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Chapter 21 - Sweet Nothings

Anne found me in the kitchen later, helping Alice by making biscuits. I had burst in there an hour previous and had implored her to give me something to do. Our kind cook had taken in my distressed expression and smiled. "Well, if you could whip up a few batches of toffee chunk biscuits, I'd be most obliged."

I had groaned aloud remembering that certain bake stuff as one of L's top five of all time, but tied on an apron and got to work. Manual labor was the only way I think for keeping my mind occupied and away from other threads of consciousness. Alice had went to take a well-deserved rest most likely in her quarters.

"Grace!" Anne rushed over to me where I stood spooning batter onto the bake sheet and also trying not to get my candy necklace stuck in it. "Jude just told me the craziest thing!"

Damn Jude Caul to Everest. Why wasn't I the least surprised? I stared at her stricken and made an effort to respond. "Oh?"

"Yes! I can't believe it! I so never thought it would happen, Gracie! And who could have known it would be so soon?! Not me!"

I went back to my baking, realizing I wouldn't get the chance to privately tell her what had happened between L and me because she already knew. Thanks to the bloody psychic. Not interfering my foot. "Honestly Anne, it doesn't matter. It was stupid, reckless, and impulsive and if it wasn't to get rid of Andrew once and for all, it would never have come to pass!"

Anne didn't follow me, her grin fading. "How would it get rid of Andrew? Why would the one thing affect the other?"

I sighed, my hand streaking flour across my forehead as I wiped perspiration from my brow. She truly wasn't going to make me explain, was she?

"Well, you know, the act caused to him to believe L's ruse that he's my boyfriend...Lord, this is frightfully embarrassing...so I would never have kissed him if it hadn't convinced Hargrove, really. That's the connection."

Anne stared back at me as her smile and eyes got wider and wider. My stomach sank. Oh damn and blast, why couldn't I sense the thread of a conversation anymore? I knew I had the wrong end of the stick when she suddenly gripped my arm like a vice.

"Hang on a sec," she began, her voice shaking with excitement. "Are you saying L and you kissed?"

I blanched. "No, er, that's not what I'm saying at all!"

Anne raised an eyebrow. "Grace Deacon, I did see that picture under your pillow this morning, you know."

I hung my head, defeated. "Very well, I suppose the only thing I can say is yes, you blackmailing cow."

The room reverberated with the ear splitting screech that emitted out of my best friend's mouth before she flung her arms around me, spilling batter all over the counter-top. "GRACIE! YOU DIDN'T! Oh my God! Oh my God! Finally! You don't know how long I've been waiting for this, girl!"

I shook my head, wondering just how long it would be before armed response battered down the kitchen door and accused me of murder. "How can you say that? I only told you that I...well, cared for him today!"

"You mean you want to have his babies." Anne winked gleefully as she let me go. "Little clever angels with a chocolate obsession who let their Aunt Annie sketch them for days on end!"

"Have you taken leave of your senses?" I rasped, mortified at the thought. "You're giving us offspring? Stop this now!"

Anne laughed, ignoring me completely. "You kissed him! This is the best news! It matches Jude's in excellence!"

Desperate to turn the conversation away from me and my silly action, I started to wipe the marble counter-top with a dampened rag and asked nonchalantly, "So Annie, what was Jude's news?"