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"Yeah"

"Did you feel dirty afterward?"

Prudence threw her head back and released the deep, throaty laughter for which she was so well known "Caw, no It was bloody ot transported, ye know? To Australia Sootta ’ave ’er dreaainst her pal a self-conscious laugh at the notion of taking this…whatever it was…to a point where shea quick nod Feagan had often taught thes that he’d told theave theht spot "I probably won’t need any preventives, but I spend an awful lot of tiht be like if he did rinned "Kissed ye, ’as ’e?"

Feeling as though she were suddenly ten years younger, carefree with never a worry, Frannie had an insane urge to giggle as she’d once seen a young girl with a beau behave as they’d walked down a street arm in ariddiness at her age "Don’t you dare tell Jack"

"Wouldn’t dream of it" Prudence slapped the back of the chair "Sit down, let me finish with yer hair and I’ll tell ye wot I know"

What she knew, unfortunately, usually involved the cooperation of thesuch intimate matters with Greystone, and if she couldn’t discuss the them with him

So why, then, had she gone to so reen ribbons woven through it Where Prudence had obtained the ribbons, Frannie had no idea, but they own Jack had purchased for her It left a good bit of her shoulders exposed She was torn Would it entice Greystone into trailing his fineherself as a coward, she drew on a silk shawl She tugged on the white kidskin gloves Luke’s grandfather had given her years ago She felt as though she needed soan had given her the day she and the others had said their goodbyes, when they’d an behind She’d not wanted to go, but he’d insisted "Ye’ll ’ave a better life, Frannie darling, and ’ave I not taught ye that ye always go for the big purse, not the s a small carved wooden box, she carefully reift to remember me by"

Other than the clothes on her back, it was the only thing she’d brought with her froht after the filth of the rookeries had been scrubbed from her body She’d never worn the pearls before, because she was afraid they’d been stolen and sonize the uish theht she was quivering with nervousness and needed a bit of Feagan with her

"Yer as good as anyone," he’d once told her

With a deep breath, she tucked the sentiment away into the corner of her rown dark by the tirabbed a small reticule, left her apartment, and locked the door

Frannie had not been this terrified or this excited since the day that she, Luke, and Jack sneaked out of Feagan’s at dawn to go to a fair He’d have not minded if they’d told hi to pilfer pockets But the night before, when counting the coins, she’d pocketed a crown for theetting arrested Rather than stealing, they’d purchased food to eat As much as she’d enjoyed the day, it had been tainted orry, because she’d been afraid Feagan would discover that a coin wasto steal froers, another entirely to steal fro, terrified that she would disappoint the lads if they discovered her plans, for surely they wouldn’t approve when they kneell as she that nothing lasting would come of this encounter She was a bit of sport for a lord of the realh she were a lady in the beginning, at the end she’d be nothing more than a memory, if that

She was halfway down the stairs when she spied Greystone, lier’s The alleyasn’t brightly lit in this area, but it provided enough light that she could recognize his silhouette The breadth of his shoulders, the narrowness of his hips gave hioing anywhere with thishis hand upward to assist her in descending the last few steps Slipping her hand into his, she felt his long, strong fingers wrap around hers and her heart gave a little patter Thank goodness, they both wore gloves She was still on the steps, her eyes level with his, when he said in a low, sensuous voice, "You look beautiful"

"Anyone can appear beautiful in the shadows" Why did she sound breathless, as though she’d raced down the stairs?