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"She did help ," she blurted out

"My mother?"

Billie nodded, then su a pair of my breeches to town just in case I needed to shock her"

He let out a bark of laughter "Did you really?"

"No," she adhed, "but just the fact that I pondered it , don’t you think?"

"Absolutely" He looked down at her, his eyes so blue in theize for my mother I don’t knohat’s come over her"

"I think perhaps she feels" – Billie frowned for a uilty"

"Guilty?" George’s face betrayed his surprise "Whatever for?"

"That neither of your brothers ever offered forshe probably should not have said But as it happened, Billie did think that Lady Manston felt this way

And when George’s expression slid froht have been jealousy… well, Billie could not help but feel a little pleased

"So I think she’s trying to a for one of them to ask me, but I think she thinks I was, so now she wants to introduceyour pardon?"

He cleared his throat "Enough," he said in a much more evenly tempered voice "It’s ridiculous"

"That youryou to a pack of useless fops is a sensible idea"

Billie took a moment to enjoy this statee scoffed audibly at this

"She does," Billie insisted, unable to suppress a smile "She just wants what she thinks is best forher otherwise It’s a Rokesby trait, I’m afraid"

"Youan iht face