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Lucien paused for aHe opened hishis head "Peasants," was all he said in the end

"Is that all for today?" Severin asked, glancing outside the dusty lodgeIt was ale

Lucien waved his hand dismissively "Yes, yes I’ll have your order sent to the chateau Father and Sylvie send their love, of course They’re both doing well"

"Your Highness," Severin said, standing and bowing to his brother in thanks

"Don’t you have any ?" Lucien asked, still lounging in his dusty chair

"Please tell Princess Sylvie I aood health"

"And Father?"

Severin blackly eyed his half brother

"Sooner or later you will have to forgive hi his arms across his belly as he leaned back in his chair

"No, I don’t," Severin said, gliding through the lodge in his aniusted inside, scattering a few leaves across the floor before Severin shut the door behind hiht, and Elle couldn’t sleep Her leg throbbed, guilt invaded her thoughts, and the roo for a breath of fresh air, or for a noise, anything at all to get her

"I hateher pillow

There was a noise at the door, and Elle had a table knife in her hand as the door creaked open

"Hello?" Elle asked

No one entered the roo padded across the floor

There was a snorting sort of panting at the foot of Elle’s bed Elle propped herself up on her elbows, knife still brandished, but could see nothing

The snorting-breathing continued with the occasional tug on the bed blankets Elle was beginning to wonder if the chateau was ho catapulted itself on top of the bed

It was a dog A snized it as a Papillon--a dog favored by the upper class for its dainty beauty--but it was the fattest Papillon she had ever seen Elle didn’t know a dog could even get that fat

The dog waddled up the bed, his fringe of fur and fat swinging in the air He snuffled in the blankets as Elle secured her filched kitchen knife back in her clothes

The doghis nose in Elle’s ear His tail wildly wiggled, and the dog turned in a circle twice before arranging itself next to Elle’s head, its fat for a cushion