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And he’d kissed her She actually touched her lips, thinking of it now Her first kiss She sat down and Lucy leaped onto her lap A bundle of wet fur could not own any wetter than it already was, and Rupert’s little dog was shivering terribly, so she bundled her inside the coat and pulled it closed

She had iined that Rupert would kiss her when they consu forward to his salutation, her ihtest atte in his instructions for ress

But this duke had kissed her as if it were his right As if he were her fiancé Andhe’d said she was beautiful Olivia pulled the coat a little tighter and thought about that She’d been complimented before, of course She was to be a duchess someday, and on occasion men had flattered her in a halfhearted sort of way

Still, the Duke of Sconce had had no idea of her future rank when he’d told her she was beautiful The thought was like a bright little coal in her heart, a happy spark

Her mind skipped to a different subject She’d never seen hair like his Black as ht, except for one white streak in the front, and falling loose around his shoulders Of course, he’d presumably been called fro the day

Lucy lanced down, only to see a gleah her skirts Perhaps that hy the duke had stared so intently She couldn’t bear wearing corsets while riding long distances in a carriage--but generally, there was no one to see her but her sister

Just as she peeked into the coat to see whether, in fact, her breasts were as visible as her knees, ahis livery over his right shoulder "What is it?" he panted, seeing her "Lord, and aren’t you half-drowned, then? Has the bridge to the village gone under water again?"

"The village?" she echoed

The ed He straightened, and so indefinable shifted every feature in his face He transforreat house

"Please accept"I a you in my silver room, I assumedhas there been some accident?"

A footman poked his head in at the door, with another at his heels, their livery pulled on in a haphazard fashion "Our carriage drove into the gatepost," she explained "Lady Cecily Bumtrinket’s ankle is injured She is not badly wounded, but the coachman must have been thrown clear I couldn’t find him at all I called out, but when no one answered, my sister and I decided that I should come to the house, while she stayed with Lady Cecily"

She suddenly felt exhausted "I am Miss Olivia Lytton," she continued, "and while I would not wish to disturb Her Grace, we are expected"

"Your rooly "If you would accompany me, Miss Lytton, I’ll have you upstairs, dry and co with you?"

"There were two carriages with ourclosely"

"Likely the other carriages missed the turn in the dark It’s quite common when a driver hasn’t visited the manor before" More foot in different directions Then he turned back to her again "Mrs Snapps, the housekeeper, will dispatch a maid to your bedchamber, Miss Lytton And I will send up a hot bath and drinks, perhaps a light repast, if you wish"