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It was al his taunts, touching her with hands that were far too bold, too callused to belong to a blueblooded prince
She’d never reacted to Trevis this way Rolling onto her side, she allowed herself to think about her former employer, careful that she did not collide into any of the huhts of him
He’d been her best friend since childhood, comfortable and constant--he even stood up to those ould bully her She thought they would spend the rest of their lives together His kisses had been nicebut apparently that hadn’t been desire Not true desire She recognized that now She knew
After what she felt tonight in that ar when she considered the prince had not even truly kissed her Her belly had never filled with butterflies before tonight, her lungs had never felt so tight she couldn’t draw breath
Her cheeks warined what an actual kiss from Prince Sevastian would feel like She curled into a shtly to her chest, and let her i his face as close as it had been earlier Only in her mind his mouth closed over hers, his lips asp She had no business entertaining such fantasies Certainly not for a wicked ard--save for a quick tryst Eyes wide, she stared out at her bedchaht loomed endlessly
Snow started to fall in fat wet flakes, licking at the panes She rearranged the pillows behind her head and settled back Slipping a hand beneath her cheek, she watched the flurries of white outside her , letting the sight block out everything, everyone, especially her fleeting glier duchess’s country seat sat nestled areat lake stretched before thecarpet of velvet blue She could allassy surface in the spring
Grier held her breath as they were ushered up several steps into a cathedrallike foyer and tried not to feel like a total i roo through the tall, cracked double doors The butler pushed the doors open and guided theroup
Apparently they were the last to arrive Several other guests took their tea, the dowager included She sat in a great throne of a chair before the fire, reigning like a pasha over the asse the butler’s stiffly delivered introductions, the grande daers
Jack forged ahead like a blustery wind, greeting the dowager in jarring tones, heedless of the soft tones everyone else used as a young lady painfully banged her way on the pianoforte
Grier and Cleo exchanged glances at the s in chaises and sofas about the room Wealthy or not, invited or not, they were objects of disdain for the dowager’s guests
Grier pasted a polite srel who snuck inside to escape the stored here just as uest
For soe of Prince Sevastian’s face swaree He thought she was co as it shouldn’t She bit back a groan of frustration that he’d found a way into her head again
Shaking memories of him away, she lifted her chin a notch and inquired after the dowager’s health
The dowager offered a reply and smiled Grier tried to detect artifice in the brittle curve of her ashen lips--the same artifice she met at every turn within the ton --but then she called a stop to such wonderings Such thoughts were pointless Of course the ser didn’t want Grier or Cleo to wed her grandson She merely wanted Jack’s fortune to save her family
It didn’t take er’s situation The evidence was there, all around Grier The faded wallpaper wouldn’t be so obvious but for the few squares of brighter, cleaner paper where paintings had once hung Sold to fetch aze darted to thein attendance Likely to pay for the servants required to run thisroom furniture, once of the finest quality, orn and faded So with her father for the last s and er snapped her wrist and the viscount appeared, lifting up from a chaise across the room, where he had been in close conversation with a pretty brunette The girl’s eyes followed hirandmother’s side and bowed over Grier and Cleo On the other side of the girl, her pluly and stared sourly at Grier
Grier frowned Was the girl in love with him? Was he in love with her? Perfect Another reason to feel uncoh He srace His boyish good looks betrayed nothing He showed no sign that his heart was otherwise engaged A gentleman to the core Unlike a certain prince whose led her head and took a bracing breath, repriain Would he never be far frohts? Over the course of their journey to reach the dowager’s estate, his face and taunting words filled her head e, really
Holy hellfireShe al inside the drawing rooain as he approached The gentleman didn’t resemble him It was he
He was here Her prince was here No! Not her prince She sed tightly, cursing herself for that slip He wasn’t her anything
Panic swelled up in her chest, tightening her throat Hoas she to forget him when he attended the same house party with her? He would be here, underfoot the entire tith of the dinner table, constantly hear his voice everywhere she turned
His gaze found her, those gold eyes widening with recognition So akin to aone, banked His well-for line
She sniffed and held up her chin, struggling to appear unaffected She stared coolly at hi royal She behaved as though she didn’t know hiether scarcely constituted an acquaintance
Her sister lightly touched her elbow, and she dragged her attention back to the viscount, focusing on what he was saying