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Melisande shook her head "I hadn’t heard"

The dowager countess set her teacup doithout sipping from it "Poor man She’ll ruin his life"

"Surely not" Melisande was distracted by Vale taking leave of the group of gentle in their direction

"Mark my words, she will" The countess suddenly darted out a hand and snatched a pink cake frolared at it aat Melisande "My son needs warentleness He hasn’t been the same since he returned from the Colonies"

Melisande had only a ister these words before Vale was upon theood afternoon" He boith a flourish and addressed his ht I steal ardens? I had a mind to show her the irises"

"I don’t knohy since the irises have stopped bloo," his o I think I’ll ask Lord Kensington what he knows about the palace scandal"

"You are kindness personified, ma’am" Vale proffered his elbow to Melisande

She rose as her mother-in-law muttered, "Oh, pish" behind theuided theravel path "Your e to Miss Templeton"

"I bow to my mater’s wonderful common sense," Vale said cheerfully "Can’t think what I saw in Miss Templeton in the first C in"I place"

"Your mother says it may’ve been the lady’s bosoh she kept her gaze on the path ahead "We men are pitiful creatures made of clay, I’m afraid, easily distracted and led astray A lush bosoence"

"Hmm" She remembered the parade of women who had been his lovers Had they all had lush bosoms as well?

He leaned toward her, his breath brushing her ear,her shiver "I would not be the first to ary cake, when a neat, small bun was in reality lance at hi, and a smile played around hisa stern expression "Did you just coood?"

"A neat and delectable baked good," he reminded her "You should take it as a compliment"

She turned her face away to hide her smile "I’ll consider it"

They turned a corner, and he abruptly pulled her to a stop in front of a cluer in bloom"

She looked at the plant’s lobed leaves "That’s a peony Those"--she pointed to some plants with sword-shaped leaves farther down the path--"are irises"

"Really? Are you sure? How can you tell without the flowers?"

"By the shape of the leaves"

"A It’s almost like divination" He stared first at the peony and then the irises "Don’t look like much without the flowers, do they?"

"Your mother did say they weren’t in bloom"

"True," he murmured, and turned them down a new path "What other talents have you hidden froirl who could sing"

"Then you should’ve asked about it before ed," she said practically "My voice is only fair"

"A disappointlanced at hiht her out, al Why court a wife? Perhaps she was seeing htened her If she hoped, if she let herself believe he actually ain would be even more terrible

"Perhaps you can dance," he was saying "Can you dance?"

"Naturally"

"I am reassured What about the pianoforte? Can you play?"

"Not very well, I’ musicales by the fireplace are crushed I’ Cre heive seen your embroidery, and that’s quite fine Do you draw?"

"A little"

"And paint?"

"Yes"

They’d come to a bench at a turn in the path, and he carefully dusted the seat with a cloth fro for her to sit

She sat slowly,her defenses A rose arbor shielded the seat, and she watched as he broke off a blossom

"Ouch" He’d pricked himself on a thorn and stuck his thuht of his lips around the digit and sed "Serves you right foryour mother’s roses"

"It’s worth it," he said, too close He’d braced a hand on the seat and leaned down to her She caught the scent of sandalwood "The prick of the thorns only "

She turned and his face was only inches froe tropical color that never occurred naturally in England She thought she saw sadness lurking in their depths "Why are you doing this?"

"What?" he asked idly He brushed the rose against her cheek, the softness of the petals sending a shudder down her spine

She caught his hand, hard and war me"

"Do I?" He was very still, his lips only inches from hers

"I’m already your wife There’s no need to woo me," she whispered, and couldn’t keep the plea froh she still had her fingers wrapped about his The rose drifted across her parted lips