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"A girl named Sarah-Susan told me where to find you in the sty," Tobias said His tone was begrudging but accepting

"We could give mine to Mary-Bertha," Phyllinda said "Because once when Mrs Minchem said that Lucinda couldn’t have any breakfast or lunch, she kept soave it to us Do you remember that, Lucinda?"

Her sister nodded, but Eleanor was having trouble speaking around the anger in her throat, so they just went up to the lawn in silence and found the girls in question

Eleanor stood watching the exciteirls claimed their prizes, until she remembered that she had a duke locked in her roo to train Oyster to walk on his hind legs, which was an anatomical impossibility, as anyone could have told him

"I knohy you locked your father up," she asked him, "but why did you lock me in as well? And why in my bedchamber?"

He looked up with an odd twist to his mouth "I don’t like Lisette"

She nodded "I see"

"The old nanny told ether, they have to get married Which doesn’t make sense," he said frankly, "because if they want to be shaking the sheets, they don’t need sheets to be doing it, if you knohat I mean"

Clearly Tobias had seen more than he should have in his short life, but he didn’t seem particularly scandalized

"So you thought…"

"I’d rather you than her," he said It wasn’t et out, anyway?"

"The balcony door was unlocked and no one had the faintest idea ere together, so your plan caht And I do think that people do better to choose their own spouses Your father wants to marry Lisette"

"And you want to marry that ratty duke?" His tone was indescribably scornful

"Yes," she said rather faintly "He’s an old friend" She looked up and saw Gideon deter his way across the laard her, followed by her mother "I had better let your father out now Take care of Oyster"

She dashed into the house, pretending she didn’t hear her

Leopold was asleep He had stripped off his coat and was lying sprawled out on her bed She tiptoed across the carpet and stood next to him He would never be beautiful, like Gideon He was blunt and co for his brother

She was in love with him

Horribly, truly in love The kind of love that wouldn’t alter, ever, and wouldn’t admit impediments

Lisette was an impediment

Gideon was another

And frankly, Leopold was the third obstacle, given his professed intention toto succeed either

She kicked off her slippers and then reached under her skirts to unhook her panniers and her petticoat Unfortunately, she couldn’t unlace her goithout help, so once she’d taken off her stockings, and left a heap of petticoats on the floor, she pulled up her skirts and climbed onto the bed

Well, to be exact, she clirunted and pulled her down to him, and in that moment she realized that he hadn’t been asleep, not all the ti hi

"Did you drea but a pinafore?" she asked He was kissing her neck and seens--very happy to see her