backstage of pleasure

saw the same trenchant purpose i

gest of the three, lowering it to her sweet, delicate face, s

to him. Confined i

a darker brown than the others’, more his

Gervase was faintly stunned to encount

ed by the set of

he glanced again at the other two, ment

why had they los

reading on ground that wasn’t as firm a

e to

Sybil fidgeted, her daughters were made

their gazes

three of you were caught leaving the m

n danger of losing what little hair he has left. I’ll admit I

liberately cause Mi

sume you have an excellent reason for what you’ve done—I hope you’ll share i

scanned his eyes, confirming that he had, indeed, guessed about “all the rest.” “However,” she continued, “you might no

we haven’t mana

mystery by ringing the bells,” Annabel said, “but you j

se

ked at him severely, as if that were his fault. “You just ca

pparently,

ittle disoriented. “Why do y

as hunting not for just words but for how to explain. The ot

us every time, but you always just smil

cted—well, everyo

’t want you to do that, but we couldn’t just say so, could

ome other way of

“You don’t want m

elinda capped the statement with a definite nod

Compressing his lips, he battled to s

ll the futile raci

“Sybil has just tol

uld cut. He was still very fond of them, even if they’d temporarily turned into bedlamites. “You

could. Yes,

’t have to; the truth was writ large

insulted, and didn

he idea that he needed t

n Robert Hardesty. Just because he’s married unwisel

contemptuously pitying as only a yo

tling degree by A

they’re doing when it comes to ladies, and they never do.

ed by the nose if the lady is so minded. So if an attractiv

puff-off isn’t a proposition she wants

rth Riding with Gr

l supp

Jane con- cluded. Her eyes narrowed on Gerva

cation of your wisdom in such matters. You’ve spent the last twelve years out of society—it’s not a case

as if you’d spent

m, “watching and learning

tlefield on which y

ost serious voice. “In this t

just the thought was horrifying. Trying to assimilate their unexp

logically.” He cast a glance at Sybil, only to surmise fro

ee with their assessment. No help there. He drew breath, and