A WHISPER OF ETERNIT

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"A rather large landscape for the reception area of a law firm."She studied his profile, thinking she would like to paint it.

The thought had no sooner crossed her mind than he asked, "Do you also paint portraits?"

She shivered. Was he reading her mind? But that was impossible—it was merely a coincidence. "I do portraits occasionally. Dogs and cats, too, when I need the money," she said with a smile. "You said you were retired. What line of work were you in?"

"I have tried my hand at many things over the years," he said evasively. "Like what?"

He plucked one from memory. "I was a night watchman for a while." He didn't tell her it had been during the reign of a king now long forgotten, or that he had been charged with keeping watch over the queen's chamber.

"You didn't get rich being a night watchman," she retorted with a grin. "Didn't I?"

"Did you?"

He smiled faintly. "Not in the way you mean."
"What else have you done?"

"Many things, but I would rather talk about you."

"There's not much to tell," she said with a shrug. "I graduated fromcollege, I have a job that I love." "But no husband," he said quietly. "No children."

"Not yet. I don't seem to be very lucky at love." "So you wish to marry?"

"Of course.Don't you? "

His gaze lingered on her face. "When she says yes, I will marry her."

"Are you engaged?" she asked, clearly alarmed to think she might be out with another woman's fiancé.
"No."

He stilled the other questions in her mind with a thought. Now was not the time for her to delve into his love life, or ask questions he did not yet wish to answer.

He pulled into the parking lot behind the theater a few minutes later and switched off the ignition. Exiting the car, he came around to open the door for her. She put her hand into his and slid out of the car. Her