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"Mine," Theo adive him the chance to refuse Besides, it is the perfect solution to the duke’s de, don’t you think, Mama? He’s not even twenty"

"I don’t know about that," her mother said "In terms of maturity, he’s already at least a decade older than his father And froirl with a fortune so that he can repair the estate once Ashbrook falls over in an apoplectic fit I expect that’s why the duke is pushing hiremarks," Theo said "Just listen to yourself, Mama Do I really have to wear these pearls? I detest pearls"

"Young ladies wear pearls What are you doing, darling?"

Theo looked up fro et to dress as I wish"

"So about pearls?"

"Yes I’ve added two rules in the last day or so Pearls are for swine"

"And debutantes," her mother added "What’s the other one?"

"You won’t like this one," Theo observed "Etonians merit consideration"

"I don’t dislike it But I think rank is a better judge of a man than education Besides that, there are schools other than Eton,to do with possible husbands; it only reflects how I shall dress when I have the chance to becoat is altogether delicious I don’t care a bit about the bodies inside it, unless one of them is mine"

"I hope I don’t live to see you dress like a schoolboy," her ine it"

"Don’t you remember the hopeless adoration James had for the captain of the cricket tealaure out how to harness it At least it would stop girls fro so blasted sympathetic aboutfrom the mirror "Every time you detect even the faintest hint of sympathy from one of those erandmother’s pearls You may detest theirls’ dowries There’s much to be said for unentailed personal property when it coet near Geoffrey, I’ll be sure to direct his attention to theh my teeth, just to ave her a hug "I don’t knohy I couldn’t have turned out to be as pretty as you are, Mama"

"You are--"

Theo interrupted her "Hush I have a long nose and chin and I look remarkably mannish But I can live with it, or at least, I could if I didn’t have to wear solass "There isn’t a seventeen-year-old young lady in all London who doesn’t long to wear colors in the evening It will happen soon enough"

"Once I’le

Four

Devonshire House

The Countess of Devonshire’s ball