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There was an odd little silence in theof a lark over the river
"You can kill me if you want," Leopold added
"Oh, for Christ’s sake" Astley sat down on a large rock at the side of the strea master," Leopold said "You’re not bad"
"Why? In case I find some honor of my own soment They were the two luckiest, and two doet her back," Astley offered
Leopold shook his head "She’ll never believe that I love her now She thinks that she’s nothing more than a second-best mother, that I never wanted to marry her until I sa much Tobias cared for her"
"Even worse, she likely thinks that you want her now only because Lisette proved herself stark raving mad"
"I don’t knohat to do"
Astley stood up with a little groan "My back!"
"Find an instructor," Leopold said, looking up "Not for defending your honor, but because it’s fine exercise"
"I see that," Astley said,slowly toward the house
He stopped and looked back "If I were you, Duke, I would fight for her"
Leopold’s eyes fell on his rapier
"Not that way," Astley said with disgust
And he was gone
Chapter Thirty-one
London residence of the Duke of Montague
August 6, 1784
It took alue to pluhts of maternal bliss to utter despair At first she didn’t believe Eleanor’s declaration that she had refused Gideon’s proposal, even if he followed the strict protocol of a year ofthat, she leapt on the idea of her daughterherself to the finality of Eleanor’s edict regarding the second duke led to wailing and gnashing of teeth Literally
Melancholy hung over the house like a shroud The duchess took to drifting froe
"Don’t iine that you can live with your brother for life!" she said shrilly oneat breakfast "I won’t have his life destroyed by having to live with a spinster sister It would have ruined e had your aunt lived with us"
"Iwhat she had said a few hundred times in the past weeks "Just not a duke"
"Two dukes! Two dukes asking for your hand in e and you refused them both!" The lament sounded like a lullaby to Eleanor now, so faeneral flow "The only good thing to eot rid of that horrid dog, though I vow the Aubusson in theroom still has an odor"
Then the letter arrived
Dear Lady Eleanor Lindel,