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"Which belongs to Lady Olivia’s fiance, Mr Shaw?"

"Exactly Shaw is helping us to adapt to the A, which is far more efficient and productive than the British method"

"I’ve always heard that British-made machinery is the best in the world," Annabelle couable But even so, it’s seldom standardized No two locomotives built in Britain are exactly alike, which slows production considerably and makes repairs difficult However, if we could follow the A standard gauges and teine in a matter of weeks rather thanspeed"

As they conversed, Annabelle watched Hunt with fascination, having never seen a man talk this way about his profession In her experience, as not so thatfor one’s living was a distinct hallentleed to have a profession, he tried to be very discreet about it and pretend that most of his time was spent in leisure activities But Simon Hunt made no effort to conceal his enjoyment of his work--and for soely attractive

At her urging, Hunt described the business further, telling her all about his negotiations for the purchase of a railned foundry, which was being converted to the new As on the five-acre site had already been transformed into a foundry that produced standardized bolts, pistons, rods, and valves These, along with some parts that had been i asseines that would be sold throughout Europe

"How often do you visit the site?" Annabelle asked, taking a bite of pheasant cutlet dressed with a creamy watercress sauce

"Daily, when I’lass with a slight frown "I’ve stayed away for too long, actually--I’ll have to go to London soon, to check on progress"

The idea that he would soon leave Halad Simon Hunt was a distraction that she could ill afford, and it would be far easier to focus her attentions on Lord Kendall when Hunt had quit the estate altogether However, she felt strangely hollow, realizing how much she enjoyed his company and how lifeless Stony Cross Park would seeone

"Will you coreat concentration toa morsel of pheasant with her knife

"That depends"

"On what?"

His voice was very soft "On whether I have sufficient reason to return"

Annabelle did not look at him Rather, she lapsed into a restless silence and turned her unseeing gaze to theaperture, through which the luxuriant melody of Schubert’s Rosamunde poured

Eventually there came a discreet rap at the door, and a foot her face averted, Annabelle wondered if the news that she had dined in private with Sih the servants’ hall However, after the foot to have read her thoughts "He won’t say a word to anyone Westcliff recommended him for his ability to keep his ave hilance "Then…the earl knows that you and I are…but I as Westcliff doesn’t approve of," Simon returned evenly "And I don’t always approve of his decisions However, in the interest of enerally cross each other" Standing, he rested his pal her "What about a gaht up…just in case"

Annabelle nodded As she stared into his warm black eyes, she reflected that this was perhaps the first evening of her adult life in which she holly happy to be exactly where she was With this man She felt the most intense curiosity about his buried beneath his exterior

"Where did you learn to play chess?" she asked, watching the movements of his hands as he set the pieces in their previous formations

"From my father"

"Your father?"

One corner of hishalf smile "Can’t a butcher play chess?"

"Of course, I…" Annabelle felt a hot blush sweep over her face She was ht sered as he studied her "You seem to have a mistaken impression of my family The Hunts are solidly middle-class My brothers and sisters and I all attended school Now my father employs s they often play chess"

Relaxing at the absence of censure in his voice, Annabelle picked up a pawn and rolled it between her fingers "Why didn’t you choose to work for your father, as your brothers did?"

"I was a stubborn hellion in rin "Whenever , I always tried to prove hi"

"And as his response?" Annabelle asked, her eyes twinkling

"At first he tried to be patient with me When that didn’t work, he took the opposite tack" Hunt winced in re ruefully "Trust me, you never want to be thrashed by a butcher--their arine," Annabelle lance at the wide expanse of his shoulders and re the brawny hardness of his muscles "Your faave a nonco "Unfortunately, it seems that my ambition has served to distance us My parents won’t allow me to buy them a house in the West End; nor do they understand why I should choose to live there Nor doesstrike them as a suitable profession They would be happier if I turned to soarded hi what had remained unspoken in the spare explanation She had always known that Si in the upper-class circles in which he often moved However, until this moment it had not occurred to her that he was similarly out of place in the world that he had left behind She wondered if he was occasionally lonely, or if he kept hie it "I can think of few things ine," she rehed, and reached for the pawn in her hand But soo of the ivory piece, and their fingers tangled and held, while their gazes locked intimately She was shocked by the radiant warmth that flooded froh her entire body It was like being drunk on sunlight, heat spilling in strea with the pleasure ca pressure behind her eyes that heralded tears

Bewildered, Annabelle jerked her hand back fro to the floor "I’h, suddenly afraid of what er She stood clumsily and moved away from the table "I-I’ve just realized that I’m very tired…the wine seeo back to my room I think there is still ample time for you to socialize with everyone downstairs, so your evening hasn’t been entirely wasted Thank you for the dinner, and the race, co to stand before her with his hands at her waist He looked down at her, an inquiring frown tugging at his dark brows "You’re not afraid of me, are you?" he murmured