on Miss Bertram She’s such an odd duck"

"Well Mr Everhed "Speaking of birds, I’ to have a look at the plumes"

Her sister drifted away, and Diana concentrated on the display of lorgnettes They didn’t have any thatone, so she was left to choose the next best She was just about to ask the shopgirl to bring out two for comparison when a man clad in dark chocolate brown approached her and interrupted in a deep voice

"I beg your pardon, miss"

Her heart skipped a beat

Aaron

She turned to hiers "Yes, sir?"

"Might I ask your opinion, as a lady?"

She looked hilad to help if I can be of service"

He drew to the side,for her to follow He paused over a case filled with beaded reticules and lace gloves and tooled ivory fans

"I’d like to buy a gift for my sweetheart," he said "And I’ht be so good as to help ed at her lips He didn’t need to buy her anything, but she couldn’t deny the thought made her dizzy with joy

Until Charlotte popped between them "Mr Dawes, you have a sweetheart? Who is it? Who?"

Aaron watched as Diana’s cheeks paled She gave him a look of pure panic

"Do tell, do tell" Miss Charlotte bounced on her toes "Who is your sweetheart, Mr Dawes?"

"I"

He didn’t knohat to say He didn’t want to lie, but clearly Diana hadn’t told her sister anything about the two of thee--his own sisters had told one another everything about their roest Highwoods were Andmen from a different social class

"Charlotte, don’t harass him so," Diana chided "Is your business coe the subject

"Yes, thank you And your shopping?"

"Nearly done" She called to the shopgirl and asked her to wrap up one of the lorgnettes

"We have soht perhaps the three of us could take some luncheon at--"

"But you haven’t purchased your sweetheart’s gift yet," Charlotte said

God, the girl was like a bulldog with a bone

"Do tell us who it is, and we’ll help you choose Is it Sally? Pauline? Oh! I know Gertrude, the upstairs maid from Summerfield"

Aaron shook his head "None of those"

Charlotte snapped her fingers "One of the Willett girls Or that ain? Betsy?"

He shook his head

"Do we know her?" she asked

"II’athered her purchase froirl and thu hilad to take soestion, Mr Dawes"

He was quiet over their eon pie He didn’t knohat to make of her reluctance to tell the truth She wasn’t ready to tell anyone, obviously He supposed it was understandable, this soon But would she ever be ready? That was the larger question

Perhaps she didn’t seethat far

Aaron surreptitiously touched the packet buried deep in his breast pocket--the semstones he’d accepted in payment from the jeweler He’d requested co he’d

But noas feeling like a fool If Diana didn’t even feel ready to tell her own sister about the too far ahead of hiarded her over it Like she did so often, she fidgeted with the slender chain always about her neck and the vial of tincture at the end of it

Except

He blinked and looked closer

She wasn’t wearing the vial on her chain today Instead, he saw his pendant The quatrefoil one he’din pockets and under pillows for months Until today

It wasn’t a public confession But it was so, that

He drained his ale and thumped the tankard on the table "If you don’t mind," he announced, "I’ve an errand on our way back to Spindle Cove Someone I promised I’d call on today"

Charlotte perked with interest "Is it your sweetheart?" And close on the heels of her question, "Ow!"

He was certain Diana had kicked her under the table

"No, Miss Charlotte, it’s not my sweetheart It’s my sister"

CHAPTER 7

"Aaron Jacob Dahat are you doing?" Je hi hi such ladies around to my house with no notice"

He held up his hands in innocence "Don’t be angry They’re fine"