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"Why should any of these people"--Pandora cast a quick, wary glance at the crowd in the ballroom--"care what I choose to do?"

"Because you are one of them A fact that, assuredly, pleases them no more than it does you" The countess shook her head "I can’t pretend to understand you, irl Your brain has always seemed to me like those fireworks--what are the ones that spin so , all light and noise Youto find out the particulars It’s a fine thing to be clever, but too norance Do you think you can willfully disregard the world’s opinion? Do you expect people to ad different?"

"Of course not" Pandora fiddled with her e it repeatedly "But they rained girl, why should they? Nonconforh it was obvious the countess would have liked to deliver a full-blown lecture, she snapped her mouth shut and rose to her feet "We will continue this discussion later" Turning away, Lady Berwick headed for a brood of sharp-eyed, vinegar-blooded dowagers at the side of the rooan in Pandora’s left ear, like a vibrating copper wire, as it soing pressure of frustrated tears rose behind her eyes Oh God, that would be the ultimate hu in the corner of the ballroom No, it would not happen She stood with such haste that her chair nearly toppled backward

"Pandora," caent voice from nearby "I need you to help me"

Perplexed, she turned just as Dolly, Lady Colwick, reached her

Dolly, a vivacious, dark-haired girl, was the younger of Lady Berwick’s two daughters The families had become well acquainted after Lady Berwick had undertaken to teach etiquette and deportment to Pandora and Cassandra Dolly was pretty and well-liked, and she had been kind to Pandora when other young wo Dolly’s first Season, she had been the toast of London, with a crowd of bachelors collecting around her at every social event Recently she had h soe of a sizeable fortune and a marquessate in his future

"What’s the matter?" Pandora asked in concern

"First promise you won’t tell Mama"

Pandora s if I can help it What is the proble"

"Oh, bother," Pandora said sympathetically "Well, that could happen to anyone I lose things all the time"

"No, you don’t understand Lord Colwick had his s fetched froht" Dolly turned her head to display a heavy sapphire and dialed from one of her ears "The problem isn’t just that I lost the other one," she continued unhappily "It’s where I lost it You see, I slipped away from the house for a few minutes with one of my former suitors, Mr Hayhurst Lord Colould be furious with me if he found out"