Page 3 (1/2)

Toby’s involuntary burst of laughter increased the distance between them "A lord?"

"Duke, rave and pleading "Please tell me you hold one of those titles"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but the ar to a baronet I’m not a lord, but a sir"

"Ah!" She pushed away fro her hands wide The exasperated cry she esture--so unreservedly passionate, so deliciously un-English What other cries of passion ht she produce, if expertly provoked? A man could not help but wonder

"What have I done?" She leaned against a ertips "Not a lord, but a sir And a rake, to top it This… this is a disaster" Her accent grewat interesting angles Toby was almost too enthralled to take offense

Almost

"A disaster?" he repeated "Surely it isn’t so--"

"Such behavior … such impropriety I’ll never find a suitable husband now What honorable man would have me?" She dropped her hands and looked up at him "And I couldn’t possibly an enchantment? Popped like a soap bubble

Toby was te, and that the notion ofher had not even forated the innumerable insults contained in her declaration "Let me understand you You couldn’t possibly marry me, because I am neither a lord, nor even suitable, nor do I qualify--by your estih his hair, ht, well Doesn’t that sum up public opinion nicely?"

"I’ You … you make it so I can’t think at all" She turned and paced away fro out here"

"To the contrary," Toby said, enjoying the sight of her nubile for that silk to excellent use"

She gave him a horrified look as she moved for the door "I must return, before ht her aro back inside yet, not before everyone noticed their absence What sort of revenge would that be? He"Please, cal so scandalous Youand the closeness of the rooed her over to a bench and motioned for her to sit "Nohat you need is a bit of refreshne"

"Oh, no I never take spirits, not even medicinally"

"Lemonade, then"

"No No, thank you" Her hands fluttered in her lap "You know I am not truly ill"

"Aren’t you?" He crouched before her "I distinctly re I told you I felt faint, feverish You said you felt the same" It didn’t seem possible that her eyes could widen any further, but widen they did "You must have been ill God knows, the attentions of an unsuitable, dishonorable, lowly baronet could not possibly bring you to such a state"

"You are teasing me" The words were an accusation, spoken in a wounded tone As though teasing were an offense tantaars "And we shouldn’t be alone"

"We’re not in hiding Anyone could come by at any uests down the colonnade "And a few minutes in a secluded corner withwell Just ask half the ladies in that ballroolass-paned doors and the colorful blur of dancers beyond them "Really, I should be--"

"No, you shouldn’t," he said, scrubbing the teasing tone from his voice He needed her to trust hi to fear frouard, and you are clearly the worst sort of rake" She touched a hand to the lone ornaold pendant in the shape of a cross "I have everything to fear fro that nonsense in The Prattler?" Toby rose to his feet "My dear, don’t believe everything you read in the papers You ought to thankyou from your partner--now there’s a true scoundrel That Grayson’s the one you ought to fear"

"But…" She shook her head, her black curls inky against the glea marble "Why should I fear my own brother?"

"Your …" He stepped back, stared at her "Your brother"

"Yes, my brother"

Toby returned to a crouch before her He braced his hands on the bench, one on either side of her skirts, and stared hard into those dark, soleht everyone knew True, we’ve only just arrived froossip …" Toby bent his head, and her tone sharpened "Are you laughing?"

When his shoulders stopped shaking, he wiped a tear fro hi a lady’s eye from her own brother, what a triuhter quaking his chest anew

"Have you any idea who I am?"

She lifted her eyebrows "Other than a baronet? No"

"I’nition to dawn in her eyes He waited in vain

"Sir Toby Aldridge," he repeated Still nothing but blank indifference "Did Sophia--Did Lady Grayson never speak of me?"

"Never Should she have?"