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She was going to have to save herself, or at the very least, do her best to s off the bed and sat up, placing her moment of pity fir

Perhaps there was sos They were fir into her skin Maybe she could reach her ankles with her hands It would be aard, since she’d have to bend backwards, but it orth a try

She lay on her side and curled her legs up behind her, reaching back…back…

There She had it It wasn’t rope but rather a strip of fabric, tied in an extre she’d h than attempt to work open

She’d never had patience for this sort of thing It ith the embroidery she hated, and the lessons she’d skipped…

If she could get this knot undone, she’d learn French No, she’d learn Russian! That would be even et it undone, she’d finish Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron She’d even find the one about the mysterious colonel and read that one, too

She’d write more letters, and not just to Miranda She’d deliver charity boxes, not just pack the she started

Everything

And there was no way she was going to fall in love with Sir Harry Valentine and not marry him

No way at all

Chapter Twenty-three

Harry sat in silence while Alexei downed his second shot of vodka He said nothing when he took his third, or even his fourth, which was actually the one he’d originally poured for Harry But when the prince reached for the bottle for his fifth shot-

"Don’t," Harry snapped

Alexei looked at hi your pardon"

"Do not take another drink"

Now the prince appearedme not to drink?"

One of Harry’s hands clenched into a fist, hard and tense "I a Olivia, I don’t want you stu down the hallway"

"I can assure you, I never stumble Or-what is this puke?"

"Put the bottle down"

Alexei did not coet who I a You would do well to take note of that"

Alexei merely stared at him "You make no sense"