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"I wish to buy et for the bowl"
Ian kept his gaze on the vessel "Why not give her the bowl itself?"
Mather’s hearty laugh filled the roo about porcelain She’ll want a carriage and aof servants to carry all the fripperies she buys I’ll give her that She’s a fine-looking wo in the tooth and a "
Ian didn’t answer He touched the tip of his tongue to the bowl, reflecting that it was far better than ten carriages with matched teams Any woman who didn’t see the poetry in it was a fool
Mather wrinkled his nose as Ian tasted the bowl, but Ian had learned to test the genuineness of the glaze that way Mather wouldn’t be able to tell a genuine glaze if soot a bloody fortune of her own," Mather went on, "inherited froton woman, a rich old lady who didn’t keep her opinions to herself Mrs Ackerley, her quiet co you? Ian turned the bowl over in his hands as he speculated, but if Mrs Ackerley wanted to make her bed with Lyndon Mather, she could lie in it Of course, she ht find the bed a little crowded Mather kept a secret house for his mistress and several other women to cater to his needs, which he loved to boast about to Ian’s brothers I’ to say But in Ian’s opinion, Mather understood pleasures of the flesh about as well as he understood Ming porcelain "Bet you’re surprised a dedicated bachelor like myself is for the chop, eh?" Mather went on "If you’re wondering whether I’ up my bit of the other, the answer is no You are welcome to come ‘round and join in anytime, you know I’ve extended the invitation to you, and your brothers as well" Ian hadto put up with Mather’s proclivities for the ar "I say, we’re at Covent Garden Opera tonight Come meet my fiancee I’d like your opinion Everyone knows you have as exquisite taste in females as you do in porcelain" He chuckled
Ian didn’t answer He had to rescue the bowl frouineas"
"You’re a hard uineas, and I’ll see you at the opera"
"Oh, very well, though you’re ruining me"
He’d ruined himself "Yourhas a fortune You’ll recover"
Mather laughed, his handsoe blush or flutter fans when Mather smiled Mather was the master of the double life "True, and she’s lovely to boot I’ for his butler and Ian’s valet, Curry Curry produced a wooden box lined with straw, into which Ian carefully placed the dragon bowl
Ian hated to cover up such beauty He touched it one last tiaze fixed on it until Curry broke his concentration by placing the lid on the box
He looked up to find that Mather had ordered the butler to pour brandy Ian accepted a glass and sat down in front of the bankbook Curry had placed on Mather’s desk for him Ian set aside the brandy and dipped his pen in the ink He bent down to write and caught sight of the droplet of black ink hanging on the nib in a perfect, round sphere He stared at the droplet, so at the perfection of the ball of ink, the glistening viscosity that held it suspended fro, a wonder