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Aline s I should have expected no less of hiain?"

The question caused her to shiver "He won’t Believe uished, there is no way to revive it"

"What if it was never extinguished?"

"Livia, I assure you that McKenna has not been pining after me for twelve years"

"But haven’t you--" Livia stopped abruptly

Realizing what her sister had been about to ask, Aline flushed She wandered to the , staring out at a path of stone arches that led through the east garden The arches had overgroith roses, clerant tunnel that led to a stone-walled su Mearden…his handsthe dead blossoh the leaves and lattices…the hair on the back of his neck glittering with sweat as he shoveled gravel onto the path, or weeded the raised flower beds

"I don’t know that one could call it pining," Aline said, stroking the pane with her fingertips "McKenna will always be a part of oes They say that people who’ve lost a limb sometimes feel as if they still have it How many times I’ve felt that McKenna was still here, and the empty space beside me was alive with his presence" She closed her eyes and leaned forward until her forehead and the tip of her nose touched the cool glass "I love hier to ine a sweeter agony, having hi time passed before Livia was able to speak "Aline…won’t you tell McKenna the truth, now that he has come back?"

"For what purpose? It would only earn his pity, and I would sooner throwback from the , Aline rubbed the side of her sleeve over the s panes "Better to let hi me"

"I don’t kno you can endure it!" Livia exclaie coree of animosity now, had he not loved me so much before"

Despite entreaties fro ball that would be attended by everyone of note in the county "I need you there," Aline had insisted, trying to think of any way that would induce her sister to ee fro unsettled tonight, Livia, and your presence at my side would be such a help--"

"No," Livia said placidly, settled in the falass of wine in the other She wore her hair in a loose braid, and her feet were tucked into soft knit slippers "I have no desire to mix with that mob of Americans Besides, I know exactly why you’re unsettled, and my company won’t make a bit of difference to you"

"Have you no desire to see McKenna, after all these years?"

"God help reen eyes surveyed her over the ri McKenna after the way I tattled on the two of you so long ago h the floor"

"He doesn’t know about that"

"Well, I do!"

Frowning, Aline decided to take another tack "What about Mr Shaw? Aren’t you the least bit desirous ofhim?"

"From what Marcus has told me about the infamous Mr Shaould do well to stay far away froht Marcus liked Shaw"

"He does, but not as a companion for either of his sisters"

"I should think that wouldLivia laugh

"Since he’s staying here for a o downstairs and enjoy yourself You look so beautiful in that gown…didn’t you once tell me that blue was McKenna’s favorite color?"

"I don’t reht Aline had not been able to prevent herself froown the color of Russian lapis It was a sioith no flounces or overskirt, just a de of pearls rapped twice around her throat, with the lower loop hanging almost to her waist Another strand had been artfully entwined in her pinned-up curls

"You’re a goddess," her sister proclailass in tribute "Good luck, dear Because once McKenna sees you in that gown, I predict that you’ll have a difficult ti him at bay"

Once McKenna’s business partnership with Gideon Shaw had been struck, Gideon had insisted onhim presentable for Knickerbocker society This had entailed a long and rigorous period of training and instruction, which had given McKenna suitable polish to le with those in the Shaws’ elevated circles However, McKenna would never deceive hia member of the upper class consisted of far more than clothes and manners It required an attitude of entitlement, an intrinsic confidence in one’s own superiority, and an elegance of character that he knew he could never attain

Luckily for McKenna, in Ah As exclusive as the American upper class was, it still reluctantly made room for wealthy climbers A man with new money, usually referred to as a "swell," found that most doors were open to him Women were not so fortunate If an heiress’s family was not well established, no matter how financially well endowed, she would never be accepted by Old New York, and she was obliged to do her husband hunting in Paris or London rather than at home

After the captious atmosphere of the New York balls, McKenna was pleasantly surprised by the relaxed quality of this gathering When he said as hed quietly

"It’s always like this in England," Gideon said "English peers have nothing to prove Since no one can ever take their titles away from them, they are free to do and say as they wish Whereas in New York, one’s social status is a rather precarious thing The only way you can be certain of your standing is if you’re included on one dauest lists,lists…"

"Are there any lists that you aren’t on?" McKenna had asked

"God, no," Gideon said with a self-h "I’ether at one end of the ballroo The air was dense with the fragrance of roses, irises, and lilies, cut froed in crystal vases The niches set into the walls had been fitted with tiny velvet-upholstered benches, where dowagers and wallflowers sat in tightly coroups Music floated down from an upper-floor balcony, the sreenery Although this ball did not approach the extravagance of some of the Fifth Avenue affairs McKenna had attended, it put those opulent balls to shame There was a difference between quality and ht That notion was reinforced immediately by the appearance of Lady Aline