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"Miriam, who is that boy?"

Gossip is petty, but in the world of politics it’s also essential I try to keep up, but Miriae puts mine to shame Hell, she’d put an MI6 spy’s to shame

"He’s the new Duke of Anthorp," she whispers back

The Duke of Anthorp is the title of the Rourke faious in Wessco as Pe"

"Just a year older than you" She nods "Father had to give him a special dispensation so he could take his family’s seat in the House of Lords Didn’t he tell you?"

I shake my head

And Miriam tells all "Oh, it’s the juiciest bit! The new Duke is actually the second Rourke son His brother--older by eight years--had a falling-out with the old Duke when he joined up for the war against his father’s wishes When the war ended, the older son came back home and the Duke offered to reinstate hi to do with it! He left!"

"Left?" I can’t i away from your home, your fa down the middle of the street without your clothes on

"Where did he go?"

"Anywhere he wanted" Miria les, and holds a record for deep-sea diving He finds treasure"

"Treasure? The Rourkes have as much money as we do"

"But that’s why it’s so dreamy! He doesn’t find the treasure because he needs to--he does it just because he can He gives it to charities--they say he once gave a rare diaed his life"

Ohthat is rather dreao" Miriaers "They say the older one didn’t come home for the service, but the two brothers are supposedly very close And now the younger brother is the Duke of Anthorp"

I watch the boy for aaround hih proxiuardedness in his stance that’s rare around here He see to eat him alive

"What’s his na out to be a huge ioith my hair piled in shiny curls on my head, encircled by a flawless diamond tiara And I haven’t heard the arts once

It’s an extravagant affair--long tables laden with caviar and sparkling Chailded mirrors on the ballroolittery jewels, top hats and tails, and the lilting uests include a former American president, royals from every country in Europe and all the noble fa the wall, beside ain ti to

Occasionally a isher stops to chat--like Mr Elvin Busey, a ed, well-connected entrepreneur anted to tell me all about his new upholstery business, in case I wanted to invest Once in a while, an upper-class boy passes by--the son of a Duke or an Earl or one of the several foreign Princes--each with expressions of greedy lust or squirrelly unease on their faces when they glance my way

"That dress is the tops, Lenora!" My cousin Calliope gives e

Calliope’s hobby is writing detailed horror stories about the grisly death of every member of the royal fa enuine They’re not real or sincere

The rest of the guests tend to watchto look like they’re not But attention is tangible and weighted--sohter, and my features slip into that unreadable ?" own is red velvet and there are winking rubies pinned all through her dark hair