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He ht her carnations He read her poetry But mostly he spoke of the ball that he and his ood to see Mother engaged in so She and Walter were so close, you know," he said quietly as they strolled through Regent’s Park They’d taken to visiting different parks and she wondered if it was in part because he hoped to avoid running into Tristan

She considered telling hier in her life, but that would be a tacit confession that he had once been, and she wasn’t quite certain how that would go over She heard no rumors of him and Lady Hermione so she wondered if he was on the sea She tried so terribly hard not to think of hi her withat all of late, she’d learned thatthe joy or pain associated with them She had but to be patient and soon all of her reine the devastation of losing a child," she said, equally quietly They always spoke as though everything they said was not to be shared with others, was a secret It created a sense of intinized their habit carried a falsehood with it She supposed one day that it wouldn’t If he continued to court her If he ever asked for her hand

She could only hope that if she did ht, when her husband discovered she was notuntouched, that he’d believe she’d given herself to Walter on the eve of war before he ive her for such a rash act

"It was devastating for her," Chetwyn said "At one point, she even said that she wished it had been me"

"No, Chetwyn" She squeezed his ar, not her"

"So I told h I’ the o He should be accustomed to it by now, but still she realized that it could not be easy for one so young Walter would have been twenty-five Chetas three years older The sa his responsibilities But then his life had been very different The two could not be compared

"You are an exceptionalonce I’ve seen to rimaced "Sorry I am here with you because I wish to be I enjoy your coh, aren’t they? Father is desperate forthat I don’t think the decision should be hed "The ball I was discussing the ball May I confess soht this ht in the Crirees"

"Wholeheartedly I understand he’s a bit rough around the edges, but he behaved exeht perhaps he could even speak of the need to not forget those who fought and returned with challenges"

"I believe he would be a wonderful addition to what you have planned"

He sree Now if you could help me convince Mother"

"What if I did a bit more than that?"

"What have you in mind?"