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Before Livia could reply, Shaw’s sister Susan intervened "I’m afraid that won’t be possible," she told Shaw "There sie for soot you and Paul and I, and Mr Laroche, not towith us," Shaw interrupted He glanced at McKenna ht?"
"Indeed," McKenna confired for e"
"Whose?" Susan asked peevishly It was obvious that she was not pleased by the substitution
Aline shtly "My own, actually," she lied "McKenna and I have not finished an earlier conversation about, er…"
"Poetry," McKenna supplied gravely
"Yes, poetry" Maintaining her smile, Aline resisted the temptation to step hard on his foot "And I had hoped to continue our discussion on the way to the village"
Susan’s blue eyes narrowed into suspicious slits "Really I doubt that McKenna has ever read a poem in his life"
"I’ve heard McKenna recite one before," Shaw said "I believe it started with the line ‘There once was a man from Bombay’ But as I recall, the rest of it would prove unsuitable for present coan to snicker, betraying his farinned "Obviously it falls to Lady Aline to improve my literary tastes"
"I doubt that can be accoe ride," Aline replied de the ride lasts," McKenna rejoined
The reestive one, but soht a blush to Aline’s face
"I suggest you don’t stop until you reach Siberia, then," Shaw said, breaking the sudden tension between theroup Gallantly he presented his aruided her sister to the waiting carriage, Aline stared after them in wonder It was a bit odd, really, to see Livia with another ood for her Perhaps Livia needed a man with his easy confidence and worldliness And he seeentleman, in spite of his cynicism
However, there seemed to be no real possibility of awas a problereatly, not to mention his wicked reputation, and the fact that he ca with a thoughtful frown, Aline looked up at McKenna
"He’s a good hts with an ease that amazed her
"I believe that," Aline said quietly "But if Livia were your sister, McKenna…would you want her to be involved with him?" The question was asked without prejudice, only concern
McKenna hesitated for a long moment, then shook his head
"I was afraid of that," Aline murmured She took his are, wewith us?" he asked, escorting her along the drive
"No, Westcliff has no interest in the fair He’s staying at the "
"Good," McKenna said with such obvious satisfaction that Aline laughed
It was clear that McKenna would have preferred to ride alone with her in the carriage, but they were joined by the Cuylers, who turned the conversation to the subject of local cheeses As Aline answered their questions in detail, she found it difficult to hide a grin at the sight of McKenna’s disgruntlement
By the time the entire party had arrived in the heart of Stony Cross, the village was blazing with lareen, which was croith exuberant dancers Tidy rows of thatched black and white cottages were nearly obscured by a proliferation of booths The flimsy wooden structures were all si and a tiny rooht There were stalls featuring jewelry, cutlery, toys, shoes, fans, glassware, furniture, and specialty foods Bursts of laughter issued from the crowds around the theatrical booths, where actors and comedians entertained as coins were scattered at their feet
Allowing McKenna to escort her along the rows, Aline glanced at hi backdistant "It seereed with a touch of melancholy How different they both had been The innocence of those days, the exquisite simplicity, the sense of life and youth that had i, she was suddenly invaded by a warm impatience that see coalesced inside her until her blood was puht and sound and sensation Walking through the village with McKenna by her side…it was a lovely echo of the past, like listening to a beautifulinto his eyes, she saw that he too was becothe harsh look about his eyes and h Street, where a pair of conjurors was eliciting cries of delight fro an ar jostled, McKenna continued to shoulder his way through the crowd In the exciteesture, but Aline was stunned by the naturalness of it, and by the response he evoked froainst his side, to let hi pressure of his hand at her back
As they eoers, McKenna’s hand found hers, and he pulled it back to the crook of his arers conformed to the hard swell of ainst his elbow "Where are we going?" she asked, vaguely perturbed by the languid, almost dreamlike quality of her own voice
McKenna didn’t answer, only led her past ent fragrance of gingerbread rose in a warht "You re she had always done at the fair was to gorge on iced gingerbread--and although McKenna had never shared her fondness for the treat, he had always gone with her
"Of course," McKenna said, extracting a coin fro a thick slice for her "To this day, I’ve never seen anyone devour an entire loaf the way you used to"
"I did not," Aline protested with a frown, sinking her teeth into the heavy, sticky bread
"I was in awe," McKenna continued He drew her away fro the size of your head in less than a quarter hour--"
"I would never be that gluttonous," she inforrinned "Iof so the stalls, McKenna bought soerbread with, and she drank thirstily "Slowly," McKenna ad "You’ll make yourself dizzy"
"Who cares?" Aline asked blithely, drinking again "If I stumble, you’ll be here to catchfroallantry Froe
They reen, but before they reached it, Aline saw a fa in the torchlight He was accompanied by friends, both roup with a brief cohs as they saw that he was heading to Aline