Rose Trelawney (26 page)

“Just give me a tap on the head, a very slight one. Not too hard or I’ll forget you, too.”

“Annie likes a good big bump,” he said, hefting a heavy brass box that held bonbons for her. I hadn’t quite cured her of consuming a pound of sweets a day, but I made her eat meat at the table.

I readied my needle to defend myself, but he only opened the box and popped a candy into my mouth. “I don’t want that,” I complained.

“Hush, woman. Can’t you see I’m trying to shut you up so I can kiss you?”

“No, you’re trying to turn me into a big fat Rubens nude.”

“A plain scrawny English nude is good enough for me.”

“Lud! Abbie and Annie will be coming down any minute,” I pointed out, as he set aside my needle and his jacket, with a lecherous light in his eye.

“That’s why I’m in a hurry,” he answered reasonably. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry once he got started. It was a lengthy embrace that would better have waited till we were sure of privacy.

“I’m not really very hungry yet, are you? We could put off dinner . . .”

“Yes, I’m starved.”

“Dinner isn’t for half an hour.”

“I guess I can wait that long.”

“I can’t.” He arose and pulled me from the chair, out the door to the staircase. If you don’t humor a German he can turn quite violent, so I went along quietly.

Copyright © 1980 by Joan Smith

Originally published by Fawcett Coventry

Electronically published in 2003 by Belgrave House/Regency Reads

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This is a work of fiction. All names in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.