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Authors: Cheryl Holt
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turn.
"Might I ask you a hypothetical question?"
"Certainly."
"Supposing someone had ingested the tonic. For
Further Than Passion 67
example, what if an unsuspecting person drank it by accident? Is there an antidote?"
"An antidote?"
"Yes. If it was inadvertently swallowed, that individual could be a tad anxious. If so, there must be a ... a remedy."
He was no fool, and he thoroughly assessed her. "You took it."
"I didn't mean to!" she blurted out.
He tutted and clucked. "Tell me this: Have you a piece of his property in your possession? It would be an object belonging only to him, and you can't account for your having it."
Her stomach plummeted, and she was dizzy. "His ring."
"Oh my ..."
The tidings had him distraught, and his upset panicked her. "What? What is it?"
He went to a shelf and found a powder, which he poured into an envelope. "Consume this mixture in hot tea, three times today, and once tomorrow morning, then restore the ring to him. But if it resurfaces in your custody, there's no hope for it."
"Don't be so secretive. Speak to me in plain English."
"If the ring comes back to you, the antidote won't work. Some things are preordained. You can't alter your destiny."
His words terrified her. The elixir had impaired her logic and common sense, and it was obvious that she was incapable of fighting her fixation with Stamford on her own. She had to stop her obsession, but if the cure was ineffective, how was she to rectify the situation?
68
In a state, she grabbed the packet of powder and fled.
******************
Marcus peered down the avenue and saw Kate Duncan flitting out of an alley. What was she up to?
She raced to a coach, which he identified as his. It was the one he allowed Pamela to utilize, so Kate must have borrowed it for a shopping excursion. But what had she bought? And what had her running as if the hounds of hell were on her heels? He was dying to know.
He was fascinated by her, though he couldn't figure out why. Many women had passed through his life, with very few tickling his fancy, but for some reason, she did.
She was so genuine, so unpretentious. In a world where he was surrounded by sycophants and hangers-' on, she was so refreshing. Plus, she was so damned sexy.
How could he resist?
He dawdled out of sight until the coach lumbered away; then he walked to the alley from which she'd materialized. To his surprise, the sole establishment was occupied by an apothecary, and he stepped inside.
A strange elderly merchant was straightening bottles, and Marcus laid a gold sovereign on the counter. A wise fellow, the man snatched it up.
"I'm curious," Marcus began, "about the youn g lady who was just in here. What was she wanting?"
The merchant chuckled. "She acquired a love potion."
"A love potion?"
"Yes. Her frien d — a snooty little blond e — i nitially sought a tincture for some rich bloke she's desirous of marrying, but your lady drank it when she shouldn't
69
have . So she obtained another dosage for the blonde to mete out to her unwary fianc é ."
"And for herself?"
"She was wondering if I had a remedy."
"Has the brew prompted her to fall madly in love?"
"She thinks it has."
At the ludicrous notion, Marcus chortled, but he was disconcerted. He couldn't have her believing she was smitten by another. Not for the immediate future, anyway. He had too many designs on her. "Are you claiming it's authentic?"
"With girls and their romances, who's to say? It's an ancient recipe, and the lady has attained an item of the man's, when she has no explanation for her having it. Purportedly, it's an indication that the magic is working."
"What item does she have?"
"A ring."
Marcus nearly choked. "You're joking."
"No. And she was quite distressed about it, too."
Tickled by this information, Marcus grinned. What fun he would have! "Have you provided a cure for what ails her?"
"Yes. I gave her a powder to take with her tea, and
"Might I ask you a hypothetical question?"
"Certainly."
"Supposing someone had ingested the tonic. For
Further Than Passion 67
example, what if an unsuspecting person drank it by accident? Is there an antidote?"
"An antidote?"
"Yes. If it was inadvertently swallowed, that individual could be a tad anxious. If so, there must be a ... a remedy."
He was no fool, and he thoroughly assessed her. "You took it."
"I didn't mean to!" she blurted out.
He tutted and clucked. "Tell me this: Have you a piece of his property in your possession? It would be an object belonging only to him, and you can't account for your having it."
Her stomach plummeted, and she was dizzy. "His ring."
"Oh my ..."
The tidings had him distraught, and his upset panicked her. "What? What is it?"
He went to a shelf and found a powder, which he poured into an envelope. "Consume this mixture in hot tea, three times today, and once tomorrow morning, then restore the ring to him. But if it resurfaces in your custody, there's no hope for it."
"Don't be so secretive. Speak to me in plain English."
"If the ring comes back to you, the antidote won't work. Some things are preordained. You can't alter your destiny."
His words terrified her. The elixir had impaired her logic and common sense, and it was obvious that she was incapable of fighting her fixation with Stamford on her own. She had to stop her obsession, but if the cure was ineffective, how was she to rectify the situation?
68
In a state, she grabbed the packet of powder and fled.
******************
Marcus peered down the avenue and saw Kate Duncan flitting out of an alley. What was she up to?
She raced to a coach, which he identified as his. It was the one he allowed Pamela to utilize, so Kate must have borrowed it for a shopping excursion. But what had she bought? And what had her running as if the hounds of hell were on her heels? He was dying to know.
He was fascinated by her, though he couldn't figure out why. Many women had passed through his life, with very few tickling his fancy, but for some reason, she did.
She was so genuine, so unpretentious. In a world where he was surrounded by sycophants and hangers-' on, she was so refreshing. Plus, she was so damned sexy.
How could he resist?
He dawdled out of sight until the coach lumbered away; then he walked to the alley from which she'd materialized. To his surprise, the sole establishment was occupied by an apothecary, and he stepped inside.
A strange elderly merchant was straightening bottles, and Marcus laid a gold sovereign on the counter. A wise fellow, the man snatched it up.
"I'm curious," Marcus began, "about the youn g lady who was just in here. What was she wanting?"
The merchant chuckled. "She acquired a love potion."
"A love potion?"
"Yes. Her frien d — a snooty little blond e — i nitially sought a tincture for some rich bloke she's desirous of marrying, but your lady drank it when she shouldn't
69
have . So she obtained another dosage for the blonde to mete out to her unwary fianc é ."
"And for herself?"
"She was wondering if I had a remedy."
"Has the brew prompted her to fall madly in love?"
"She thinks it has."
At the ludicrous notion, Marcus chortled, but he was disconcerted. He couldn't have her believing she was smitten by another. Not for the immediate future, anyway. He had too many designs on her. "Are you claiming it's authentic?"
"With girls and their romances, who's to say? It's an ancient recipe, and the lady has attained an item of the man's, when she has no explanation for her having it. Purportedly, it's an indication that the magic is working."
"What item does she have?"
"A ring."
Marcus nearly choked. "You're joking."
"No. And she was quite distressed about it, too."
Tickled by this information, Marcus grinned. What fun he would have! "Have you provided a cure for what ails her?"
"Yes. I gave her a powder to take with her tea, and
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