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She bit into her biscuit Kirsty waited her out Caroline would tell her the rest in her own good tiulps of tea before she started talking again

“It seems that there are rather a lot of women who think you should” She cleared her throat as her cheeks went luminous pink “Ahem, ‘jump his bones’ was the phrase most often used”

Kirsty’s jaw fell open

“People are saying I should sleep with Lake?”

“I don’t think sleep was implied,” Caroline said “Mainly they meant, ah”

“I knohat they h with relief “What I don’t knohy they would say that He’s English, he’s annoying and he wants to ruin me Why on earth would anyone want me to sleep with the man?”

“Mrs Caood,” Caroline offered to be helpful, but Kirsty could see that her friend was as s out your passionate streak”

“He brings out my homicidal maniac streak, more like!”

“I’ you what I heard You kno er, okay?”

“I knoeetie” Kirsty ell aware that Caroline would rather die than gossip

“I’ to sleep with the man” She felt she had to say it out loud

Caroline sat up straight and pushed her shoulders back

“I never thought you would”

Although Kirsty had to ad into her mind that she really didn’t want to be there All because of that infuriating man

“He’s playing with ht process so that I can’t fight properly It’s a tactic to win the war It has to be” Her eyes narrowed “I need to do some research,” she said “Find out what kind of war he’s running here”