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Shaw fell into step beside her, his brown leather boots crunching the stray twigs and leaves that had blown onto the lane He tucked his hands into the pockets of his tweed coat, casting a sideways glance at Livia’s profile as they walked "You know," he said casually, "I’ me who you are"

"I prefer to remain mysterious"

"Why?"

She told hi scandalous in the past, and now it is horribly aard for me to come out in society"

"What kind of scandal?" His sardonic tone ression to be a minor one "You went somewhere unchaperoned, I suppose Or you let someone steal a kiss from you in public"

She shook her head with a wry s ladies can be"

"I would love for you to enlighten me"

At Livia’s indecisive silence, Shaw abandoned the subject, and fastened his gaze on the tousled, heavily planted cottage garden ahead of thearden fence, its fragrance ht splotches of poppies and peonies Beyond a plot of carrots, lettuce, and radishes, a rose-covered arch-way led to a tiny glasshouse that was shaded by a parasol-shaped syca her bonnet, Livia led hilasshouse, a cozy nook that no more than two people could occupy at the salasshouse with my books and dolls, and pretend that I was a princess in a tower"

"You grew up at Stony Cross Park, then," he said

Livia opened the glasshouse door and looked inside It was clean and well-kept, the wooden seat glea "Lord Westcliff ishollow as it resounded inside the little glass-paned room "I am Lady Olivia Marsden"

Shaw stood behind her, close but not touching Her awareness of him was so electric that it colasshouse Shaw re it with his lean body and broad shoulders When Livia turned to face him, she was struck by the differences between him and Amberley Shaas at least ten years older than Amberley had been A powerful, worldly man, and so clearly a disen-chanted one, with tiny lines of cynicism etched around his eyes But when he sn of disillusionment, and made him so attractive that her heart nearly stopped

"Lady Aline mentioned that she had a sister," Shaw said "However, I had the impression that you lived away from the estate"

"No, I am definitely a resident of Stony Cross Park But I keep to myself The scandal, you understand"

"I’m afraid I don’t" The corners of his mouth lifted in a relaxed smile "Tell me, Princess Olivia…why do you have to stay in your tower?"

The soft entreaty hed unsteadily, wishing for a moment that she dared to trust hi her head, Livia approached hi him to back away frorasping the edges of the doorway, so that she couldn’t help but walk into an open-arers

"Mr Shaw--" she began,up at him

"Gideon," he whispered "I want to know your secrets, Olivia"

A bitter half smile touched her lips "You’ll hear them sooner or later from other people"

"I want to hear thelasshouse, Shaw deftly caught the little cloth belt of her walking dress His long fingers hooked beneath the reinforced fabric

Unable to back away from him, Livia clamped her hand over his, while a hectic blush flooded her face She knew that he was toying with her, and that she once e this situation with relative ease But not now

When she spoke, her voice was husky "I can’t do this, Mr Shaw"

To her amazement, he seemed to understand exactly what she ," he said softly "Just let ht there…" His head bent, and he found herpressure of his lips ainst hient, debauched scoundrel her brother had warned her about And oh, he was good at it She had thought nothing would ever be as pleasurable as Amberley’s kisses…but thiswickedly erotic about his co her lips apart, the tip of his tongue barely brushing hers before it withdrew

Wanting ainst hi He nurtured her excitement with such subtle skill that she was utterly helpless to defend against it To her astonish her arainst the hard plane of his chest His hand slid behind her neck, tilting her head back to expose her throat ile skin, working his way down to the hollow at the base of her throat She felt his tongue swirl in the warm depression, and a moan of pleasure escaped her

Shaw lifted his head to nuzzle the side of her cheek, while his hand sled in swift puffs of heat, his hard chest ainst hers in an erratic rhythainst her cheek, "you are trouble"

Livia sed to accuse in return, just before he kissed her again

The bag for the rouse and a half-dozen woodcocks The women joined the sportsmen for a hearty breakfast by the lake, and they all chattered and laughed lazily while the servants kept their plates and glasses filled Afterward the guests separated into groups, sorounds, others retreating to the manor house to write letters or play cards

When Aline saw the considerable aht back to the kitchen, she and two housemaids packed it into jars and baskets, to be distributed to villagers in Stony Cross As lady of the manor in her mother’s absence, Aline was mindful to call on the families who had need of extra food and household supplies It was an obligation that she did not always enjoy, for these visits took up a full day or e, sit by a ently to complaints, and dispense advice when necessary Aline feared that she was insufficiently equipped with both the wisdom and the stoicise of how little the cottagers possessed, and how hard they toiled, never failed to hued to persuade Livia to accoe, and her sister’s presence always o by much faster Unfortunately Livia was nowhere to be found this afternoon Perturbed, Aline wondered if her sister was still in the company of Mr Shaw, as he was also absent Surely not--Livia hadn’t spent this much time with a man in years On the other hand, it was just possible that Shaw had been able to draw Livia out of her shell

But was that a good thing or a bad thing? Aline fretted silently It would be just like Livia, the contrary imp, to focus her attention on a licentious rake rather than on so ruefully, Aline hoisted a heavy basket in her are The dishes clinked in the basket, while the salty tang of ha casserole rose to her nostrils

"Oh, milady," came a maid’s voice from behind her, as they walked fro over her shoulder, Aline s e, Gwen," she replied, huffing slightly as she ascended a short flight of steps An obstinate pull fro her teeth, Aline forced her leg to stretch its full range of motion