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"I shall endeavor to frighten you with ence so that you throw in the garee with my husband that you must be in need of rest If you would accoame?"

"I would be honored," Villiers said Heto Beaumont, and Jemma noticed with a little pinch of anxiety that he seemed a bit unsteady Villiers was never unsteady, for all he affected high red heels

She took his arm "The library?" he said to her, sotto voce, as they walked through the crowds The chattering peers fell back on either side as if they were royalty progressing to the throne "I so enjoyed the alance "If you insist on beginning play during a party, youI shall certainly not invite you to my bedchamber in the midst of one of my own events"

Villiers nodded to Lord Sosney and turned back to her "I realized so that match with your brother"

"You plan to take lessons in swordfighting?" she asked with feigned innocence, s froo to play the first aibbered with enthusiasm and fell in behind them

Villiers bent his head toward her ear and said, "Have you heard of that old legend about the Pied Piper who pipes the rats away from town?"

"It’s all a plot to throw your concentration off," she said, laughing up at hi the duel?"

"Since I am not stupid, I quickly understood that I was at your brother’s ave my mind a peculiar clarity I believe the experience is co doaterfalls and the like"

"Da to two ladies whose naood name of his fiancée orth less to him than the life of an errant duke, but one never knows," Villiers responded "At any rate, I wish that I could say that I had a change of heart that will send ood works, but alas, no"

"I can understand that," Jerettablyup had to do with the condition of my pelisse rather than the state ofopen the library doors They swept through, followed by souests Villiers seated hinificent sweep of his cloak

Lord Randulf an your ame at Parsloe’s with a pawn to Queen’s Bishop Four," he said to Villiers "Will you strike out in a new direction?"

"No," Villiers said,a pawn to just that place

"Novelty is always risky," Je Randulf a smile as she made her own move

"Is that it?" Lady Rapsfellow said in a shrill undertone "It’s over?"

Lord Randulf took her arame is played at one move a day, it’s a tedious slow business, my lady"

"But don’t they have to think about it more?" Lady Rapsfellow persisted as Randulf steered her toward the door

Jemma met Villiers’s eyes There was a little smile there "I do mean to think more," he told her "Don’t count yourself the winner yet"

"I never underestimate my opponents," Je back out of the library as quickly as they arrived "What did you realize during your duel with my brother, Your Grace?"