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Her mother reached over and patted her hand "I know you didn’t, darling"

But she did not deny that Theo had beco fine feathers in London won’t make me someone other than who I am," Theo pointed out

"You are beautiful," herher ready ability to overlook the obvious "The hed "Any feathers and furbelows I add to nity My self-respect If I play the ga myself look pretty, I will not succeed, and I will just look foolish and vain"

Heryou up to be such a weak-livered, cowardly person You are not the first woard, and you will not be the last But that does not excuse you, northe ton, yousubject of conversation and speculation Evenon the less fortunate side of your reeable"

"I do not dwell on e! And in truth, Mae?"

Her mother met her eyes "Theodora, it is my distinct impression that you enjoy the way everyone on this estate listens to your every word And that’s not toconcern and the ceramics factory"

This was indisputably true

"You would never have had this opportunity had you married Lord Geoffrey Trevelyan I saw hio, by the way It was a production of Così fan tutte, sung in Italian"

"A nice way to ht I would rather not be made to endure hours of opera"

"Still, you refuse to allow yourself to be happy You are bent on seeing yourself as an injured party, whereas in fact you have triumphed over adversity You threw your husband out the door, and in what I can only iuilt, Ja realized it at some point, and more or less made her peace with it "He married to protect his father’s honor, but that doesn’t mean that he wished to stay married, at least not to me"

Her mother looked at her, and then back down at the teapot "May I offer you a fresh cup, ain, didn’t I?" Theo asked, with a sort of wry chagrin curling in her stoood deal more complicated than you admit I would certainly, for example, contest your characterization of James’s motives, but it seems irrelevant at this moment After all, the poor man may be dead"

Theo flinched "Of course he’s not dead! He’s staying away in a sulk I did not say that he needed to stay out of England forever I ain"

"In land was to you When you dismissed him, he likely severed all attachments in order to protect his heart His father re more than his ill-mannered behavior to you, and now the poor duke is dead There is nothing to bring Ja "I would call it rather nored that comment "No matter how irresponsibly the late duke handled his money--and your inheritance--he opened his house to us on your father’s death without a second thought Ashbrook was never happy again after James disappeared, and you do bear some responsibility for that, Theo He loved his son dearly"

"You keep speaking as if Ja herself with the vehemence in her tone "Jaracefully froh the linens with Mrs Wibble I will join you at luncheon, dearest"

It was a dramatic exit, Theo had to admit

James was not dead She would know if he were dead