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Rue’s sto to try to kiss her? She was both terrified and curious Rue had allowed herself to be kissed before, of course she had, she wasn’t that old-fashioned But not by Quesnel

He bent down, faceactually handsome instead of boyishly cocky

She opened her mouth to protest but found she hadn’t any words

He leaned in closer

And then she was hurtling through the air to land with a treed sputtering but feeling in more control than she had since she first entered Countess Nadasdy’s abode "Mr Lefoux, this dress is a Worth" Her lovely grey gown had been through quite a lot that evening, ith the boiler explosion earlier and now this

"Had to be done, mon petit chou If you’re to be my captain shortly, I can’t spend weeks cooped up on an airship with you, constantly faced with the mad temptation to du such things out of the way now?"

Oddly, Rue did "I understand your reasoning" She waded out of the pond with aslily-pads Uncle Rabiffano’s lovely hairdo sagged and the seagull hat was a non-starter It floated away, looking as if so monstrous had drowned

Quesnel stepped up to help her out of the pond Rue took his hand warily But he acted the perfect gentlemen, just as if he hadn’t tumbled her in

"I suppose I’ll have to leave Percy until toh to dry out on the way back to town"

"Percy?" Quesnel let go of her hand

Rue almost slipped back into the pond She recovered her balance and glared at him He remembered his manners, e water out of her boots, she issued hiain but he did not let the matter of Percy drop "Professor Percival Tunstell? Are you in earnest? Please tell ht you were the only impossible man I’d have to deal with? Much as I hate to adht about Percy as he was about you He’sWithout dunking each other in ponds, I hope He’s unlikely to be as understanding as I"

"But he’s so very annoying"