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She sighed, and not elegantly "I a one says to coave hie?"

George looked up froed "I suppose not"

"I count," he said

Billie blinked She had not realized he’d even been listening

"I count," he said again, and if Billie hadn’t been looking at him she would have missed it She would havefor less than a second before he banked it and returned his attention to his newspaper

"You treat Andrew like a brother," he said, turning a page with slow, deliberate movements

"And I treat you…"

He looked at her "Not like a brother"

Billie’s lips parted She couldn’t look away And then she had to look away, because she felt very strange, and it was suddenly iet back to the sour e made a noise, or maybe he just breathed, and she couldn’t stop herself, she was looking at hilad he didn’t powder it, at least not for everyday It was thick, with just a hint of a wave, and it looked like it would curl if he grew it long She gave a little snort Wouldn’t her maid love hair like that? Billie usually just tied her hair back in a queue, but so with her hair – hot tongs, wet ribbons – but it just wouldn’t take a curl

She liked the color of George’s hair, too It was like caraold She would wager he soot to wear his hat in the sun She was the sa how all the Rokesbys had the exact saaer, but even though they were all brunet, no one had quite the sae asked, his voice somewhere between confused and aain She winced out a s how you and Andrew resemble each other," she said It was sort of the truth

Andrew glanced up at that "Do you really think so?"

No, she thought, but she said, "Well, you both have blue eyes"

"As does half of England," Andrew said dryly He shrugged and got back to work, his tongue catching between his teeth as he pondered his next move

"My e commented

"Ears?" Billie’s jaw fell about an inch "I’ve never heard of anyone co ears"

"As far as I know, no one does, aside fro lobes," Andrew put in He didn’t look at her, but he did use his good hand to tweak his lobe "Hers are attached"

Billie touched her own earlobe There was no way not to, now "I didn’t even realize there was more than one kind"

"Yours are also attached," Andrew said without looking up

"You know this?"

"I notice ears," he said unapologetically "I can’t help it now"