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She squeezed again and let o with an, “If you say so, my dear”

Hmm It would seem I needed to be better with my act, even, maybe especially with an old, blind lady

“So, shall I start reading? Blanche will be back with the kids before we know it, mayhem will ensue and you won’t know if the pirate was able to cow the fair entle smile “Well, I can’t e and mumbled, “Certainly not”

I heard her quiet chuckle and I reached out a hand and squeezed her knee

Aggie chirped a, “Read, Cora!” (he liked this story too)

So I let o and started to read out loud

Chapter Sixteen

The Only Thing I Needed

Tor’s hand tightened inaway

“Where are you going?” he enquired

“I have to do so,” I said quickly and he stared down atdesperate Ti look then he toldI already knew

“Hurry, love, you don’t have ers around the back of his neck, pulled him down to me and touched o and started to rush to the kitchens

The fireworks were going to start at anyto watch them on our balcony, a balcony that jutted out further than any of the others and a balcony, incidentally, that anyone froe and on the sea could see

This filledsomewhere where everyone could see )

But I had to adht Bellebryn kne to give a party The streets were filled with music The businesses and houses were decorated with colorful garlands and bunting There were puppet booths set up, giving free shows Children dashed around with facesvibrant streamers behind the fire perfor for coins all of whom seemed, by the looks of them, to have co aro fro, stea lollipops

Around every wind of the cobbled street (and, as was his duty during this huge street party thrown in his honor, Tor strolled down and up (and down and up again) the entire street, his hand in mine or his ar around and even I’d been swept into the frolicking Though I didn’t know the steps, I did the best I could do, laughed at myself because, I had to admit, it was kind of fun and I pretended the joyous looks thrown nificent if I could have really joined in and believed that Tor’s people loved me as much as they pretended to or even a hint of how much they very obviously loved him

And noas almost over, I was exhausted and I hadn’t had time to present hi the festivities at ive hiet it on his birthday

And he had to get it on his birthday