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If they wanted to hunt and fish and shoot a pistol like a marksh he e of six Surely even Billie would now accept that that had been absurd

Billie would be the best ht as he walked down the hall to the s room Her children would not be trotted out once a day for her inspection She would love theh and tease and teach and scold, and they would be happy

They would all be happy

George grinned He was already happy And it was only going to get better

His mother was already at the breakfast table when he entered the roo at a recently ironed newspaper as she buttered her toast

"Good e"

He leaned down and kissed her proffered cheek "Mother"

She looked at hiant brows set into a perfect arch "You seeave her a questioning glance

"You were s when you entered the roo quell the bubbles of joy that had had hi down the stairs "Can’t explain, I’m afraid"

Which was the truth He certainly couldn’t explain it to her

She regarded hi to do with your untie paused briefly in the act of spooning eggs onto his plate He had forgotten that his mother would surely require an explanation for his disappearance His presence at the Wintour Ball was the one thing she’d asked of hi I asked of you," she said, her voice sharpening with each word

"I beg your forgiveness, Mother," he said He was in far too good a ain"

"It is not iveness you must obtain"

"Nevertheless," he said, "I would like to have it"

"Well," she said, momentarily flustered by his unexpected contrition, "it is up to Billie I insist that you apologize to her"

"Already done," George said unthinkingly

She looked up sharply "When?"

Da his plate "I saw her last night"

"Last night?"

He shrugged, feigning disinterest "She was up when I came in"

"And when, pray tell, did you co a few hours "Midnight?"