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He looked faintly annoyed "I wasn’t thinking of Cler this difficult You see, I had rather hoped that you ht ask your husband to release you"

Free’s ot a husband" But she could not look away fro on her His hands still held hers "And even if I did, he hasn’t any political clout"

"Ah, but here’s the thing," he said "If you did have a husband, he ht coned, sworn statement of release from dead Prince Albert, if that would do the trick"

Free choked "Please don’t do that"

"Of all the things that Ja you harht do" His voice was low "I’d learn necroet you out"

He was driving all possibility of thought frohts of permits and arrest had been driven from her mind She sed and looked up into his eyes "Luckily, you don’t need to learn necroreed, "I don’t"

"Even more luckily," she heard herself say, "I don’t need a husband for that I have you, and you could forgeme Even if that were our only prospect Which it isn’t"

"Unluckily," he said, without breaking into a s holes ina failed logician with necromantic tendencies, by any chance?"

Free took a deep breath It didn’t seee? I just want to clarify matters You see, it could also be a madman’s babble, and I want to be certain"

"It’s a proposal" His hands squeezed hers "Of e And this"--he reached into his pocket--"is a special license Did you know the vicar will be around today until six?"

"Ohme to marry you today? Before you’ve had a chance to meet my parents? With nobody around to witness but A you to marry me within the next hour" He simply looked at her "I can’t think of a reason why you should I have no moral sense to speak of I lie, I cheat, I steal, and I’ll probably drive you away screa within the week But if you s on your behalf"

She shook her head reprovingly "Edward"

"Was that not any better as proposals go?"

"No Not particularly I can’t even tell if you mean it seriously"

"Then try this one I’ve spent all the last years of , ‘This world is a terrible place; how can I take advantage of it?’ And then I met you" He fell silent, but his eyes met hers

Dark, deep pools She’d only drea at her as if she were everything to him She felt her toes curl