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"I reide "You've fished on the sea?"

"Of course"

Elizabeth looked at hilance His tone was so matter-of-fact

"Were you on a ship?" Lucas asked

"No, it was more of a sailboat"

A sailboat? Elizabeth shook her head as she pulled some dishes out of the cupboard Ja was the fish?"

"Oh, I don't know Maybe about this big" Jath of about two feet with his hands

"Hells bells!" Lucas yelled

Elizabeth nearly dropped a saucer "Lucas!"

"I'ht, and without even turning to face her His attention never wavered froht?"

Ja in Lucas's ear Elizabeth arched her neck and strained her ears, but she couldn't luave her a little bow Elizabeth was so surprised that this ti Thankfully, it was just a spoon

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth," Lucas said "It isn't polite to use such language in front of a lady"

"Thank you, Lucas" She looked over at James, who offered her a secret smile He tilted his head toward the boy, so she leaned down, handed Lucas a plate of biscuits, and said, "Why don't you and Jane go and find Susan? And you may eat these biscuits on the way to town"

Lucas's eyes lit up at the sight of the biscuits, and he quickly grabbed the Elizabeth openmouthed in his wake "What did you say to hied "I can't tell you"

"But you must Whatever it was, it was terribly effective"

He sat back, looking terribly pleased with his are best left betweento decide whether she ought to press hi stain near his eye "Oh, I coot!" she blurted out "Your eye! Ito put on that"

"It will be fine, I'm sure I've had far worse injuries with far less attention paid to the, as she shuffled hurriedly through her kitchen in search of soain

She looked up, which surprised hiht she was far too involved in her search to be listening, let alone responding to hiue with you about this," she stated "So you ht as well save your breath"

James realized she spoke the truth Elizabeth Hotchkiss wasn't the sort to leave projects unfinished or responsibilities un to his bruised eye, there was very little he--a peer of the realm, a man twice her size--could do to stop her

"If youto sound at least a little bit put out by herin the sink, then turned around and held it out to him "Here"