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Sed closer to Rob She would look forward to Tavener’s ad hiht woo an heiress to restore his estates And with Tavener goading Rob into staying near, maybe she’d finally be able to bewitch the man of her dreams

As long as she stayed sensible, how could she lose?

CHAPTER SEVEN

ALLEGRA HAD an opportunity to put her resolve into practice the very next afternoon To her delight, one of the gentle her at Lady Ormsby’s rout was Lord Tavener

Unfortunately, Rob was not present to see how Tavener’s eyes brightened when, after pausing on the threshold as the butler announced him, he located her on the sofa, flanked by a ed friend of Mrs Randall and one of Rob’s military mates

Of course, the s to her lips as she saw him would also have served to increase Rob’s determination to keep watch over them

But why should she not smile at Tavener? she asked herself They were to be friends and accouile heiresses, he helping her to fix Rob’s interest She dis her had been freely expressed, she had no intention of divulging her private reasons for encouraging his calls

A little voice warned that she should be careful what she asked for By his oords last night, Tavener ader of his couard lest Tavener use histouch to lure her into a situation that could destroy her plans for a future with Rob

Tavener nodded to her before seating hiratification, however, when the entleman stood up to take his leave, Tavener quickly claimed the place beside her Their other caller also rose to depart, leaving Allegra with Tavener as Mrs Randall walked her old friend to the door

“Let ht,” Tavener said His gaze roving over her, he added, “As lovely as you appeared then, you delight the eye this afternoon in that sea-green frock, reoddess just arisen from the waves”

Though he brought his eyes back up to her face, so note in his voice intensified the warmth within her, pooled it sweet and thick as honey in her belly Heat flushed her face as she recalled that the goddess who’d eed from the sea had been clothed only in her natural beauty Was that how Tavener envisioned her?

If so, she needed to redirect his thoughts—and her own Forcing her eyes away froly, “A rather unacceptable greeting, my lord Not only am I dark where she was fair, a compliment that mentions the birth of Aphrodite cannot be considered proper I’m afraid you still have much to learn”

His brows lifted in surprise for an instant before he laughed “Touché, Miss Antinori So you know the story?”

By the dancing light in his eyes, she knew he knew she’d caught hi to sneak an impropriety past her Disarmed by the swiftness of their wordless co she could speak freely about her family with him, she couldn’t h music was his passion, my father interested himself in all the classic forms of art and literature My mother read the fables to me as a child”

“Ah, then I know the perfect excursion to suggest You did tellto a lady’s interests, did you not?”

“I a ofto let him off entirely unscathed

“Oh, I did listen, most carefully It’s just that impropriety comes so much more naturally to me”

He gave her a half regretful, half roguish s, for awhat other i herself, she determined to steer the conversation back on track

“If you wish to accoht,” she admonished, “you shall have to embrace propriety wholeheartedly”