Vincent said, extending his hand in friendship.
Something turned to liquid inside her.
Being polite, Ondine served Vincent and his companions their meals, then took his hand to give it a friendly shake. Her skin tingled at his warm touch. How long should they hold hands for? Would it be rude to pull away? Then he did something that made her insides go completely gooey. Eyes still locked with hers, Vincent turned her hand over and kissed the inside of her wrist.
The touch of his tender lips against her skin was the most erotic thing Ondine had ever experienced.
Heat shot up her arm, darted into her heart and pinged all around her body. Until this moment, sheâd loved the feeling of just looking at him. Now heâd kissed her and she felt something strange, wonderful and new lurch low in her belly.
Ondine wasnât really sure what it was, but she knew she liked it.
Â
24 Ferrets require a diet high in protein and fat, and low in carbohydrates. Sausages fit the bill nicely, provided they are not filled with breadcrumbs. Sausages can also become a bit tedious. It doesnât matter what you do with a sausage or how many herbs or semi-sundried tomatoes you add, after a while they all taste the same.
Chapter Six
A whole week later and there was no sign of Shambles. Not a skerrick. 25 For a teenage girl with an overactive imagination, it was a complete disaster. Visions of Shambles lying dead in a city gutter filled Ondineâs mind. Thatâs if he was already dead. He might have been carried off by a hawk, his limbs ripped off while he yet lived, to be shoved down the hungry mouths of chicks. Or some revolting child might have found him and taken him home, where sheâd be half strangling him to death with affection, then putting a bonnet on his head so that he matched the rest of her dollies! Ondine found herself thinking of Shamblesfar too much. Thinking how vulnerable and small he was. Other times she found herself wondering what he might look like as a proper man. If she could find a way to turn him human again, would she like the end result? Would he be as handsome as Lord Vincent?
All the anxiety meant her appetite paid the price â she could barely eat for worry at breakfast. Then she became ravenous around lunchtime and found herself eating scraps off peopleâs returned plates. 26
It had also been a week of astonishing busyness and flat-out-edness. Business had never been so good, all because the Duke and his dishy son had come to their pub after the ballyhoo at the station.
Iâll never wash my wrist again
. Ondine cast her mind back to that lush kiss on her tender skin. How sheâd blushed furiously in front of Vincent and his gang, and the way heâd looked at her with an unreadable but unquestionably exciting-and-a-little-bit-dangerousexpression. That promise vanished after she had to roll up her sleeves and get stuck into the washing-up.
Laundry duty washed away another layer of skin, so really, all she had were memories. But oh, what lovely memories. His soft, warm lips brushing her skin, his walnut-brown eyes fixed on hers, her heart racing nineteen to the dozen. Even now, as she thought of him, her pulse increased. While folding sheets and tablecloths and pillowcases, Ondine kept seeing the lovely Lord Vincentâs smiling eyes. Finishing with the folding, she made sure no one was looking and dared to kiss herself in the same spot.
What a let-down! No sensations at all, just the feeling that she must look like an idiot. Thank goodness nobody had seen her. Not even Shambles, to make her feel like a twit for entertaining such thoughts.
And Lord Vincent hadnât been back to their dining room all week, which was such a shame. Ondine felt sure that heâd be back in a day or two. Three at the most.
A sudden cry of anguish echoed through the kitchen, which sounded suspiciously like Ma having a conniption.
âI donât believe it! They canât write
Something turned to liquid inside her.
Being polite, Ondine served Vincent and his companions their meals, then took his hand to give it a friendly shake. Her skin tingled at his warm touch. How long should they hold hands for? Would it be rude to pull away? Then he did something that made her insides go completely gooey. Eyes still locked with hers, Vincent turned her hand over and kissed the inside of her wrist.
The touch of his tender lips against her skin was the most erotic thing Ondine had ever experienced.
Heat shot up her arm, darted into her heart and pinged all around her body. Until this moment, sheâd loved the feeling of just looking at him. Now heâd kissed her and she felt something strange, wonderful and new lurch low in her belly.
Ondine wasnât really sure what it was, but she knew she liked it.
Â
24 Ferrets require a diet high in protein and fat, and low in carbohydrates. Sausages fit the bill nicely, provided they are not filled with breadcrumbs. Sausages can also become a bit tedious. It doesnât matter what you do with a sausage or how many herbs or semi-sundried tomatoes you add, after a while they all taste the same.
Chapter Six
A whole week later and there was no sign of Shambles. Not a skerrick. 25 For a teenage girl with an overactive imagination, it was a complete disaster. Visions of Shambles lying dead in a city gutter filled Ondineâs mind. Thatâs if he was already dead. He might have been carried off by a hawk, his limbs ripped off while he yet lived, to be shoved down the hungry mouths of chicks. Or some revolting child might have found him and taken him home, where sheâd be half strangling him to death with affection, then putting a bonnet on his head so that he matched the rest of her dollies! Ondine found herself thinking of Shamblesfar too much. Thinking how vulnerable and small he was. Other times she found herself wondering what he might look like as a proper man. If she could find a way to turn him human again, would she like the end result? Would he be as handsome as Lord Vincent?
All the anxiety meant her appetite paid the price â she could barely eat for worry at breakfast. Then she became ravenous around lunchtime and found herself eating scraps off peopleâs returned plates. 26
It had also been a week of astonishing busyness and flat-out-edness. Business had never been so good, all because the Duke and his dishy son had come to their pub after the ballyhoo at the station.
Iâll never wash my wrist again
. Ondine cast her mind back to that lush kiss on her tender skin. How sheâd blushed furiously in front of Vincent and his gang, and the way heâd looked at her with an unreadable but unquestionably exciting-and-a-little-bit-dangerousexpression. That promise vanished after she had to roll up her sleeves and get stuck into the washing-up.
Laundry duty washed away another layer of skin, so really, all she had were memories. But oh, what lovely memories. His soft, warm lips brushing her skin, his walnut-brown eyes fixed on hers, her heart racing nineteen to the dozen. Even now, as she thought of him, her pulse increased. While folding sheets and tablecloths and pillowcases, Ondine kept seeing the lovely Lord Vincentâs smiling eyes. Finishing with the folding, she made sure no one was looking and dared to kiss herself in the same spot.
What a let-down! No sensations at all, just the feeling that she must look like an idiot. Thank goodness nobody had seen her. Not even Shambles, to make her feel like a twit for entertaining such thoughts.
And Lord Vincent hadnât been back to their dining room all week, which was such a shame. Ondine felt sure that heâd be back in a day or two. Three at the most.
A sudden cry of anguish echoed through the kitchen, which sounded suspiciously like Ma having a conniption.
âI donât believe it! They canât write
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