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She bit into her biscuit. Kirsty waited her out. Caroline would tell her the rest in her own good time. It took a whole biscuit and several gulps of tea before she started talking again.
“It seems that there are rather a lot of women who think you should...” She cleared her throat as her cheeks went luminous pink. “Ahem, ‘jump his bones’ was the phrase most often used.”
Kirsty’s jaw fell open.
“People are saying I should sleep with Lake?”
“I don’t think sleep was implied,” Caroline said. “Mainly they meant, ah...”
“I know what they meant,” Kirsty told her, and watched her sigh with relief. “What I don’t know is why they would say that. He’s English, he’s annoying and he wants to ruin me. Why on earth would anyone want me to sleep with the man?”
“Mrs Cameron said it would do you good,” Caroline offered to be helpful, but Kirsty could see that her friend was as mystified as she was. “Mrs Kennedy said that he brings out your passionate streak.”
“He brings out my homicidal maniac streak, more like!”
“I’m only telling you what I heard. You know how much I hate doing that, so don’t kill the messenger, okay?”
“I know, sweetie.” Kirsty was well aware that Caroline would rather die than gossip.
“I’m not going to sleep with the man.” She felt she had to say it out loud.
Caroline sat up straight and pushed her shoulders back.
“I never thought you would.”
Although Kirsty had to admit there were thoughts and images creeping into her mind that she really didn’t want to be there. All because of that infuriating man.
“He’s playing with my mind. He’s trying to undermine my thought process so that I can’t fight properly. It’s a tactic to win the war. It has to be.” Her eyes narrowed. “I need to do some research,” she said. “Find out what kind of war he’s running here.”
“Funny you should mention that.” Caroline rummaged around in her huge handbag and came out with a large hardback book. “After all the talk in the library, I thought you might need this.”
She plonked the book on the counter. Tactics of War, the cover said. Kirsty had to laugh.
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“Brilliant,” she said. “I’ll have a read tonight.” She hesitated. “There is something else you could help me with.”
“Oh, oh, I don’t like the sound of that.”
Kirsty took a deep breath as her friend’s lips pursed with suspicion.
“I want to have a fashion show during the Christmas Market.”
“No.”
“Come on, Caroline—I need the publicity and I sure as heck need the business. I promise it will be tasteful.”
Caroline folded her arms over her grey suit jacket. Kirsty had often wondered where she found all these grey skirt suits that she wore, as Kirsty had yet to see her shop.
“It’s not going to happen,” Caroline said. “The Christmas Market is about tradition, about family. I don’t think a lingerie show fits in with that.”
“We can have it after dark, adult time. I promise it won’t be titillating in any way, shape or form.”
“I don’t even like that word. It sounds rude. It won’t work Kirsty. Unless...” Kirsty could see from the anxiety in Caroline’s eyes that she wanted to help. “Unless it’s indoors somewhere and we sell tickets to adults only.”
Kirsty shook her head.
“That will make it seem dirty. I don’t want people to start thinking that nice underwear is something akin to a sex toy. It’s just fashion. Heck, it’s only knickers. Come on, Caroline. You know how much I need this.”
