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"Clumsy?" He arched a dark eyebrow superciliously He studied the proffered handkerchief ait fro at the back of his hair and neck

She held his accusing gaze, her eyes ith feigned innocence even as anger simmered at a low burn in her veins With only a feords the po her with e children had taunted her "I do apologize," she lied sweetly

"No need," he replied brusquely, staring at her with cold eyes "I shall dry"

She bobbed her head "Indeed No lasting da

He angled his head to the side, staring at her almost in bemusement He’d clearly detected her lack of sincerity

Indifferent to the fact--even glad that he caught it--a satisfied s her skirts, she turned and retted her rash actions later, in this ood She felt vindicated

That i in her ears as he demanded of his cousin, "Who in the hell was that?"

"I was trying to tell you That is Miss Grier Hadley"

A heavy beat of silence fell And then: " Oh "

Her smile deepened Oh, indeedLet hiy Then she heard his next words, and all her s humor vanished

"She’s entirely what one would expect fro"

She hesitated for the baresthi breath, sheas she went, unable to hear anyhiding behind a fern?" Sevastian patted his neck dry with a slight grioose bu you ruled her out as a potential bride She did not appear too impressed with you"

"Nor I with her" He dropped the napkin on the table "Accident my foot, the little liar"

Sev looked after her as she wended through the crowd She stood taller than most females He easily followed her upswept auburn hair It was on the tip of his tongue to comment that she had not been what he expected, but then he realized he had not expected anything because he had not given either of the Misses Hadley a thought--other than to deeed So she possessed fine eyes, even when spitting with teaze narrowed on her slim back and he marveled aloud, quite unable to reconcile it, "The little hoyden tossed her drink on ? To hi before

"Quite so," Malcolhter

Sev sent his cousin a quick glare "Deliberately," he stressed "She deliberately doused me with her drink"

"To be fair, can you bla re she overheard"

"Given her reaction to you--"

"Very well Let’s assume she overheard then" Sev stared after the wo said was untrue"

He recalled her face those briefabout her indicated a lady gently reared Not her bold stare Not her brown skin or the brown freckles upon her nose Certainly not her ht in her eyes Indeed, nothing like a demure lady

He scratched his jaw "No one has ever poured a drink upon me"

"You mean after ten years of war you’ve never suffered a drink in the face?"

"That ar, Malcol lemon water was not part of the routine"

"I wouldn’t know of such things" Malcolm plucked at a piece of lint on his sleeve "And I don’t see how you came to know, either You’re the crown prince You should have been sequestered away and not fighting on a battlefield"

If his cousin couldn’t understand Sev’s need to rally his people and lead an arents determined to overthrow the royal house of Maldania, then he wasn’t going to explain it

"You do what you have to do," hehis hands together behind his back, he strode across the roo an eye trained on the intrepid Miss Hadley

"Very well I think shefor Quite pretty, too--"

"Pretty is not a requisite, Malcolm"

"Very well" His cousin shook his head in wonder "All business then"

Sev’s roa to the far side of the ballrooain with her fan Not a requisite in a wife , but he found it most desirable in a bedmate of a less permanent nature