and you’re a pure

soul, a snow-white newborn lamb. You mustn’t let me hurt you.

Why should you hurt me?

Because I might—no, I don’t want to bite you—I only want to kiss

you, just a little, like this. There was revelation in Damon’s mind-voice.

And he did kiss so sweetly, and he always knew when Elena’s knees

were going to give out and picked her up before she could fall on the

floor.

Damon, Damon, she was thinking, feeling very sweet herself

because she knew she was giving him pleasure, when she suddenly

realized.

Oh! Damon, please let me go—I have to go have a fitting right

now!

Deeply flushed, he slowly, reluctantly put her down, grabbed her

before she could fall, and put her down again.

I think I shall have to go have a fit right now as well, he told her

earnestly as he stumbled out of the room, missing the door the first time.

Not a fit—a fitting! Elena called after him, but she never knew if he

had heard. She was pleased, though, that he had let her go, without really

understanding anything except that she was saying no. That was quite a

bit of improvement.

Then she hurried in to Lady Ulma’s room, which was filled with

all sorts of people, including two male models, who had just been garbed

in trousers and long shirts.

“Sage’s clothes,” said Lady Ulma, nodding at the large one, “and