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His eyes were still dark and troubled, but he leaned over and dropped an upside-down kiss, a soft and sweet one, on her lips

"Actually, I’d prefer the other kind" She felt her heartbeat start a tattoo in her throat

"The other kind," Jaers, then put it on a side table and drew her to her feet "One kiss Then I must make my way downstairs"

For all that, he took herbut taste each other, coether like silk and velvet

At so The door closed again, and still they kissed

Ja to her jaw, to an eyebrow, to an ear, always co sort of , breathy series of co, "I cannot believe I didn’t know I felt like thisWhat would have happened if you hadn’t realized in tied to entice Geoffrey to the altar?"

He pulled histo fit all the curves of her body to the hard places in his, trying to cli in little sobs

But he thrust her away, putting the chair between theood measure "James," she said, her voice threaded with desire

"Don’t" His voice was hoarse too, but there was soe in his eyes

"What on earth is the matter?" Theo asked, suddenly aware that there really was so the ," he said, with patent falsehood "I er I don’t want thefor days after su him"

"Of course," Theo replied "Still, I know you, Ja, isn’t there? Please tell me What is it?"

But he turned and fled, and she spoke to the closed door

Eight

A dress serving as a perch for a pair of London sparroas matched by her despair as Theo tossed dress after dress behind her on the bed

At the end of it, Theo had al sense of exciteowns left to her name, she wandered down to breakfast James had not yet returned from his trip to the wharf, and no one else was at ho a foots onto her plate

"The duke went to the races in Newmarket and won’t be home until tomorrow"

"Andfor Scotland; I believe she is paying a visit to her sister"

"Of course! I entirely forgot," Theo said "Yes, I would like two pieces of that ham, thank you Cramble, would you please send a footman to Madame Le Courbier and inform her that I will pay a visit this afternoon? And since I a Chronicle has been delivered, Lady Islay I shall bring it to you immediately"

Theo almost didn’t catch his answer, lost as she was in the surprising pleasure of being addressed by Jaht of James as the Earl of Islay, but of course he was Then the butler’s comment dawned on her "No other papers? How very peculiar Couldn’t you send someone out for them, Cramble?"

"I am very sorry, my lady," he said "I am afraid I am unable to spare anyone from the household at the moment"