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"Insofar as I am about to forrain of sand looe, I must wish to be a duchess," Olivia pointed out

"The , and then instantly soothing her broith her fingertips, in case a wrinkle had sprung up "You will soht about brains when I married your father The very consideration is unladylike"

"I feel quite certain that Father evinced a nor very still so that her ludicrously unnatural ringlets wouldn’t tangle

"Mr Lytton paid me a call We danced I never considered the question of his wits You think too iven that any wo for two"

"My heart is palpitating," Mrs Lytton said, with a little gasp "Even es his mind? Youyou are not all that you could be If only you could stop trying to be witty, Olivia I assure you that your jests are not funny"

"I don’t try, Mah she’d prole "I sis differently"

"You indulge in coarse wit, no matter how you wish to phrase it"

"Then Rupert and I willherself fro "Di I’ about!" her mother accused "It’s unnatural to jest at a ht his troth to you"

Olivia was calm She knew perfectly well that Rupert’s father would arrive, at the appointed hour, and bearing whatever papers were necessary to effect the betrothal The bridegroom’s presence hardly seemed relevant

The Duke of Canteras a hardheadedhis son a co for a nursemaid A fertile nursemaid He didn’t need ether--which was irl of her rank--was of no importance

It was her hips and her brains that had proh with his promise, as he’d told her coolly on the day she’d turned fifteen Her parents had thrown a garden party for their daughters, and to everyone’s enormous surprise, His Grace had joined them Rupert had not accompanied him because he’d been only eleven years old at the time, and barely out of short pants

"My son is a buffle-headed idiot," the duke had said to Olivia, staring at her so hard that his eyes bulged a bit

Since her opinion accorded with the duke’s, Olivia had dee

"And you know it," he had said, with distinct satisfaction "You’re the one, ot the hips"

She must have twitched, because he’d said, "Hips mean children My as rail-thin, and look what happened to hter-in-law, and one is hips and the other is brains I don’tyou that if you didn’t have those two assets, I’d toss over ht woman But you’re the one"

Olivia had nodded, and since then she had never doubted that she would marry Rupert someday His Grace, the Duke of Canterwick, was not a man who pers--to stand in the way of a decision

As the years passed and the duke didn’t bring his son to the altar, even as her parents grew more and more nervous, Olivia still didn’t worry Rupert was a buffle-headed fool and he wasn’t going to change