Page 3 (1/2)

For three --what she could have done to avoid this fate She’d retraced her steps a thousand ti for her error

She’d been weak threeher eyes for everyher silence merely because it was i weak

She’dwhen she looked in his eyes and issued her threats After that, she could do anything

And this aze I’ht And if the clamminess of her palms declared otherwise, there was no need to tell hi -quality fabric of his jacket aright Everything about hi He wasn’t particularly tall, nor was he short He was neither skinny nor fat Theabout him was that he was virulentlyto think, of course Still, Serena held his eyes, save the fellow a polite, dismissive nod

He crossed the street toward her

He was as unreed the square He had a nondescript face, so faave her a friendly, unassu smile

She did not respond in kind She wasn’t nice, she wasn’t easy, and she was done being a target She gave hinified don’t you ie on my time

A man as ordinary as this one should have flinched froht up to her bench and, without soher leave, sat next to her

"Nice day," he coh and not too deep His accent was not the drawl of aristocratic syllables trained to lazy perfection, but a hint of so fro outside long enough to turn her nose red Not when an unfamiliar man sat next to her and started a conversation

She turned to frown at hi her with a quizzical little shed "You’ve coossip, haven’t you?"

"You could say that" He tensed, and then o Marshall, by the way" He tossed the introduction out, and then leaned back, as if waiting for her response

Was he an i as he’d approached Maybe he was a solicitor, who ht carry tales Or a butler, who enforced rules He looked rather young to be a Mayfair butler, but whatever he was, he wasn’t going away

She would have preferred a woossip--she found it easier to talk to women But perhaps this felloould do

"Miss Serena Barton," she finally offered "I suppose everyone wants to knohy I’ave her another one of those pleasant smiles "I have no interest in everyone," he responded smoothly "But I do wish you’d satisfy arbled"

She had no intention of satisfying anything of his She’d been cut deep by her own silence--cut to the point of shame Noas her turn to wield that knife

The Duke of Clermont had told her to stay quiet So she would