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"Mostly, or it wouldn’t be half as fun"

"In any case," Severin said, once again grasping Oliver by the scruff of his coat when the stable boy tried to slip off unnoticed "The relationship between your ladies ardener is of no concern at thisto do to Oliver?"

"I haven’t yet decided," Severin said, looking down at topic of discussion

The grooo," Elle said "No harm was done"

"That is hardly the point, nor is it at all satisfying"

"I don’t see the use in punishing Oliver when Emele is the real root of discontent," Elle said

"Does Bernadine know you were sent to watch?" Severin asked the mute stable boy

Oliver shook his head

Severin’s lips pulled back in a toothy, frightening save you"

Oliver gulped but bohen Severin released hi out into the howling wind

"Bernadine will be ets cross She will be cross that she hadn’t thought of the idea first, and then feel that it is her duty as the chateau dictator to lecture E on us," Severin said

"All parties involved are thus punished, and Oliver will be unlikely tohness"

"You are a quick study, Intruder," Severin said with a fanged grin that was less toothy than the sly one he had given Oliver

Elle smiled as Severin returned to Fidele’s stall It was funny how a title Severin previously used to draw a line of separation between Elle and everyone else was now almost a term of endearment

Chapter 8

A Discussion of Princes

Severin frowned in the gloom of his study as he read the latest missive from Lucien His half brother mostly wrote of court antics and the newest laws their father had passed Ranger reports were too delicate to discuss through courier That intelligence had to be discussed in person