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“Well…yes” Violet appeared to be surprised by her own answer and hastened to add, “That is not to say that Mr St Clair is not in possession of foibles and faults of his own It’s just that…Well, I’m just not acquainted with them”

“They are large,” Hyacinth said bitterly, “and quite possibly insurmountable”

“Oh, Hyacinth,” her mother said, and there was such concern in her voice that Hyacinth very nearly burst into tears right then and there “Whatever can be the matter?”

Hyacinth looked away She shouldn’t have said anything Now her mother would be beside herself orry, and Hyacinth would have to sit there, feeling terrible, wanting desperately to throw herself into her arain

When she was small, she had been convinced that herbetter with a soft word and a kiss on the forehead

But she wasn’t a child any longer, and these weren’t a child’s problems

And she couldn’t share them with her mother

“Do you wish to cry off?” Violet asked, softly and very carefully

Hyacinth gave her head a shake She couldn’t back out of the e But…

She looked away, surprised by the direction of her thoughts Did she even want to back out of the iven herself to Gareth, if they hadn’ther to remain in the betrothal, ould she do?

She had spent the last three days obsessing about that night, about that horrible ly talk about how he had one over every sentence in her head, every word she could re herself what had to be the most important question The only question that mattered, really And she realized—

She would stay

She repeated it in hertime for the words to sink in

She would stay

She loved him Was it really as simple as that?