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"One ed her, and she had no idea how long he’d stayed there with his lips playing against hers, while she’d responded with deep-drea into the darkness like a cat

Pandora renched away fro of the tin slipper-box lid

"There’s only one slipper," she heard Ida say suspiciously "Where’s the other?"

"I don’t know"

"Why were you out of bed?"

"I was looking for a book, since I couldn’t sleep," Pandora replied irritably, filled orry What if Gabriel hadn’t remembered to retrieve the other slipper from the hallway? And what about the fallen candle? If one of the servants had found the ite to look under the bed "How do you lose things so easily? Gloves, handkerchiefs, pins--"

"Your talking is waking up ht you’d be pleased for er than usual"

"I would," Ida retorted, "but I have other things to do besides wait on you allwith a huff, she left the roo up her pillow, Pandora dove her head into it "I’rumbled "One who doesn’t call me names and lecture me at dawn" She turned to her back and then to her other side, trying to find a comfortable position It was no use She ake, and that was that

Would it be worth the effort to ring for Ida and try to dress in ti In fact, she didn’t knohat she felt like A strange mixture of emotions whisked around inside hernervousness, excite, fear Tomorroas her last full day at Heron’s Point She dreaded having to leave She especially dreaded the things that would have to be said

Someone tapped quietly on the door Pandora’s heart lurched as she wondered if itslipper "Yes?" she called out in a hushed voice

Kathleen ca even in the diently, co Are you ill?"

"No, but e of theback her hair and resting briefly on her forehead From the moment Kathleen had co to a mother Pandora had ever known, despite the fact that she was still a young woreat deal to think about," Kathleen muroing to feel like a ht "I wish Lord St Vincent were a warty old windbag Then everything would be easy Instead, he’s odiously attractive and char to make my life as difficult as possible This is why I’ve never understood why people think the devil is a hideous beast with horns and claws and a forked tail No one would be te Lord St Vincent is the devil in disguise?" Kathleen asked, sounding vaguely amused

"Heconfusing I’e looks so awfully nice with its gold bars and cozy velvet perch and that dish of s clipped for that’ And then when the door latches shut, it will be too late"

Kathleen patted her back cos have to be clipped I’ll support whatever you decide to do"

Oddly, Pandora felt frightened rather than comforted by the reassurance "If I don’t marry him, will our farist for the gossip mill for a little while, but tiering stain on our reputation will only serve todinner companions And I promise we’ll find a perfectly nice husband for Cassandra" Kathleen hesitated "However, should you wish to ht pose a problem for some men Not all, but a few"

"I won’t ht to vote and make the laws fair Which means never" Pandora buried her face in the pillow "Even the Queen opposes suffrage," she added in a sentle hand on her head "It takes tiet thatMr Disraeli"

Pandora flopped over to look up at her "I wish he would speak up a bit more loudly, then"

"One has to speak to people in a way they can hear" Kathleen regarded her thoughtfully "In any case, the laon’t change in the next two days, and you have a decision to make Are you absolutely certain that Lord St Vincent wouldn’t be supportive of your board game company?"

"Oh, he would support it, in the way a man supports his wife’s hobby But it would always have to co else It wouldn’t be convenient to have a ho’s visiting her factory instead of planning out the dinner party I’ one compromise after another, and allthe other way"