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His breath left him in a short punch of exasperation "Do you have any concept of money? Any idea how many people would like Lady Danbury's thousand pounds?"wI have more of a concept ofat the insult "And besides, Lady Danbury's reward doesn't make my secret any more vulnerable"wIt makes everyone else more determined, and that makes you more vulnerable Not to est sister pointed out, there is the glory"wHyacinth?" she asked

He nodded gri the paper down on the bench beside hi uncovered your identity is enviable, then you can be sure she's not the only one Ither stupid ruse"wCressida's doing it for the rumbled "I' it All that matters is that she is, and once you dispose of her with your idiocy"-- he sla Penelope to wince as a loud crinkle filled the air--"so I don't already know," she said, ive him the last Then for the love of God, woet aith her scheme She's the answer to your prayers"

Her eyes snapped up to his "You don't knowin her tone hit Colin squarely in the chest She hadn't changed his ed it, but he couldn't seeht words to fill the moment He looked at her, then he looked out the , hison the do way ho He didn't blame her It had been a stupid non sequitur, words to fill the silence and nothing elsewIf you let Cressida--" he beganwStop," she implored him "Please, don't say any ht about what you'd gain?"

She looked at hi else these past few days?"

He tried another tactic "Does it truly matter that people know you were Lady Whistledown? You know that you were clever and fooled us all Can't that be enough?"wYou're not listening to me!" Her mouth remained frozen open, in an odd incredulous oval, as if she couldn't quite believe that he didn't understand what she was saying "I don't need for people to knoas me I just need for them to knoasn't her "wBut clearly you don't mind if people think someone else is Lady Whistledown," he insisted "After all, you've been accusing Lady Danbury for weeks"wI had to accuse someone," she explained "Lady Danbury asked ht it was, and I couldn't very well say ht it was Lady Danbury At least I like Lady Danbury"wPenelope--"ould you feel if your journals were published with Nigel Berbrooke as the author?" she deether," he said with a derisive snort "I hardly think anyone would believe he could have written ave her a little nod as an apology, since Berbrooke was, after all, round out "Or substitute whohed, "I'm not you You can't compare the two Besides, if I were to publish my journals, they would hardly ruin hing loudly, and he knew that his point had been well made "Good," he announced, "then it is decided We will tear this up--" He reached for the sheet of paperwNo!" she cried out, practically leaping fro!" she shrilled "All I did was sigh"wOh, for God's sake, Penelope," he said testily "You clearly agreed with--"

She gaped at his audacity "When did I give you leave to interpretpaper, still held in his hands, and wondered what on earth he was meant to do with it at thiswith an anger and fire that made her almost beautiful, "it isn't as if I don't have every last word memorized You can destroy that paper, but you can't destroy me"wI'd like to," he round out "I'd like to destroy Whistledown You, I'm happy to leave as is"wBut I a within her sie, all her frustration, every last negative feeling she'd kept bottled up inside over the years broke forth, all directed at Colin, who, of all the ton, was probably the least deserving of itwWhy are you so angry with me?" she burst out "What have I done that is so repellent? Been cleverer than you? Kept a secret? Had a good laugh at the expense of society?"wPenelope, you--"wNo," she said forcefully "You be quiet It's my turn to speak"

His jaent slack as he stared at her, shock and disbelief crowding in his eyeswI aed to say, her voice shaking with emotion "I don't care what you say I don't care what anyone says No one can take that fro--"wI don't need for people to know the truth," she said, ju on top of his ill-timed protest "But I will be damned if I allow Cressida Twombley, the very person who who " Her entire body was tre now, as memory after memory swept over her, all of them bad