Oh, Christ. It'd been a good long while since he'd been so blessedly near a fine and courtable female creature such as Faith. It wasn't as though he didn't now live with three women, but none captivated him the way she did. In fact, most of them were more familial than anything else. And one was nigh-hated. So Sharpe kept his arm stable and steady as he led her up to her own building's step.

"I suppose the story starts with a bridge..."