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She’d nearly not co today Mary was a distant cousin, one she’d spoken to only once or twice in her life But Gertrude, Melisande’s sister-in-law, had felt ill thisand insisted that Melisande come to represent their branch of the fa just made the most reckless move of her life

How odd fate was

Finally, Lord Vale stirred He rubbed a large bony hand down his face and then looked at her through long, spread fingers "I’ive me--but for the life of me I can’t remember your name"

Naturally She’d always been the type to hover round the edges of a crowd Never in the center, never drawing attention to herself

While he was just the opposite

She inhaled, tightening her fingers to still their nervous tre She would have only this one chance, and sheMy father was Ernest Fles" Her fan to elaborate If he hadn’t heard of them before this, her protestations of respectability would do her no good now "Father is dead, but I have two brothers, Ernest and Harold My ré, and she is also dead You may remember that I am friends with Lady Emeline, who--"

"Yes, yes" He lifted his hand from his face to wave away her credentials "I knoho you are, I just didn’t know"

"My name"

He inclined his head "Quite As I said--an idiot"

She sed "May I have your answer?"

"It’s just that"--he shook his head and gestured vaguely with long fingers--"I know I had too ht and I’m still a little dazed by Miss Templeton’s defection, so my mental facilities may not yet be up to par, but I don’t see why you’d want to marry me"

"You are a viscount, my lord False modesty ill becomes you"

His wide ued, aren’t you, for a lady seeking a gentleman’s hand?"

She felt the heat rise in her neck and cheeks and had to fight the urge to si open the door and run

"Why," he a wh">"Why,sked softly, "ast all the other viscounts in the world, why marry me?"

"You are an honorable man I know this fro her words with care "Froement to Mary, you are anxious to wed, are you not?"

He cocked his head "It would certainly appear so"

She nodded "And I wish to have enerosity of my brothers" A partial truth

"You have no monies of your own?"

"I have an excellent dowry and monies that are mine besides that But an unmarried lady can hardly live by herself"

"True"

He contemplated her, apparently quite content to have her stand before hi After a bit, he nodded and stood, his height forcing her to look up She ht be a tall woivee that, with God’s grace, will produce children begot in a shared linting just a little "Is that also what you seek?"

She held his eyes, not daring to hope "Yes"

He bowed his head "Then, Miss Flee"

Her chest felt constricted, and at the saainst her rib cage, struggling to burst free and go flying about the room in joy

Melisande held out her hand "Thank you, my lord"

He smiled quizzically at her proffered hand and then took it But instead of shaking to seal the bargain, he bent his head over her knuckles, and she felt the soft brush of his war at the sihtened "I only hope that you will still thank "

She opened heraway "I’m afraid I have an awful head I’ll call on your brother in three days, shall I? I must play the forsaken lover for at least three days, don’t you think? Any shorter a period and it ht reflect badly on Miss Teently closed the door behind him

Melisande let her shoulders slump with the release of tension She stared at the door a moment and then looked around the room It was ordinary, small and a bit untidy Not the sort of place one would associate with her world turning upside down And yet--unless the last quarter hour had been a waking dream--this was the place that had seen her life take a new and completely unexpected diversion

She examined the back of her hand There was no mark to shohere he had kissed her She’d known Jasper Renshaw, Lord Vale, for years, but in all that time, he’d never hsho he’d nad occasion to touch her She pressed the back of her hand to herwhat it would be like when he touched his lips to hers Her body trehtened her back again, sertips across her hair to an to leave the roo A silver button lay on the flagstones, hidden by her skirts until she’d stepped forward Melisande picked it up and turned it slowly in her fingers The letter V was e the button up her sleeve