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"is an unreht," her mother continued "However, when aroused, he will look so like this"

Froetable A slender, curved vegetable covered in taut, gleaawped in horror

No It could not be

It was

"An aubergine?"

"A cucumber would have served better, but the kitchen was out of them"

"I see," she said numbly

"Good" Mama laid her illustrations on the coverlet "You may now ask your questions"

Questions? She was supposed to supply questions? Only one question came to mind:

What on earth did I do to deserve this, and is it too late to repent?

Charlotte buried her face in her hands She felt as though she were trapped in a nightic coh friends, novels, and good sense to round out her understanding of sexual intercourse years ago Because if she’d been forced to go on nothing but this

She ca to subject her to this, Ma to pay for it And there was only one way to exact revenge for this farce of a lesson

To take it seriously

She lifted her head and composed her expression into one of solele finger on the aubergine "Is this the actual size?"

"Not every gentleman’s is quite that size Soer"

"But most are not quite so purple, I hope" She picked up the two ite with confusion "How does the aubergine fit inside the peach?"

Her mother’s face contorted "The peach produces a sort of nectar to ease the way"

"A nectar? How fascinating"

"If the gentleine, it will not be so very painful"

"What about the lady’s skill? Shouldn’t the bride to kno to please the aubergine?"

Her entleht wish to beerstroked"

"Stroked How does one stroke an aubergine? Is it like stroking a kitten?" Charlotte laid the egg-plant fruit across her palertip "Or like strokes of a hairbrush?" She increased the vigor of her led squawk

"Here," Charlotte said, thrusting the vegetable into her ht of Mama’s panicked, near-purple face, Charlotte lost her battle with laughter She collapsed into giggles Then she dove for cover, to avoid being beaten about the head with an eggplant