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Billie wouldn’t have been surprised if she had an entire tea service hiding down there

And then And then! She’d put her hand on George’s forearm like she owned it Even Billie wouldn’t have dared such a fa She leaned in her chair, trying to get a look at George’s face He could not be happy about this

"Are you all right?"

She turned Andreas regarding her with an expression that hovered somewhere between suspicion and concern

"I’m fine," she said in a clipped voice "Why?"

"You’re about to fall in ht "Don’t be absurd"

"Has Sir Reginald broken wind?" Andrew ave her an unrepentant smirk "It was either that or you’ve developed a new fondness for lared at him

"I do love you, Billie," he drawled, "but not that way"

She rolled her eyes because… Well, because Andreas a wretch He had always been a wretch And she didn’t love him that way, either

But he didn’t have to be quite so mean-spirited about it

"What do you think of Lady Alexandra?" she whispered

"Which one is she?"

"The one who is crawling over your brother," she said impatiently

"Oh, that one" Andrew sounded like he was trying not to laugh

"He looks very unhappy"

Andrew tipped his head as he regarded his brother Unlike Billie, he did not have a gargantuan fruit display to contend with "I don’t know," he mused "He doesn’t look like he minds"

"Are you blind?" Billie hissed

"Not that I’m aware"

"He-- Oh, never ain, this ti with the woman on his left, so hopefully he wouldn’t notice

Lady Alexandra’s hand was still on George’s arm

Billie’s jaw clenched He could not be happy about this George was a very private person She looked up, trying to catch a gli to Lady Alexandra, so perfectly pleasant and polite