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"Westonbirt was lovely," Belle answered autoh there was an uncommon amount of rain"

Dunford plopped down lazily into a coland, after all"

"Yes," Belle replied, but her mind was a thousandpatiently, Dunford finally said, "Hello? Belle? Yoo-hoo"

Belle snapped back into the present "What? Oh, I'"

"And obviously not about me"

She s?"

"Everything is fine"

"Everything is not fine, that much is clear" He paused and then smiled "It's a man, isn't it?"

"What?"

"Aha! I see that I a hiive it at least a weak try "Maybe"

"Ho!" Dunford chortled "This is rich After years ofprostrate at your feet out of love and devotion, little Arabella has finally been felled herself"

"This isn't funny, Dunford"

" Au contraireIt's "

"You make me sound like some kind of heartless ice princess"

"No, of course not, Belle," he said, immediately contrite "I must admit, you have always been uncommonly nice to every pimply-faced boy who has ever asked you to dance"

"Thank you I think"

"It's probably why so many pimply-faced boys ask you to dance"

"Dunford," Belle warned

"It's just that after God kno many proposals, none of which you showed the least inclination of accepting, it's a explanation Dunford sat back When Belle offered no comment, he added, "It is a man, isn't it?"