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She had been reading for an hour or then the door pushed open and Caro entered, patting back a yawn

“You’re up awfully early,”the page of the book

“I was having trouble sleeping” Her sister griht and my stomach is a little queasy”

“Chaes,” replied Anna, with a tiny smile

“But it tasted so good”

“So said Eve about the Serpent’s apple,” she pointed out “Temptation usually does”

“Thank you, but wisdohtening the sash of her wrapper, Caro pushed one of the armchairs closer to the hearth and curled up on the orn cushion “What are you reading?”

“Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s Letters froe “They contain so details about the Ottoman Sultan’s court in Constantinople”

“You’ve already had Emmalina imprisoned in a pasha’s harem in Tripoli”

“Yes, yes, but Lady Mary also explored the country along the coast, including a fabulous

city of classical ruins at Ephesus Her descriptions of the towering ht are quite wonderful” Anna read aloud a short passage “She says the Temple of Artemis was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”

“A h the stones offers so possibilities,” mused Caro

“Precisely I have a few rough ideas taking shape, but they need to be refined” Plotting her novels was usually a very personal and private process, but on occasion she did find it helpful to talk out ideas with her sisters This e of sti Caro would help assuage the hurt of her thoughtlessly cruel co

“Would you care to hear the as ish”

Caro’s face lit up