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She curled her hands around the lintel of the iron balustrade, leaning over to look down at hihter, my mother would despair of you It would be a miracle if we ever saw youup at her "You’re easily the eable female I’ve ever met"

She stilled "You think so?"

"Certainly" He took a bite of tart, as though the statement were utterly nor to dupe hie, you mean"

"Once that happens, yes," he said with a sht-headed The ale

Most definitely the ale

Not hi that, the ale and the distance between theeous than she had ever been

"Why aren’t you ent, clever, brave, and honorable"

Excellent, Sophie thought Like a horse Or a dog

And then he said it "Not to mention beautiful"

"I’m not beautiful," she said before she could take it back, instead wishing that she could disappear, siain

No luck "Yes, you are"

She shook her head, hating the way her chest tightened with hot embarrassment at the question She didn’t want to discuss her beauty or lack thereof No plain woman wanted to, especially not with a man as so very handsome

Dear God He’d heard her call him handsome

She sed, desperate for an end to the moment

"Sophie?"

She looked to him

Don’t make me answer

Don’t make me think about why you would never be forthat She didn’t care to have hiht about it When he offered her strawberry tarts And showed her his ical library And called her beautiful

And made her want to believe it

Then she cared veryeaten I feel honor-bound to tell you asthat made her wish that they were somewhere else That they were someone else That jests about strawberry tarts were all they had to think on

She looked down at hi the plate up to her like an offering