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"And the Marquess of Wile is poor as a churchmoment "She cared for him nonetheless"

"I don’t think her father cared for his lack of funds"

"I don’t think her father should have a say in the matter"

Several seconds passed, and Sophie said, "You ruined her for the duke"

"Isn’t it possible that I ruined her for thein the words that she should understand, but the pain in her shoulder kept her froh, momentarily distracted by the leather that encased it

She looked down at the slick fabric "Your breeches" His brows rose and she blushed "I’m sorry I’m not supposed to notice breeches"

"No?"

"It’s not proper"

He cut her a look "You’re in unshot wound Let’s dispense with propriety for the moment"

"They’re leather," she said

"Indeed they are"

"That see," he drawled, the words eliciting a blush as he continued "You need boots"

Her head spun with the change of topic "I--"

He reached for her slippered feet, running his fingers over the ruined, threadbare silk "You shouldn’t have left without boots You should have taken the foot down at the dirty yellow silk slippers "I didn’t fit My feet They’re too big"

He pulled her tighter to hiet there"

"Did you find one for yourself?"

"Luckily, ly conscientious"

"Why isn’t he here?"

He looked out the"I don’t like traveling companions He was to meet us at the next inn"

"Oh" She supposed he quite disliked this, then "Where is Sprotbrough?"

He took her change of topic in stride "The middle of nowhere"

"It sounds just the place to find a tea"

He looked down at her, and at another tiht have been proud of herself at the surprise on his face "Has anyone ever told you that you have a sharp tongue?"

She offered a little s after all, am I?"

He was all seriousness "No I wouldn’t call you boring At all"

So aside froed deep in her shoulder, so aside froht, in fact, die So she did not understand

"What would you call old sunlight casting his face into brightness and shadow, and suddenly, Sophie wanted desperately to hear his answer His lips pressed into a straight line as he considered his reply When he finally spoke, the as firasped She hadn’t knohat to expect, but it certainly hadn’t been that "I beg your pardon That horribleto take that boy and do God knohat to hiht"