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As the waruests elected to nap or relax indoors However, Ross had never napped in his life, and the very idea of sleeping in the o for a walk,” he suggested to Sophia

“A walk? But everyone is resting comfortably inside,” she protested

“Good,” he said in satisfaction “Then we’ll have the entire outdoors to ourselves”

Rolling her eyes, Sophia went to change into her lightest dress, then accoh the countryside They walked toward the town until the steeple of the local church was visible in the distance As they approached a grove of walnut trees, Sophia decided that she’d had quite enough exercise Declaring that she needed to rest, she tugged Ross beneath the shade of the largest tree

Agreeably, Ross sat with his arms around her, the neck of his shirt open to catch the occasional cooling puff of a breeze Talking idly, they discussed subjects that ranged froined that a man would listen to a wo her opinions even when he disagreed with them

“You know,” she told hi at the dark, saucer-sized leaves overhead, “I think that I enjoy talking with you evenlove with you”

A lock of black hair fell over Ross’s forehead as he looked down at her “Is that a compliment to ?”

She smiled as she caressed his shirt-covered chest “You know that I would never complain about that It’s just that I never expected to have this kind of relationship with a husband”

“What did you expect?” Ross asked, clearly amused

“Well, the usual sort of arrange improper, and ould have our separate areas of the house, and spend hts, and of course I would consult with you on certain matters…” Sophia paused as she saw the odd look that crossed his face

“Hmm”

“What?” she asked, perturbed “Did I say so that bothered you?”

“No” His expression was contemplative “It occurred to e I had with Eleanor”

Sophia sat up from his lap and smoothed her untidy hair Ross mentioned his first wife so seldoot that he’d beento her so co with another wo a sharp bite of jealousy, Sophia strove to appear serene

“Did you find it a pleasant arrangement?”

“I suppose I did” His gray eyes were thoughtful “But I doubt I would be satisfied with that now I’ve co hesitation passed before he ood wife… but so very delicate”

Sophia plucked a blade of grass and exaers She wondered what had attracted hiile, excessively ladylike creature It see match for a man as so robust

Sohts “Eleanor appealed to my protective instinct” he said “She was lovely and frail and helpless Every man who ever met her wanted to take care of her”

The needles of jealousy jabbed Sophia despite her efforts to ignore them “And naturally you could not resist”

“No” Ross propped up one knee and rested his arrass Her tension must have been visible, for after a ?”

Sophia shook her head, embarrassed by the question that had come to , and obviously born of jealousy “Oh, it’s nothing”

“Tell oing to ask about Eleanor”

She looked up at hiile could have satisfied you in bed”

He was very still, a breeze lightly lifting the lock of hair off his forehead The consternation on his face was easy to read He was too entleman to answer such a question, as he would never dishonor the azes held, Sophia read his unspoken reply, and it soothed her immeasurably

Feeling reassured, Sophia turned her palh his He bent over her, his lips brushing hers in a husbandly kiss Although he had not intended the gesture as a sexual advance, the taste of hi that Sophia slid her hand behind his neck and kissed hie of her invitation Her ar over the hard flex of hed and squir beneath her

The quiet catch of his laughter tickled her ear “Sophia… you’re going to cripple me”

She loved the way he looked at her, the dance of silver flame in his eyes “I can hardly believe,” she said in a passion-drowsed voice, “that a man with your appetite could have remained celibate for five years”

“I wasn’t celibate the entire time,” he admitted

“You weren’t?” She sat bolt upright in his lap “You never told me that Whom did you sleep with?”

Ross pulled the tortoiseshell coolden locks “Theof an old friend For the first year after Eleanor died, I could not even conte love to another wo uncomfortable, and his hand stilled in her hair

“Yes?” Sophia prompted “And you renewed your acquaintance with this ?”

He nodded “She was similarly lonely, and also desirous of intimacy, so we met discreetly for about four months, until…”

“Until?”

“She began to cry one day after we…” A flush of embarrassment crept over his face “And she said that she had fallen in love with s, she could not continue the affair, as it would be too painful for her”

“Poor lady,” Sophia said, feeling genuine sympathy for the“And so the relationship ended”