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She rong So very, very wrong He aiting for her at the front door

"Miss Hotchkiss," he said, his voice so amiable that Elizabeth couldn't quite trust it, "it is a pleasure to see you again"

Elizabeth found herself torn between the desire to flee into the house and the urge to wipe his confident sht off of his face Pride won out She raised one of her blond brows in a supercilious gesture she'd learned from Lady Danbury and said, quite acidly, "Is it?"

One corner of his mouth tilted upward, but one couldn't really call it a smile "You don't see breath between pursed lips What the devil was she supposed to do now? She'd sworn to herself that she wasn't going to practice any more HOW TO MARRY A MARQUIS edicts on thisto be taken in by any of her pathetic attempts

And after yesterday's turnip debacle, he probably thought her a coed the question: What the devil did he ith her now?

"Miss Hotchkiss," he began, after waiting in vain for her to ht develop a friendship of sorts After all, ill be working together here at Danbury House for soovernesslike in-between posts--a bit too well-bred to le with the servants, yet certainly not part of the family"

She considered his words--or, to be more precise, his tone, which was suspiciously friendly Then she regarded his face, which appeared to be equally kind and a in those chocolaty depths So so nice to h as he did so "I'er and wagged it slowly "I knohat you're about, so don't try to fool me"

That caused him to raise a brohich annoyed her, because he had obviouslyyour pardon?"

"You're very charhtly, and then, after a briefto say but 'thank you' "

"It wasn't necessarily a coly

She shook her head "You want so fro, and you're trying to charhed "Pity It usually does"

"You admit it, then?"

"I suppose I must" He held up his hands in defeat "But if you want me to answer your questions, you're required to hurounds withanywhere alone with thisme"

He flipped open his pocket watch "Not for another quarter hour"