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Betty had passed from her stupor into what looked like a nor, ould find out who had given her the cup, and--perhaps--as in it I hoped that Jemmy would sleep comfortably as well But as really onthe card players, nor yet a low-voiced of taxes and tobacco

I hadn’t seen Phillip Wylie anywhere on the first floor of the house, either I could well believe he was out with the revelers by the river landing That was his set and his style, wealthy young men ould seek diversion in drink and carouse in the dark, careless both of cold and danger, laughing and chasing each other by the light of randounfire

That was neither Ja them hat made my feet curl with chill, despite the heat of the roo onto my side, knees drawn up as much as possible in the cramped quarters He wouldn’t; but his notion of stupid wasn’t always the sauests were bedded down in the outbuildings, or in the parlors; as I passed, I had seen anonyures sprawled on the floor of the front parlor, snoring loudly, wrapped in their cloaks before the fire I had not gone to poke a a day as I had, after all

But it was not like hiht, no matter what the circumstances Of course, he had been annoyed with me, and despite the promise of our interrupted conversation on the terrace, we had not quite made up the quarrel Re-inflamed it, rather, with beastly Phillip Wylie’s invitation My hands curled, thuht calluses thatScot!

Next to me Jemima Hatfield stirred and murmured, disturbed by my restlessness I eased htlessly at the oaken footboard in front of me

Yes, he was undoubtedly still angry about Phillip Wylie’s advances So was I--or I would be, were I not so tired How dare he--I yawned, nearly dislocating my jaw, and decided that it really wasn’t worth the bother of being annoyed, at least not now

But it wasn’t like Jary or not He wasn’t the sort of man to sulk or brood He would seek a confrontation or provoke a fight, without a moment’s hesitation; but I didn’t think he had ever let the sun go down on anger--at least not with regard to me

Which left me to worry about where he was, and what in bloody hell he was doing And the necessity of worrying about hiry, if only because that was better than being worried

But it had been a very long day, and as the unfire frouor stole over hts like spilled sand The gentle breathing of the women all around rip on reality slackened and at last fell free

I hth of that In the contrary way of such things, it instead chose to dwell on another thread of the day’s events Perhaps it was the warmth of the room, or simply the closeness of so many bodies, but I drea me now and then near to the shores of wakefulness, then onceme out into the deeps of unconsciousness

There were horses inmanes that rippled in the wind as the stallions ran beside s stretch and leap; I was a white reen beneathfor the one, a broad-chested stallion who caainstonof Ireland," he said, and I ca fro the sole of said foot

Still bees of my dreams, I was not alarmed by this, but merely muzzily pleased to discover that I had feet after all, and not hooves My toes curled andin the delicate touch of the thuh arch and up into the hollow belowto stimulate an entire plexus of sensation Then I came all the ake, with a small jerk

Whoever it was plainly sensed my return to consciousness, for the touch left my foot e war a fire at the base of my toes

By this tihtened I wiggled h to throw off the hand, but it squeezed ently pinched y went to y stayed hoh it had been spoken aloud, as the fingers deftly pinched their way across y eee-weee, all the way ho down the sole of ht in ain and squeezed in adether and the room was black as velvet; even with eyes co but the sense of a hunched figure near es blending with and disappearing into the dark of the air

The hand slid gently up the calf ofI twitched violently, and the woman next to ain, in a whoosh

My stohter He ers left entle squeeze, and stroked the bottoers curled into a fist, pressing along the length ofI didn’twarmer; there was only a faint sensation of cold as they followed the curve of ht shelter in the soft place behind ers played a quick tattoo on the sensitive skin there, and I twitched in agitation They slowed and stopped, settling surely on the artery wherepast where the skin was so thin the veins would show blue beneath it