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"Because you are holding ed from an illicit interlude on the verandah?"
"Precisely We are the latest scandal"
She went rigid in his ar Sometimes a little scandal is just what you need Never underestimate the power of rumor and innuendo At this moment, we are the object of intense speculation--the infamous rake of the scandal sheets, paired with the newly arrived innocent They’re all desperate to knoe’re whispering to one another To the you? Or are you reforers across the small of her back "What a story that would be for The Prattler Your naossip in Town"
Finally, her ine it would be"
"Do you see? Isabel, you are free to ard to fortune or rank Even if the unthinkable occurred, and you ed to a lowly blighter like me"--he silenced her protest with a wink--"you would still be a lady You would attract a great deal of notice You would have a husband with prospects in Parliament" Granted, they were prospects Toby had been purposely avoiding for the better part of a decade, but just for the sake of arguh a turn "You would not have married a lord at all, but you would be a lady of influence"
She gave hi "Surely you’re not seriously suggesting I h "I would never suggest such a thing"
She couldn’t kno these blithe dis hierous beast
Toby lowered his voice to a seductive murmur "If I paid court to you, Isabel, I would estions I would e to value your ideals, never stifle or belittle thee, and to guard you from those ish you ill"
The music stopped, and Toby whirled her to a halt
"If I proposed e to youdevotion, a share in my worldly possessions, and the protection of my body I would promise to cherish you all the days of your life, and make your happiness my own Because that is what you deserve frohtly apart Shallow breaths lifted her chest At last He had her well and truly enchanted now Toby supposed he ought to release her He’d proven his point, hadn’t he? He still kne to dazzle a girl But soo on
"And if I did offer for you," he asked, "would it be so very horrible?"
He hardly knehat murky pit of his soul that question had crawled out froirl It was rown out of loving him and married some other man
But it was Isabel who must answer for them all She was here, and she was breathless in his arle syllable Yes, he still kne to dazzle a girl--he’d practically eift But deep down, at his core--could he ever find what it took to secure a woman’s love?
Give me a word One word
"Would it be so unthinkable?" he asked softly, earnestly
Before she could speak, so a shadow over them both
"Excuse the interruption" The voice was a so"
Without releasing Isabel, Toby cast a glance toward the speaker Of course, it was her brother Sir Benedict Grayson, paragon of valor,brute with murder in his eyes Worse, behind him stood Jeremy, Lucy, and the woman who’d left him at the altar and fled halfway around the world--Sophia
Now he needed to hear Isabel’s answeryour pardon This is a private conversation"
"Not any longer, it isn’t" Grayson folded massive ar his voice, he growled, "Get your hands off my sister"
The musicians struck up a newAll eyes were on their little tableau
"In athe upper hand He refused to let Grayson cow hi, but Toby was taller "I’ on a word from Miss Grayson I’ve asked her a question, and she hasn’t yet answered"
He turned back to Isabel, tripping straight into her solee sense of destiny overcaut, Toby knew that the events of the next ement of his life, his face, or both He had a choice He could release her, from his embrace and his question, surrender a second lady to this thieving bastard, and continue thefor his misplaced self-worth at the bottom of brandy decanters
Or he could hold on to this beautiful, intelligent, passionate woman Perhaps forever
Grayson scowled "Bel, what the devil is he talking about? You don’t have to answer this ruff whisper "Do you wantaround the asse of the sort Sir Toby just asked me--"
"To marry him," Toby interrupted Loudly and clearly, with a certainty that surprised even hiaze at Grayson, he continued, "I’ve asked your sister to lanced over his shoulder "It would see … to hear her reply"