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I tried to push the thought aside and concentrate on finding the tea I'd bought. Tansy had told me that all I had to do was put my hand into the enchanted bag and think about what I wanted, and sure enough, when I reached inside, my fingers closed around the little box of Mother Moon's Menopause Blend.

"Here we go!" I exclaimed, pulling it out. "Look at this! They actually sell magical tea for menopause!"

Garrik frowned as he examined the box.

"Menopause?" he repeated. "Ah, yes. The change of life, as we used to call it. Is that what you're experiencing?"

"Perimenopause, actually," I admitted. "I get the occasional hot flash, and my sleep isn't always great. Apparently, it's also why my magical powers are showing up now, according to Bartleby."

"Indeed." He looked thoughtful. "Well, it seems that your change of life has brought about some rather extraordinary changes."

"You can say that again!" I laughed. "Most women get hot flashes and mood swings. I got a talking cat and a haunted mansion!"

"Not to mention an extremely handsome ghost," Garrik remarked, raising one dark eyebrow.

I looked up at him in surprise.

"Did you just call yourself handsome?"

"I merely repeated what you said earlier," he informed me, looking rather smug. "Unless you've changed your mind about my appearance?"

"Oh, for Heaven’s sake!" I exclaimed, feeling myself blush. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Certainly not," he said, giving me a rather wicked little smile. "A gentleman rarely receives such flattering compliments, and I should be a fool to forget one."

I shook my head, laughing, but my heart gave a strange little flutter. He really was handsome, especially when he smiled. The expression softened his stern features and made his blue eyes sparkle in a way that was positively irresistible. Which was probably why I found myself staring at him again.

"Celeste," he said after a moment, frowning. "Is something wrong? You've been looking at me rather strangely ever since we came inside."

"No, nothing's wrong," I said quickly, looking down at the tea box in my hands. "I was just thinking."

"Yes, I gathered that," he replied. "But about what? You've been awfully quiet for the past few minutes, which is most unlike you."

"Hey!" I protested, looking up at him. "Are you saying I talk too much?"

"I'm saying that you generally have an opinion about everything and aren't shy about expressing it," he remarked. "Which makes your present silence rather suspicious."

"Well, maybe I just don't feel like talking!" I said, feeling defensive.

"Then why are you arguing with me?" he asked mildly.

I opened my mouth to answer and then closed it again. Honestly, the man was infuriating! He had a way of making me feel like I was being unreasonable even when I was pretty sure I wasn't.

But then I looked at him sitting across from me, with the firelight flickering over his broad shoulders and dark, curly hair, and suddenly I didn't feel like arguing anymore. I felt like asking him something…something I'd been wondering about ever since we'd read the Moon Script.

"Garrik?" I began hesitantly.

"Yes, Lady Celeste?" He looked at me expectantly.

"Can I ask you something kind of personal?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Considering that you've already examined my unconscious body and attempted to kiss it back to life, I should think we're well past the point of worrying about personal questions."

"Ha-ha, very funny," I said dryly. "But I'm serious."

"So am I," he replied. Then his expression softened. "Very well, sweetheart. Ask me whatever you wish."