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He slanted a look around the eainst his seat, heavy-lidded eyes watching her "That I hadof disappointment "Only one? I’ve e of ht add, in your own estimation," Jemma put in

"Precisely But when I rand fashion," Villiers said "I made a mistake with Benjamin…the Duke of Berrow" Jemma raised her eyes but he forestalled her "I know that you know of Benjareed to be friends; it "

"I would not agree It is true that Benjaame of chess to me"

"That is no reflection on your friendship Benjaretted"

"True…true"

He was looking down at his hands, his eyes shadowed by long eyelashes Suddenly he looked up and she felt herself growing a bit pink at so in his eyes "I have decided to h

"If you win a game from me, you may feel free to point out my errors," she said "I am so hideously competitive that I will certainly kill you rather than myself"

"Bitch," he said uneood friends we can be? My passion for chess is equal to Benja I want is to play again"

"And is chess your only passion?"

She sat for ato answer truthfully "I suppose it is I hold reat esteem; I adore my brother But my heart is in chess I have observed that those who are ame rarely find deep passion elsewhere"

"I would appear to confirm your theory, since I have no faered on the opposite sex in a fleeting way"

"As have rave fault that has resulted in a great deal of scandal"

"Yet I am not so dismissive of the possibility of love as you are You o," Villiers said "I told you then that I would not cuckold my old friend Beaumont"

Jee at her husband, and Villiers had refused

"I have changed my mind," he said "In the five minutes I was at the mercy of your brother’s sword, I remembered that I have never loved a woman And that it is one of the experiences that I dearly wished to have o I cannot explain how it has so unaccountably passed me by"

Je that you love ly, "but I could do so I believe, in fact, that you are the only woman I have met whoh I love chess, I find the wish inelse as well Perhaps you and I, Jeether"

"Unless we are incapable of true love"

"Do you believe that of yourself? I have loved, though not in a sexual way"