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Rather than sprawling in many directions, like so many ancestral mansions that had been added to in bits and pieces, it stood upright, trim and perfectly symmetrical, surrounded by immaculately manicured lawns

It was too neat for her Each feature had its exact duplicate on the opposite side: s, gables, chimneys

"What do you think?" the duke asked, as she drew up her horse

"It’s too orderly for my taste," she said, with a wave of her hand at the slike tin soldiers "I’m a quite haphazard person"

"What does haphazard mean in architectural terms?" he asked But she could see Lady Cecily and Justin waiting for them, so she put her , Lady Cecily," she said, bending down once she reached the pony cart

"You should be apologizing to nation "Aunt Cecily arrived only a o, whereas I’ve had time to write an entire roundel It’s not bad either, if I say so myself" He waved a piece of foolscap at the it," Olivia said "How is your ankle, Lady Cecily?"

"Excellent well! I put a poulder on it that I bought in Venice two years ago TheAnd it’s particularly for bones; I re it--’twas on the square before Saint Mark’s--said that it would set your teeth and make theh of course, it was e," the duke said to Justin "Endeavor not to tip the cart over, if you can help it"

"It would be iusted "Now, if you’d letchance to roll it--"

The duke didn’t bother to answer, instead turning to Olivia "Shall we?"

"I wish your dear sister ith us," Lady Cecily called up to Olivia "I gather that she has a headache, so I sent her a dose of this poulder as well It’s as precious as gold, I assure you, so I’ain Should we send indoors and ask if she’d like to join us?"

"No," the duke said, before Olivia could respond "We’re leaving now" And he wheeled his horse It was a great black gelding that pranced forward and made a halfhearted attempt to shake him off

Olivia turned her ht of the Cherry Kite

Of course Olivia was no stranger to flirtation, let alone lust, Quin said to himself It made complete sense One didn’t need to conduct a third experinoble reason, he was particularly vulnerable to women who had a liberal relationship with the concept of chastity

Even worse, he was eline had fascinated hi her hoht the curl of her hair and the tinkle of her laugh enchanting But he could not re sensuality, a wild led up his reason and sent all the blood in his body to a place between his legs

He didn’t even have to look at Olivia to catalog her features Her eyelashes were a trifle longer at the corners, which gave her a wicked air, a touch of Cleopatra Even thinking of her body hten painfully She was all curves and plump, creaeline, she told hiht out Both woht say, less than chaste But Olivia didn’t pretend otherwise