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Hyacinth caught her lower lip between her teeth—she wasn’t strong enough to e to keep her back straight, and her chin high, and perhaps most importantly, her mouth shut as he pondered his options

A full minute went by Very well, it was probably no more than ten seconds, but it felt like a er, she said (but very softly), “You need me”

His gaze fell to the carpet for aback to her face “If I take you—”

“Oh, thank you!” she exclaie to jump to her feet

“I said if I take you,” he said, his voice uncommonly stern

Hyacinth silenced herself i at him with an appropriately dutiful expression

“If I take you,” he repeated, his eyes boring into hers, “I expect you to follow my orders”

“Of course”

“We will proceed as I see fit”

She hesitated

“Hyacinth”

“Of course,” she said quickly, since she had a feeling that if she didn’t, he would call it off right then and there “But if I have a good idea…”

“Hyacinth”

“As pertains to the fact that I understand Italian and you don’t,” she added quickly

The look he gave her was as exhausted as it was austere