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George looked at Billie and said, "It doesn’t"

She pressed her lips together, looking highly amused

"His surnae rolled his eyes His mother was a menace He held out his arm "Shall we, Billie?"

Billie nodded and turned so they were facing in the sae had already led Billie away

"I don’t knohat Ashbourne’s son looks like," Billie said "Do you?"

"Bit of a paunch," George lied

"Oh" Billie frowned "I can’t iine why she’d think of hie ree the peri the proprietary sensation of her hand on his aret in," Billie said "I told your et out and walk, since the weather is so fine, but she was having none of it"

George chuckled Only Billie would ruht I’d asked if we could stop off and see the King for a cup of tea on the way"

"Well, seeing as the palace is quite across town…" George teased

She elbowed hilad you did not wear a wig," he said to her Her hair had been styled elaborately, as was the fashion, but it was her own, and only lightly powdered He liked that the rich chestnut color shone through; it was Billie without artifice, and if there was one thing that defined her, it was that she had no artifice

He wanted her to enjoy her tied by it

"Dreadfully unfashionable, I know," she said, touching the long lock of hair that had been left to drape over her shoulder, "but I ood chance I would step too close to a sconce and set e turned sharply

"Givenpresented at court," she said, "it was not as unreasonable as it sounds"

He tried not to laugh He really did

"Oh, please do," she said "It has taken ht as well be amused"

"What did happen?" he asked "Or don’t I want to know?"

"Oh, you want to know," she said with an impertinent sideways look "Trust me You definitely want to know"