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           Iwarnedhimtokeephisdistance."

           Ithoughtaboutthereasonforthat,andshuddered.

           "EsmeandCarlisle...?"Icontinuedquickly,tokeephimfromnoticing.

           "Arehappytoseemehappy.Actually,Esmewouldn’tcareifyouhadathirdeyeandwebbedfeet.Allthistimeshe’sbeenworriedaboutme,afraidthattherewassomethingmissingfrommyessentialmakeup,thatIwastooyoungwhenCarlislechangedme...She’secstatic.EverytimeItouchyou,shejustaboutchokeswithsatisfaction."

           "Aliceseemsvery...enthusiastic."

           "Alicehasherownwayoflookingatthings,"hesaidthroughtightlips.

           "Andyou’renotgoingtoexplainthat,areyou?"

           Amomentofwordlesscommunicationpassedbetweenus.HerealizedthatIknewhewaskeepingsomethingfromme.Irealizedthathewasn’tgoingtogiveanythingaway.Notnow.

           "SowhatwasCarlisletellingyoubefore?"

           Hiseyebrowspulledtogether."Younoticedthat,didyou?"

           Ishrugged."Ofcourse."

           Helookedatmethoughtfullyforafewsecondsbeforeanswering."Hewantedtotellmesomenews-hedidn’tknowifitwassomethingIwouldsharewithyou."

           "Willyou?"

           "Ihaveto,becauseI’mgoingtobealittle...overbearinglyprotectiveoverthenextfewdays-orweeks-andIwouldn’twantyoutothinkI’mnaturallyatyrant."

           "What’swrong?"

           "Nothing’swrong,exactly.Alicejustseessomevisitorscomingsoon.Theyknowwe’rehere,andthey’recurious."

           "Visitors?"

           "Yes...well,theyaren’tlikeus,ofcourse-intheirhuntinghabits,Imean.