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"I’ lady for you, I can’t be--"

"You are all that I want"

"But I can’t marry you"

"Why?"

"I--I can’t"

"You will," he promised her

Southern boys whooped and hollered and carried on at barbecues and balls Meg and Sean went everywhere together

It was at the elegant Wynn town house in the French Quarter that she firstman, tall, lean, blond, and dark-eyed He clai politely acknowledged her introduction to the young man, but paid him little more attention She had eyes for no one but Sean Yet, as she stood at the punch table, Aaron approached her "Miss Montgohtful I would call upon you, if I aze She s his pursuit "Sir, you are welcoed, sir"

"Ah To the Canady"

She nodded "But youladies here, and many ould enjoy--"

He stepped closer "I would have you"

She shook her head, backing away "I have just told you, sir--"

"It doesn‘tme I knoho you are, I knohat you are, and we are one and the same, and I will have you"

Her smile was brittle She was furious, but deter about; we are not the sao to hell" As she turned to leave hi on her And then she knew Knehat he was She gritted her teeth together, and spun on him "We are not the same And this iselsewhere"

"I warn you, Miss Montgomery--"

"No I warn you Leave this place There is no room for you here"

"So, my dear, you assume it’s your territory"

"I am fiercely fond of ine hat strength I can defend all that I hold sacred"

She waited

He kept sh places"

"Now, sir, I really don’t knohat you ed "Lucian,hischosen"

"How dare you i You are favored, my beauty But I understand as well that you seek your independence in all things, and so, trust o so far I would protect you, my dear"

"I don’t want your protection I have told you that I aed to Mr Canady--"

"Nearly He is not such a man as I"

She smiled "Thank God"

"Watch yourself, my beauty There are rules"

"And I abide by them I pay heed, and I bother no one else This is nificent A challenge"

"I have told you that e that"

"You refuse to listen, and you are beco a bore, sir, and"

"And?"

"Don’t underesti

"See that you leave"

She had come across others in her travels across Europe and Aed one another, and moved on They had never threatened Sometimes they had talked, and almost been friends There were the rules, of course The rules, which kept the They must respect one another

She stared hard at Aaron Carter, then spun again, away from him, and walked on She met Sean in the ballroom, and danced with him, but she watched Aaron Carter