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"Just sit down, please, and we'll ets here"

"I don't think I can," Belle said, her voice barely a whisper

"Why not?"

She sank down onto a chair and kept her eyes focused on her feet "Because every ti me"

John's heart sla the increasingly painful need to leap over the settee, grab Belle, and ravish her right there on the spot Thankfully, he was saved fro to reply to her emotional comment by a discreet knock on the door

Norwood entered with a tray of tea and biscuits After thanking hian to pour John noticed that her hands were shaking Wordlessly he accepted the cup she held out to hi her hands to stop their tre It wasn't that she was ashamed of her behavior; she was simply shocked by the extent of her reaction to him She'd never dreamed that her body could feel so totally warhts," John said suddenly

She looked up at him from over her teacup and smiled "Oh, they're worth far more than a penny"

"How about a pound, then?"

For about one second Belle toyed with the idea of telling hi But for only one second Her mother had not raised her to be such a wanton "I ondering if you wantnoait until it has cooled off a bit"

John stretched out his injured leg as far as he was able and looked down at it assessingly, pretending to give the ht "Oh, I think hot, don't you?"

Belle picked up the teapot with a devilish grin "If this works, we'll change medical science forever" She leaned over hi to pour the tea on his leg At the last possible hted the pot and put it back down on the table "The rain is co out the"You won't be able to return hoine we'll be able to keep ourselves occupied"

Belle took one look at his face and knew exactly hoanted to keep theed to while away the afternoon in his arood chance that Alex or E she needed was to get caught in an indelicate situation by her cousins

"I think," she said finally, "that we may have to pursue a different activity"

John looked so disappointed that Belle could barely stifle a laugh "What do you suggest we do?"

She set her teacup down "Can you dance?"

Chapter 7

John lowered his cup very, very slowly "Belle," he said finally, "you must know that I cannot" Nonsense Everyone can dance You have only to try"