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"It’s true that I ith Mistress Kovac on the day in question when she chose to hock her supposedly precious tiara in exchange for money"

Lady de Bricasse raised her brow "But you weren’t willing to lend it to her?"

He shrugged "I offered She said she didn’t take aze narrowed andthe lady on ht work yet "Yet you spent even ood shoulder "I was trying to do so to hold over o into the details I’d tried to talk to Doug about breaking up weeks ago, told hiht for each other But he’d begged ut, but I suspected that Doug saw the tiara as a bargaining chip Jerk

I scowled at him What had I even seen in hiuy, and sure he’d been char each other It had even been sweet at first, and then…it became needy and weird Three ’s face contorted into a facsi unnecessarily cruel and throwing my kind deed back in my face"

I turned to him, fists clenched at ive me the tiara and letit’s yours"

"Would you allow her to buy it back fro put his hand to his chin as if this was the first he’d heard of the idea Ass

"I offered to buy it back at triple what he paid," intoned Willia his head, e to give it back, but I don’t want money attached to it It will sully my memory of my time with Mistress Kovac" His voice trailed off, and this time I did audibly scoff

The council all turned to look at me "You aren’t sympathetic, Mistress Kovac?"

"No I’m not That item…" My voice faltered for a o into it--not now, not here

How could I explain this tight ball of panic inyet another part ofit my hands with sorrow in his eyes overwhelhter"--"You have to be brave…be brave for Mahtened atgot that look in his eye again, as if he were conteured out what he wanted Either I’d have to undo the breakup or… Goddess, I had no idea, actually He kneas planning to follow the Renaissance Faire in a few months I would not leave without that tiara anyit to keepto stand in as her chae him to a duel of honor at the Beltane Festival in May"

I opened my mouth to protest, but Williae As the prize, I will accept Mistress Kovac’s tiara"

"If you win" He sneered and then turned back to the council "And as ree to exile himself permanently from our community"

The silence was so solid in that tent, you could have set a full table on it People had been filing in and taking seats on benches and floor cushions in preparation for the for to take place in a few reat deal of chatter before s, but no one so one slack and his as biting her lip, glaring at Doug It was then I remembered that William was a favorite of hers