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The shots hit the centre of the target, one two three. Hard, precise and breath-taking and Sir Malcolm Murray felt his own heart take up the rapid rhythm in his chest as Mrs Poole leant back slightly and glanced up at him, a look a cross between coy amusement and outright flirtation. Her face was beautiful, and it's ever changing expressions were a puzzle Sir Malcolm felt a sudden longing to solve.

"I should feign modesty I know."

Evelyn's dry wit had Malcolm smothering a sudden bark of laughter. This woman was unlike any he had ever met, so confident in her own skin and abilities she seemed to stand a step aside from the normal; those dark eyes alight with something…almost dancing either with mirth or was that mocking? Not at him though. Malcolm almost felt like it was that she was stepping back and allowing him entry into some private members club, including him in her satire of the society that she found so very tiresome.

As she moved away to allow him to step up to the mark Malcolm missed her warmth immediately, and his eyes followed her movements raking down her slender frame in open appraisal. The dark green suited her it brought out the auburn highlights in her curls and for a moment Malcolm found himself wondering just how long her hair was and what it would feel like running through his fingers.

"Your turn."

He had been caught out staring again. Grateful for the heavy beard that hid the warmth in his cheeks Malcolm turned his attention to the target yet there was no denying he was distracted. Even as he tried to concentrate he couldn't help but watch Evelyn out of the periphery of his vision. Then she stepped closer to watch and he caught another waft of that new perfume of hers, the perfume he had helped to select.

"You know when you asked for my company this afternoon I had not expected this."

"I am glad I could surprise you." Malcolm replied clenching his jaw lest his smile threatened to take over his face and he looked like the fool many would accuse him of being.

"Delighted is a more accurate description Sir Malcolm." Evelyn replied with a smile that was softer than her usual teasing offerings. "I have not enjoyed such a distraction in some time and I do love to shoot."

Relieved that his unusual choice of outing had actually pleased her Malcolm forced himself to pay attention to his shot, yet even as his finger closed around the trigger he was not completely able to ignore Evelyn Poole's presence. His first shot went wide of the centre, then his second and Malcolm scowled at his own incompetence. He was grateful when Evelyn as if sensing his frustration took a further step away. Yet it was pointless, even with her out of his immediate view Malcolm's last shot went widest of all.

"Courage dear."

The sudden and unexpected endearment had Malcolm huffing to cover his awkwardness. How did one do this again? It had been so long since he had so much as attempted to court anyone that Sir Malcolm knew he was woefully out of practice. He simply didn't know how to go about opening himself up to someone new or if his wife was consulted on the matter she would insist he had never had the ability to start with.

Gladys…Malcolm felt his stomach churn a little in guilt before a warm smile from Evelyn chased it away.

"It's puling to the left." He couldn't help it, his male pride demanded he do something to salvage the situation and at least if nothing else he was able to make her laugh.

Evelyn's laughter rang out quick and lusty and Malcolm couldn't help but smile back, her good mood positively infectious.

"Always blame the equipment!" She quipped and Malcolm's smile grew as he stalked over to her.

"Would you like to try a new gun?"

"Hmm and risk damaging my perfect record?" Evelyn teased dark eyes flickering up to meet Malcolm's gaze. "Why not I'm game if you are willing to be beaten by a woman twice in a row?"

"I wasn't aware this was a competition and what makes you so certain you would win if it were?" Malcolm retorted his own blue eyes glinting with the mirth he hid from his face. Sir Malcolm Murray couldn't be seen at the butts grinning like a lovesick school boy.

"Dear life is a competition." Evelyn answered simply. "Some people win and some people lose."

"Well this is a winner…" Malcolm reached into his gun case and retrieved his latest acquisition, running his fingers lovingly over its sleek metal casing.

"It's a prototype." He reached out and picked up the case of shells showing her how they were slid into a clip.

"Semi-automatic firing mechanism. There is nothing else like it on earth." Malcolm added unable to keep the reverence out of his voice and he savoured Evelyn's indulgent gaze.

Then for a moment Evelyn's face actually looked slightly pensive. "Does your wife like shooting?"

That question Malcolm hadn't been expecting, not now, not shot at him so casually and it was like a sudden plunge into freezing cold water. The breath caught in his throat and Malcolm swallowed pushing away from the table, as if mere distance could somehow assuage the sudden wave of guilt that threatened to drown him.

"No." His answer was clipped and Malcolm did little to hide his displeasure at the tide this conversation was taking.

"What does she like?" Evelyn's follow up question was like prodding a wound and Malcolm barely managed to keep his reply even.

"We are estranged."

"Should I pretend sorrow?" Evelyn's honest and direct reply almost calmed the growling beast in his chest.

Evelyn Poole was blunt but not cruel and even though her question had opened a box Malcolm would prefer remained shut he couldn't blame Evelyn for wanting to understand the situation he was bringing her into. Not that Malcolm himself had properly thought through just what he was doing here. He was a married man and that wouldn't change.

"Pretend nothing Mrs Poole it wouldn't suit you." Sir Malcolm replied just as bluntly as he offered her the gun.

"Will you divorce?"

Blunt met blunt and Malcolm met her gaze briefly before pulling it away, now it was his time to become embarrassed. To be talking about something so very private with a woman who was a virtual stranger to him and yet perhaps it was easier and sensible to have this conversation now before things got too complicated and hopes were raised that couldn't be met.

"No, the scandal to her name would be too great and I must respect that."

"I am sorry Malcolm." Evelyn replied her tone even but there was something about those large dark eyes of hers that conveyed her apology was genuine even as she cast them down to examine the prototype gun he had handed her.

"It's an elegant weapon, a man's gun though, like those mounted on a battleship." Evelyn mused as she lifted it up to shoot.

"Just so you know about my wife." Malcolm interjected before the subject was changed altogether and it would be too clumsy and awkward to return to later. Besides there was something almost therapeutic about getting all the cards out on the table so that there could be no confusion about what was and wasn't possible.

"There is no love between us, not for some time if I am honest." He added with a sad sigh, his marriage much like his record as a father was something he looked back on with something akin to shame.

"But I am bound to her and that is how I must live now…" He paused before adding what he regretfully suspected would curtail this little flirtation before it had a chance to grow. "And in the future."

"Thank you for your honesty Malcolm." Evelyn 's reply was polite even if her voice sounded a little sad and as much as he wanted to offer her some comfort Sir Malcolm knew this was an area in which it was better to be cruel to be kind even at the risk of losing her.

So he said nothing more as Evelyn raised up the gun, the gun even he had yet to fire; one, two, three, four, five shots in rapid smooth succession and all in the centre. The very centre of the bull had been completely decimated, even the wood behind the target had been blasted away and there was now a gaping hole where it should have been.

Malcolm finally released the breath he had been holding at what for him was akin to a religious experience. Magnificent, beautiful and deadly accurate; a description that applied equally to both woman and weapon…

His hand he was later certain acted of its own volition, or perhaps it just had a better connection than his brain did to his desires. He grasped Evelyn's free hand before she could completely move away his fingers running slowly over hers as he marvelled at their delicacy and yet their strength. Raising her hand to his lips he pressed a fervent kiss to the back of her knuckles, lifting his gaze to catch Evelyn's Malcolm was relieved to see a delighted smile break out over her beautiful face.

Perhaps things weren't really so complicated after all?

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