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He couldn’t have done She could barely stand, and he just looked

Like himself

The same old Marcus, who saw her as a burden A not wholly unpleasant burden, but a burden nonetheless She knehy he could not wait for Daniel to return to England It o back to the country, where he was happier

It ain, and she soed to pull herself from her daze "Marcus," she said abruptly, "why are you here?"

For a moment he stared at her as if she’d sprouted a second head "I was invited," he replied, a little indignantly

"No" Her head hurt, and she wanted to rub her eyes, and most of all, she wanted to cry "Not here at this ball, here in London"

His eyes narrowed suspiciously "Why do you ask?"

"Because you hate London"

He adjusted his cravat "Well, I don’t hate – "

"You hate the season," she cut in "You told , then stopped after half a syllable That hen Honoria remembered – he was a terrible liar He always had been When they were children, he and Daniel had once pulled an entire chandelier fro To this day, Honoria still wondered how they’d done it When Lady Winstead had deht to her face, and so charly that Honoria could see that theirthe truth

Marcus, on the other hand, had gone a bit red in his cheeks, and he’d tugged at his collar as if his neck was itchy

Just as he was doing right now

"I haveresponsibilities here," he said aardly

Responsibilities

"I see," she said, alht?"

"I’ so short of temper It wasn’t his fault that Daniel had burdened hi Any gentleman would have done so

Marcus held still, but his eyes flitted to either side, al for soely "You’re angry" he said, a little bit placatingly, ry," she bit off

Most people would have retorted that she sounded angry, but Marcus just looked at her in that annoyingly self-cory," she muttered, because his silence practically de

"Of course not"

Her head snapped up That had been patronizing The rest sheHe wouldn’t Marcus would never make a scene

"I don’t feel well," she blurted out That, at least, was true Her head hurt and she was overheated and off-balance and all she wanted was to just go home and crawl into bed and pull her covers over her face

"I will take you to get some air," he said stiffly, and he put his hand at her back to lead her to the French doors that opened onto the garden