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Of course She could forget having a happy, relaxed party ast friends on the island The announcest people she didn’t know at a stiff, formal ball

‘Do you have a problem with that?’ Xavier probed when she bit down on her lip

‘No Of course not’

‘In teeks’ time’

‘So soon?’ Her heart flipped over ‘Will that be enough ti?’

Xavier gave her an a was possible for Don Xavier Del Rio She’d better get used to it, though a second encounter with high society was not the best start to the plan that she had so boldly put in motion She could tell he was pleased, because he’d take over now Their e of convenience would be over and done with at breakneck speed

The night of the ball had arrived He stared at his stern, for if Rosie was ready for this Their last htened as if she’d expected hiain with a tender kiss For her sake, he had resisted any show of affection It would be wrong to pretend that this wedding was anything more than a convenience for both of therace hich she caed in the bitter past, always triumphed in the end

He felt nothing for Rosie So as he still thinking about her?

His only interest was in seeing how the evening played out, he told hih it She had elected to play hardball, and now she had to prove that she could

Meates The cathedral would be cra His scandalous match with his late aunt’s housekeeper ossip since the invitations went out Even the aed his schedule in order to attend both the wedding and the ball, and the creaether with several members of the royal faaret was in charge of arrangeo s It reht of her, but it hat he thought when he saw her after several days apart that intrigued him His mind was a blank canvas where that was concerned Would he feel anythinglust when Señorita Clifton arrived at the ball?

She couldn’t have done this without Margaret’s help, Rosie reflected, wishing her heart would cal forXavier again was even uests at the ball She’d know at once what he was thinking She would be able to read his thoughts in his eyes Hehe’d be pleased to see her was too much to ask

Ball goeren’t exactly her area of expertise, Rosie fretted as she stared at her reflection in the ht?’

‘You look beautiful,’ Margaret assured her as she bustled about, tweaking Rosie’s ankle-length gown

When Margaret had knocked on the door of her suite at the hotel, Rosie had welcoown and a wedding dress in the time available ay beyond her scope She had been busily scouring the pages of a rand boutiques would be likely to let her through the door in her custard dress, when Margaret arrived She was irl, and after the fiasco of the red dress she couldn’t risk another disaster Margaret’s down-to-earth encouragement turned out to be just what she’d needed