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E practice

"M’man! M’man!" panted the deelic "Cook says she has made currant buns May I have one?"

Eate hi instead "Mais oui, mon chou! Here, take a plate and Tante Cristelle will pick out the buns most plump for you"

Emeline cleared her throat, and both boy and elderly aunt looked at her guiltily She s "Daniel, would you be so kind as to put down that bun clutched in your fist and uests?"

Daniel relinquished his rather squashed prize, and then regrettably wiped his palm on his breeches E One skirmish at a time She turned to the Hartleys "May I present s"

The ih to cause her bosom to sith maternal pride Not, of course, that Emeline let her satisfaction show; no need to make the boy vain Mr Hartley held out his hand in the exact saiven her yesterday Her son beaht-year-olds, no er hand and shook it

"I’m pleased to meet you, irl, and then Emeline handed him a bun wrapped in a cloth "Now run away, dear I have--"

"Surely your son can stay with us, ma’am," Mr Hartley interrupted her

Emeline drew herself up How dare the man interfere between her and her child? She was on the point of giving hiht her eye Mr Hartley’s eyes rinkled about the edges, but instead of amusement, they appeared to reflect sorrow He didn’t even know her son Why, then, would he feel pity for the boy?

"Please, M’man?" Daniel asked

Her consternation should’ve only grown stronger--the boy knew better than to beg once she’dinside her melted

"Oh, very well" She knew she sounded like a grurinned and took a seat near Mr Hartley, wiggling back in the too-big chair And Mr Hartley sht seemed to make her breath come short, which was a ridiculous reaction from a mature woman of the world

"So, then, this is most pleasant," Tante Cristelle said She winked at Daniel, and he squirht his mother’s eye "But now, I think, we "

Miss Hartley, who had just taken a sip of tea, seemed to choke "Ma’am?"

Tante Cristelle nodded once "It is atrocious"

Mr Hartley set his teacup down carefully "Mademoiselle Molyneux, I think--"

The old wohed at, eh? Do you want the other young ladies to whisper behind their fans? For the young men to refuse to dance with her? Is this what you aspire to?"

"No, of course not," Mr Hartley said "What’s wrong with Rebecca’s dress?"

"Nothing" E at all if Miss Hartley only wants to visit the parks and so now is sufficient even for the fashionable of Boston in your colonies But for the London haut ton--"

"She ant!" Tante Cristelle exclailoves and the shawls and the hats and the shoes" She leaned forward to thump her stick "The shoes, they are lanced at her slippers in alarm, but Mr Hartley only looked faintly amused "I see"

Tante Cristelle peered at his, they will cost a pretty penny, non?"