page25 (1/2)

“You’re joking,” Mr St Clair said, corandmother barked, “You can?”

“You don’t know everything about me,” Hyacinth said archly To Lady Danbury, of course, since Mr St Clair could hardly make that claim

“Well, yes, of course,” Lady D blustered, “but Italian?”

“I had an Italian governess when I was s “It aiven a page or two, I can ”

“This is quitehis head toward the diary, which still rested in his grandmother’s hands

“Clearly,” Hyacinth replied peevishly “But I’e or two at a time And she didn’t write it in the style of the ancient Romans, did she?”

“That would be Latin,” Mr St Clair drawled

Hyacinth claround out

“For the love of God, boy,” Lady Danbury cut in, “give her the book”

Mr St Clair forbore to point out that she was still holding it, which Hyacinth thought showed remarkable restraint on his part Instead, he rose to his feet, plucked the slirandmother’s hands, and turned toward Hyacinth He hesitated then—just for aanywhere but directly at his face

He brought the book to her then, holding it out with a softly erton”

Hyacinth accepted it, shivering against the odd feeling that she had just done so a book into her hands

“Are you cold, Miss Bridgerton?” Mr St Clair murmured

She shook her head, using the book as a htly brittle,” she said, carefully turning one

“What does it say?” Mr St Clair asked