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"Hold your tongue," Lady Berwick told Pandora in an ominous undertone "Have you taken leave of your senses?"

Pandora twisted to glance back at her "I’ve done nothing wrong," she insisted "Or at least nothing dreadful enough to deserve being married for it"

"It is for your elders to decide ill happen next," Lady Berwick snapped

"But it’s aze returned to Gabriel Her tone beca desperately to control the situation Either she didn’t co to arrest the momentum of a runaway loco been raised by a loving rown up with two sisters, he understood woirl, however, was soo," he said "But this situation isn’t so" He extended his card to Trenear "My lord, obviously you and your family have much to discuss You may rely on my honor--the offer for Lady Pandora stands indefinitely"

Before Trenear could react, however, Pandora had snatched the card froers "I won’t marry you, do you understand? I’d rather launch myself from a cannon into the sun" She proceeded to tear the card into tiny pieces

"Pandora," Lady Berwick exclaimed balefully as the flakes of paper stock fluttered doard

Both Pandora and Gabriel ignored her As their gazes caught and held, the rest of the room seemed to disappear

"Look you," Pandora told hie is not on the table"

Look you? Look you? Gabriel was si to him as if he were an errand boy?

"I’ve never wanted to marry," Pandora continued "Anyone who knows me will tell you that When I was little, I never liked the stories about princesses waiting to be rescued I never wished on falling stars, or pulled the petals off daisies while reciting ‘he loves , they handed out slivers of wedding cake to all the unirls and said if we put it under our pilloould dream of our future husbands I ate my cake instead Every cru anyone’s wife"

"What plans?" Gabriel asked How could a girl of her position, with her looks, e?

"That’s none of your business," she told him smartly

"Understood," Gabriel assured her "There’s just one thing I’d like to ask: What the bloody hell were you doing at the ball in the first place, if you don’t want to htly less boring than staying at hoe as you clai part in the Season"

"Not every girl who attends a ball wants to be Cinderella"

"If it’s grouse season," Gabriel pointed out acidly, "and you’re keeping corouse-enuous to ask a sportsrouse"