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She didn’t knohether to be insulted or glad that he hadn’t recognised her in turn Maybe both It only seemed to confirm that the mutual connection she had believed was special between theht they met hadn’t been special or mutual at all

So inside her chest plummeted just a little more Her pride, no doubt, because oman’s pride wouldn’t be dented when a h of her now had no clue as to who she was just because of a silly costume?

Dismayed to have her worst fears confire Let hi irritation Let him try and use all his sophisticated charm on her and have her turn hi better than to see hi a hole for himself and then reveal her identity at the lasther when he’d proet over that but she really hated when aand did another She’d experienced the disappointirl to put up with it in her adult life

‘Great outfit by the way I’ you’re—’

‘Don’t say Little Bo Peep,’ she warned ly

Sahed softly ‘If you were Little Bo Peep you’d have a staff And sheep Which ht not ith those ducks earlier’

‘Swans’

‘Ducks, swansfeathered foho belong in a pond, not at a littered with lazy azed at her ‘Not without a mask at least’

Ruby’s lips twitched and she quickly sipped the last of her wine She was not going to find hi to feel breathless with awareness, or tingly with anticipation She was not going to reentle way he had tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear before he’d said goodnight to her two years ago Or the way he had looked at her as if she aet I for trouble

‘So no nursery-rhyreed ‘Want to dance instead?’

‘I don’t dance with strangers,’ shefurtively towards the dance floor in the hope that Molly was ready to go home Of course, Molly was nowhere to be seen

‘Stranger?’ He cocked his head ‘That’s easy enough to remedy—’