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The ,better now Da’s a set you into your dinner gown; the gong will be sounding any minute’

Betsy ht feel better, but Aown and arrange her coiffure, her mind raced furiously

So between the rival se was involved with one or the other Hoould Papa react if his son and heir were taken up by riding officers? If the confrontation turned violent, George could even be injured Or shot dead, like Farmer Johnson

A her so! She felt the strongest urge to proceed directly to George’s roo

Gratifying as that e was unlikely to admit he was involved, even if he was Like Althea, he would probably resent what he would see as her unwarranted interference in his private affairs

Perhaps she was doing hiht be entirely innocent, but his clandestine behaviour and her instincts said he was not

The anxiety in her gut spiralled tighter If only they were not hosting this blasted dinner tonight! She debated going ih she hated to alarht to know if she suspected George was caught up in soerous enterprise?

No, she decided, best not to talk with hiht be baseless accusations against George, she le between the rival bands and her brother’s possible connection to it

‘There, miss,’ Betsy said with satisfaction as she settled a shawl of spangled gauze about Amanda’s shoulders ‘You look like a fairy princess I hear there be a prince dining with you tonight, too,’ she added with a wink

A accuracy of servants’ gossip to have ferreted out that an eligible young man had been invited to Ashton Grove

Never had she felt less like entertaining Girding herself for the task, she dismissed Betsy and walked towards the parlour

In spite of the guests, soe a few private words with Mr Anders, io into Salters Bay tomorrow and consult his Navy contacts

The idea of confiding in Mr Anders brought a surprising ent, perceptive and discreet in his dealings with Althea Her initial impression of him as a man of subtly leashed power, soht, had only strengthened as she’d come to know him better She felt instinctively she could count on him to assist her

Despite the worry gnawing at her, the idea of stealing a few moments alone with hih she told herself she intended only a brief chat, still her ht do in a

Ihts free She needed to concentrate on extricating George froht be a dangerous, destructive confrontation

As she paused on the threshold of the parlour and pasted a polite sh Just when she thought sheon her preparations for London, everything at Ashton had grown much more complicated

After putting his bit about Althea into Miss Neville’s ear, Greville had tried to avoid them both these last two days: Althea, so he didn’t become a further bone of contention between the two cousins; Miss Neville because he was so powerfully drawn to seek her out He wasn’t sure this hazy new concept ofa friendship would triumph over the old, orn habits of seduction, and temptation waspresence

He lingered in his chaht as well He had no desire to be present to observe Trowbridge practically salivating over Miss Neville while he paraded his perfectly bred, perfectly connected, perfectly handsome body before her

He would have asked for a tray in his room, except that Althea had tracked him down in the library to tell him, in tones of dismay, that her uncle had said she would be included in the dinner tonight, as a special favour Uncle Ja her the treat, she hadn’t had the heart to refuse hied Greville to make sure he was seated near her so she’d have someone hohbour and his ould surely concentrate all their attention on her uncle and her cousin

His host and hostess would be distressed as well, should he fail to appear Besides, he knew he couldn’t pass up a chance to adown