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evening.”
    “Oh.” Did he have another lady
awaiting his attentions? Would he go from her to do this to
another? She shouldn’t care…Jane had warned her this would be so. Why, then, was she so disappointed? She had no claims upon him.
This was a business transaction, was it not? It would last as long as it took
him to paint her and then it would end. Unless she
commissioned his services again.
    “May I return soon to complete
another sketch? I feel that the more sketches I have the better equipped I will
be to capture your beauty.”
    Anne met his eyes and smiled.
“That would please me greatly, Guy. When can you come next?”
    He paused for a moment before
stroking her cheek softly. “I will write to you tomorrow to let you know when
I’m available.”
    “Of course.” Anne stood and reached for her chemise which she pulled on hurriedly. She was
keen now to cover herself, to resume the formality of clothing that would give
her strength against her sorrow. Had she imagined that Guy was enthusiastic as
he made love to her with his lips and his tongue? As he had kissed her, she’d
been certain that something more than desire consumed this handsome young man.
But now that her passion was spent, she was not so sure that she’d been right, not
so certain at all. And anyway, she had hired Guy knowing what he was and what
he did. She had no right wanting more than any other woman received from him.
It should be enough.
    It would be enough.
    She pulled her dress over her
head then turned her back on him and waited for him to do the buttons. When she
was fully clothed, she quickly pinned her hair and smoothed down her dress.
    “I will wait to hear from you
then, Mr. Harper.”
    “Mr. Harper?” he replied
frowning.
    “I think that when we are…done
with sketching, it would be better if we remain formal. Do you not agree?” She
lifted her chin haughtily as she had seen other women do, but inside she ached
to fall into his embrace where she had felt such joy.
    Guy bowed before her then
retrieved his hat and tucked his easel and his black case under his arm.
    “Good day to you, Mrs.
Blackburn.”
    “Good day, sir.”
    As Guy left the room and the door
closed behind him, Anne sank onto the chaise and covered her face with her
hands. For some reason that she couldn’t fathom, she was catapulted into an
abyss of unpleasant emotions. She had just experienced the pleasures of the
flesh that she’d heard so much about and they had been as delightful as she had
hoped. She wanted to feel them again, of that she was certain. Yet she was also
plunged into a void of sorrow and isolation when Guy made it clear that he
would have to leave soon after. What would make this better? If
he had held her close? If he had stayed the night? If he was, in fact, Edward?
    “No.” She pressed her hand over
her lips. Edward Moore had long since vanished from her life. But now she realized
that she longed to see him again, maybe even to share her newfound knowledge
with him, to make love to him as she had once yearned to do.
    A bizarre image sprang into her
mind and she gasped. Imagine if she were to have both Edward and Guy to
simultaneously lavish her with affection.
    But it was a ridiculous fantasy
and it would never, could never happen—could
it?

 
    Chapter Four
     
    Edward paced up and down the
small room like a caged tiger. Where was Guy? Why hadn’t he returned yet? He
stripped off his jacket and cravat and flung them onto the chair in the corner,
then pulled off his boots and kicked them away.
    He flung himself onto the bed and
covered his eyes with his arm. Damn this incessant waiting. He had to be
patient, he knew it, but he felt like he’d waited a lifetime already and every
day that kept him away from Anne was like a year to him.
    He stretched his arms above his
head and sighed, long and deep. The knot in his stomach refused to budge and he
knew that until he saw her again, he would not feel better. His spirits would
not