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Sowe clenched Lia’s arled Her voice was soft and frantic, her breath fragrant froiven them She had also tried to tae "To tomorrow? That is not fair, Lia You are my sister, not just my friend How can he separate sisters?"

Lia kept her voice low since there were so rounds for the village beyond

"The Alderht But what can she do, Sowe? He is coe his mind? Look, do you see Reome over there? Look how she has braided her hair She is too beautiful It hter when the hts "I have never been so nervous We should have practiced more What if I stumble?"

"You will not stu about that, it is bound to happen! Just breathe deeply This is our first year – no one is expecting us to dance all that well"

"Who is that young man who just asked Reome?" Sohispered "His arms are enormous!"

"The local blacksmith, I think," muttered Lia jealously He was a head taller than the other boys "Ugh, there is Get our way, Lia!"

In an awful ht They had just exited the gates with the flow of the crowd and Get their way to the maypole Lia’s ston of Colvin Where was he?

"Will you dance with ht of touching his sooty hand But she realized with so at her, but at Soho squeezed her arhtly it hurt

Sowe mumbled an answer, but the croas so boisterous that Lia knew he had not heard her

"Will you?" he repeated, his eyes blazing, daring her to humiliate him with a rejection

Sowe released Lia’s arm and extended her hand A look of victory filled Geted her after hi around thewith her for rescue, but there was nothing Lia could do but watch thelisten on Sowe’s dark hair as they circled around the pole, back again, swirling, dancing

Everything seemed to slow like thick honey It was as if Lia saw her friend for the first tih she knee’s face better than anyone’s But it was the unforgiving look in Reome’s eyes that spoke the truth Reome also watched Sowe as she danced – and it was the look of utter jealousy The look that sprouts from a proud woman’s heart when it realizes sonorant of the scathing stare She was shy with Get qualities They twirled and they danced the other direction Around the pole and back, weaving the ribbons until the entire maypole was sheathed in silk Lia stood aloof, with so was finished, the dancers were given a reprieve while the coiled ribbons were untangled Sowe left Get man, the Tanner boy, appeared breathlessly at her side and asked for the next dance He clai circle Sowe looked over her shoulder, searching, but their eyes did notinto knots There were learners dancing with learners, their fine cut gowns and gold-threaded tunics dazzling with jewelry, their skin spicy with the scent of costly perfumes But on Whitsunday, even the wretcheds were their equals No one was forbidden to dance around the ed from around the almonry and Lia’s heart nearly burst with relief They were dressed in the sa collar and chain, the same she had seen around Colvin’s neck She bit her lip, searching their faces They were young, all of them, and quite sure of themselves But none of thele of beautiful learners who Lia had known and served dinner to and then escorted theain on the sidelines As soon as the round was finished, Soas beset again by another youth – this tily feeling began to bloo to let the feeling coalesce into an envious thought It was her third dance already