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Before Leo had inherited the title, the estate had fallen into decay and disrepair, abandoned by many of the tenants Noever, it had been turned into a thriving and progressive enterprise, h he was almost embarrassed to ad his best to acquire the vast ae necessary to make it run efficiently

Ramsay House was a cheerful coinally an Elizabethan enerations had grafted on additions and wings The result was an asy chiray slate roof with hps and bays Inside, there were interesting niches and nooks, odd-shaped roo to an eccentric charm that perfectly suited the Hathaway faed the exterior of the house Behind the ardens and fruit orchards Stables and a livestock yard were set to one side of the manor, while at a farther distance there was a tie stopped on the front drive before a set of tione to alert the household of their arrival and Leo had assisted Poppy fro herself at Leo He grinned and caught her easily, swinging her around

"Dear Poppy," Win exclaimed "I missed you dreadfully!"

"What abouther "Haven’t you rin, and kissed his cheek She went to Poppy and e will you stay?"

"I’m not sure," Poppy said

"Where is everyone?" Leo asked

Win kept her slender ar Lord Westcliff at Stony Cross Park, A the woods, and Merripen is with so"

The word caught Leo’s attention "I know all about that If you don’t want to go to a brothel, there are certain districts of London--"

"Hoeing, Leo," Win said "Breaking ground with far about that"

"You’ll find out a great deal about it once Merripen learns you’re here" Win tried to look severe, although her eyes were twinkling "I do hope you’ll behave, Leo"

"Of course I will We’re in the country There’s nothing else to do" Heaving a sigh, Leo shoved his hands in his pockets and observed their picturesque surroundings as if he’d just been assigned a cell at Newgate Then, with perfectly calibrated offhandedness he asked, "Where’s Marks? You didn’t mention her"

"She is well, but" Win paused, obviously searching for words "She had a small mishap today, and she’s rather upset Of course, any wo the nature of the problem Therefore, Leo, I insist that you not tease her And if you do, Merripen has already said that he will give you such a drubbing--"

"Oh, please As if I’d care enough to notice some problem of Marks’s" He paused "What is it?"

Win frowned "I wouldn’t tell you, except that the problem is obvious and you’ll notice immediately You see, Miss Marks dyes her hair, which I never knew before, but apparently--"

"Dyes her hair?" Poppy repeated in surprise "But why? She’s not old"

"I have no idea She won’t explain why But there are soray in their twenties, and perhaps she’s one of the," Poppy said "It reat pains to keep it secret"

"Yes, poor thing," Leo said, sounding not at all sylee "Tell us what happened, Win"

"We think the London apothecary who otten the proportions wrong Because when she applied the dye this "

"Did it fall out?" Leo asked "Is she bald?"

"No, not at all It’s just that her hair isgreen"

To look at Leo’s face, one would think it was Christreen?"

"Leo, hush," Win said urgently "You are not to tor experience We reen out, and I don’t know if it worked or not Ao And no "

"You’re tellingat the supper table with hair that us, and I’m not supposed to re"

"Please, Leo," Poppyhis arm "If it were one of your sisters, you wouldn’t mock"

"Do you think that little shreould have any mercy on me, were the situations reversed?" He rolled his eyes as he saw their expressions "Very well, I’ll try not to jeer But I make no promises"

Leo sauntered toward the house in no apparent hurry He didn’t deceive either of his sisters

"How long do you think it will take him to find her?" Poppy asked Win

"Two, perhaps three hed

In precisely two minutes and forty-seven seconds, Leo had located his archenemy in the fruit orchard behind the house Marks sat on a low stone wall, her narrow fraether She had some kind of cloth wrapped around her head, a knotted turban that concealed her hair entirely

Seeing the dispirited droop of her slender fraht have beena few jabs at Catherine Marks Fro of their acquaintance, she had never , insult or deflate hi or nice--purely as an experiment, of course--she willfully misinterpreted him

Leo had never understood why they had started off on such bad footing, or why she was so deter, why it ued, secretive wohty little noseshe deserved green hair, and she deserved to be e was at hand

As Leo approached nonchalantly, Marks lifted her head, the sunlight flashing on the lenses of her spectacles "Oh," she said sourly "You’re back"

She said it as if she had just discovered a vermin infestation