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Strange how easily the lie still slipped fro for the innkeeper to be gone

The innkeeper quickly complied

"I aodmother"

When Cecilia elve years old, she’d been forced to play the part of Mary in her church’s Nativity play This had required her to stand in front of all her friends and neighbors and recite no fewer than twenty lines of prose, all of which had been religiously drummed into her by the vicar’s wife But when the time came to open her mouth and announce that she was not married and didn’t understand how she could be with child, she froze Her mouth opened, but her throat closed, and it didn’t matter how many tie Cecilia just couldn’t seem to move the words from her ears to her head to her h Cecilia’s head as she stared into the face of the estiaret Tryon, wife of the Royal Governor of New York, and god to be married to

This was ed to squeak out She curtsied (Extra deep)

"You must be Cecilia," Mrs Tryon said

"I am Iah" Cecilia looked helplessly around at the tables of the half-filled dining room This was not her home, and thus she was not the hostess here, but it seeht to offer to entertain Finally, she pasted as bright a se on her face and said, "Would you like to sit down?"

Mrs Tryon’s expression flicked fronation, and with a little jerk of her head, she motioned for Cecilia to join her at a table at the far side of the room

"I came to see Edward," Mrs Tryon said once they were settled

"Yes," Cecilia replied carefully "That is what the innkeeper said"

"He was ill," Mrs Tryon stated

"He was Although not so ained his memory?"

"No"

Mrs Tryon’s eyes narrowed "You are not taking advantage of him, are you?"

"No!" Cecilia exclaimed, because she wasn’t Or rather, she wouldn’t be soon And because the thought of taking advantage of Edward’s generosity and honor burned like a poker in her heart

"My godson is very dear to me"

"He is dear to ine he is"

Cecilia had no idea how to interpret that

Mrs Tryon began to re only to say, "Were you aware that he had an arrange lady in Kent?"

Cecilia sed "Do youflash of adh her eyes "Yes," she said "It was not a forement, but it was expected"

"I am aware of that," Cecilia said Best to be honest

"It would have been a splendidalmost conversational But only aluely bored note of warning, as if to say--I have control, and I shall not relinquish it

Cecilia believed her

"The Bridgertons and the Rokesbys have been friends and neighbors for generations," Mrs Tryon went on "Edward’s mother has told me on many occasions that it was her dearest wish that their faue There wasn’t a thing she could say to that that wouldn’t cast her in a bad light