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"It’s not a sheep balloon," he said "I’ll explain if you think you’re ready for that level of anato no desire to be embarrassed further

With a slow shake of his head, Gabriel asked, "How the devil did you come by the idea that I had the pox?"

"Because you’re a notorious rake"

"No, I’m not"

"Lord Chaworth said you were"

"My father was the notorious rake," Gabriel replied with poorly contained exasperation, "in the days before he married my mother I’ve been tarred by the same brush because I happen to look like him And because I inherited his old title But even if I wanted to acquire legions of amorous conquests, which I don’t, I wouldn’t have the damned time"

"But you’ve ‘known’ many women, haven’t you? In the Biblical sense"

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed "How are we defining many?"

"I don’t have a particular quantity in mind," Pandora protested "I wouldn’t even know--"

"Give hed shortly to convey that she was hu him "Twenty-three"

"I’ve knoer than twenty-three wo to think that would end the discussion "Now, I think we’ve spent enough tirounds Let’s go back to the house"

"Have you been with twenty-to to move

A rapid succession of emotions crossed his face--annoyance, a "No"

"Twenty-one?"