“Not this time, she won’t. You’ll see.”

Harriet wondered what was going through Chase’s mind. She didn’t know if she liked his smile or not—it seemed to be a sort of scheming smile.

Harriet’s finger itched and she absently rubbed the talisman ring. Every day for a week, she had tried to remove the blasted thing, but to no avail. Now, of course, she was used to it.

She glanced down at the ring and noticed how delicate it appeared on her finger. Her hands were red and chapped from helping with the fence rails, her nails ruthlessly pared. She wondered what the hands of the women in London looked like, then decided she really didn’t want to know.

It was unlike Harriet not to face facts. She was usually the first one to denounce avoiding unpleasantness. It was always better to stand before the horrid truths of life and get on with things. But somehow, all the rules changed when they concerned Chase. Everything changed—even Harriet, in some indefinable way.

“Are we ready?” Chase asked, so close to Harriet’s ear that she started. He grinned down at her.

Her body warmed to awareness and she instantly thought of how he’d looked after they’d made love, his eyes shining, his hair mussed. “Are we ready for what?” she returned in a breathless voice.

“To begin shearing, of course.”

Derrick walked up. “Well, Harriet? Who does what?”

“Take Mr. St. John with you. Use the first shearing pen. I’ll take one of the hired hands and Stephen. He can’t herd the animals, but he can open and shut the shearing gate. Sophia and Ophelia will take care of the larger gates.”

Derrick agreed. “Well, St. John. It looks as if it is you and I for this round.”

Chase nodded, though his gaze never left Harriet. “You know, they say the first round is never quite as good as the second or third. That over time, things get even better.”

Harriet colored faintly. She knew what he was thinking about because it was what she was thinking about. “Just see to it that you are careful with the shears. They are wicked and I wouldn’t want you to lose anything important.”

Chase’s grin widened. “I’ve never had a problem handling my blade, thank you.”

Derrick choked on a laugh as he grabbed Chase’s arm. “Come, Blademaster. We’ve work to do and while teasing Harriet has its merits, now is not the time.”

Harriet heard Chase’s quiet laugh as he went outside with Derrick. Chase had wormed his way into the hearts of everyone at Garrett Park. She tried to imagine what it would be like without him, but somehow no picture would form. She only knew that having him here, with her family, working in the fields or sitting at the dinner table entertaining their neighbors with tales of made-up sea lore, was now a part of her life. An important, vital part. And she ached to think what that life would be like without him.