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My heart sank at his words, but I dutifully replied, "Yes, Uncle" To have hi over hly

We bade hi Spink and I watched hiht a brief glimpse of Caulder when the door was opened I hoped not I’d seen as ster as I wanted, and desired still less to have anything to do with him after I had seen how Epiny disdained him I wished I had not witnessed the scene between theet that I had seen his hus and headed back toward Carneston House Halfway there, Spink spoke up suddenly but quietly

"Epiny stays in my mind She…defies cohtly "That’s a kind way to put it," I replied gruffly I felt it a bit unfair of Spink to point out just how oddly she had behaved Surely he could see it was not my fault, and that I had suffered just as acutely as he had

Then he said shyly, "She’s so sensitive, and so lovely Like a butterfly, wafted on the wind I think she feels things much more keenly than the rest of us"

For a time, I was quiet I was shocked Sensitive and lovely? Epiny? I had felt mostly irritated and ee thoughts were suddenly unfolding in my mind To be certain, I asked hirin spread across his face "Oh, more than liked! Nevare, I aht that was a silly word But now I understand coave me a sorrowful look "And now you will say that you are sorry, but that she is promised already and has been since she was a child"

"If you asked me, I would say she is still a child If she is promised, I do not know of it, and I doubt it would be so" There was a er obstacle, one that I was loath to point out to hiathered e "The probleht be thatto consider an offer from a new nobility family My uncle did not speak of it directly, but it is an open secret within our family that she resents my father’s elevation and allies herself only with old nobility"

He shrugged, al my concern "But her father seemed to like me, and Epiny herself…well…" He stopped short before he said anything indelicate

"Epiny obviously likes you," I ad that to you"

His face and tone lightened, as if I had just given a brother’s consent to his courtship "Then if I could win your uncle’s regard and goodwill, I ht have a chance with her"

I doubted it I suspected that hshod over my uncle, I doubted that he would stand up to my aunt well And even if my uncle ell disposed toward Spink himself, all he had told me of his family made me sure that he was a poor prospect as a match for ht have a chance," I heard e to point out to him that his odds of success were less than a whisper’s chance against storm winds

He looked at ed to hear my mental reservation "Speak to hts too high? Would you oppose hed out loud "Spink, no, of course not! I can think of nothing I would like better than to call you cousin as well as friend But what Iyou! My friend, in temperament and manners I think you could do far better than Epiny Even if you were thinking of taking a Plains wife"

He looked shocked and then gave an odd laugh "A Plains wife? My mother would kill me No, she wouldn’t have a chance My brother would do it first"

Our steps had carried us to the door of our doreant and then went up the steps to our room Spink asked me not to speak too much of Epiny before the other fellows, and I was only too happy to co their assign for some time as they recounted their stay with Oron’s aunt She had hosted aat her hos, risque dancing, and a young woht with neither the wiser to it at the tihted to have such a wild adventure to tell It made the tales from Caleb’s penny adventure books pale by comparison