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"In the trees," he said, nodding vigorously "I cried for the bird Why don’t you ever cry?"

She had never cried, even once, afterRupert for the first ti when her drearound

Even though he was only aged five (and she only ten), she knew so with his brain

But her mother had scoffed when she said as much "The marquess may not be as quick as you," Mrs Lytton had said, "but that is like expecting a duke to learn flower arranging You are too clever for your own good"

"But--" Olivia had said, desperation rising in her chest

"You are the luckiest girl in the world," her mother had stated The utter conviction on her face had made the words die in Olivia’s mouth

Even all these years later, after it became clear that Rupert was lucky to have mastered speech, let alone literacy, her mother had never altered her opinion an iota

"Perhaps you should begin," Olivia suggested to Rupert She waved her hand toward the general area of endeavor

"Right," Rupert said gamely "On with it" As Olivia watched, he swayed back and forth slightly "Bit too much brandy," he muttered, but applied himself to the appropriate place

It bent in half

Rupert blinked down "It’s not working This part is supposed to be easy"

Olivia propped herself up on her elbows It looked as if he were holding a piece of old celery Bendy and--though one wouldn’t want to say so aloud--flaccid

"Try again?" she suggested

"I suppose this is the right place?"

"Yes," she said fir to hi that he hispering, "In, in, in" Giggles built up in her chest again, so she bit her lip hard

After a while she said, "I’ve heard that this sort of thing never works on the first try"

Rupert didn’t look up at her He held his private parts in a fierce grip that looked desperately uncomfortable "This is easy," he repeated

"I think it needs to be stiff in order to work," Olivia ventured

He blinked at her "Do you know a great deal about the matter?" He didn’t seem in the least censorious, just curious

"It’s just a wild stab in the dark," Olivia replied She was fighting giggles again because the phrase laht thewas size," Rupert said

"I believe I have heard the saave hi I know that"

"Lovely!"

"But it doesn’t work" He dropped it and looked at her, his eyes led backward and ed to sit up "Do you kno you never lie, Rupert?"