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"Allow me to introduce you to my wife" Alex led John over to the sofa where Erace," Johna swift kiss on the back of her hand

"Oh, please, I cannot bear so much etiquette in my own home Please do call me Emma Alex has assured me that you are a special friend of his, so I don't think we need to be for that Alex had been his usual lucky self when it ca a bride "Then you must call me John"

"And of course you already know Belle," Alex continued

John turned to Belle and took her hand in his A fierce heat traveled up her arm, but she forced herself not to jerk her hand back He didn't need to kno he affected her But when he raised her hand to his lips and kissed her softly, she wasn't able to control the blush that stole across her cheeks

"It is indeed a pleasure to see you again, Lady Arabella," he said, still holding her hand in his

"Pl-please callherself for her loss of coht you a gift" He held out a box tied with a ribbon

"Why, thank you" Curious, Belle untied the bow and lifted the lid Inside she found her slightly h as she lifted it out of the box "I had a blister," she explained, turning to Alex and Emma "It was really quite painful, and I took off my boot…" Her voice trailed off

John turned to Eht one for you, too, but you don't seerinned and reached doard her feet "I shall rectify thatAlex's duchess immensely It was easy and painless to like her, he supposed Unlike her cousin, she didn't cause his heart to race and his breathing to stop every tiive you one of ive it back to me next time you dine with us"

"Is that an invitation?"

"Of course, Blackwood," Alex put in "You are alelcoed pleasantries for a quarter of an hour, awaiting the call to dinner Belle sat quietly, surreptitiously studying John, pondering why he would do so her boot up as a present after he acted so rudely that afternoon Hoas she supposed to react? Did he want to be her friend again? She kept a weak s her into such confusion

John's thoughts were si how on earth Belle would react to hi She couldn't possibly understand all of the reasons he needed to keep his distance, and Lord knew he couldn't explain it to her Rape, was not, after all, an acceptable topic for polite conversation

When dinner was ready, E into Alex's ear and then he rose and took her arm "You'll excuse me if I defy convention and takerakishly "Belle, we'll be in the less forht it would be more comfortable"

John stood and offered his hand to Belle as the other couple swept out of the rooine they did that on purpose"