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Others ht have accepted that at face value, but Henrietta knew her little sister just a little too well “And?”

Mary held her gaze, vivid cornflower-blue eyes steady and unyielding

Henrietta tipped her head, arched her brows, and waited

“Oh, all right!” Mary flung up her hands in surrender “And I think I ht have found my perfect hero, but I need the necklace to be sure The necklace is supposed to coo to Lucilla, so it seems I’m supposed to wait for the necklace before I decide onin the face of fate and The Lady to et the necklace, and I have to have it in the proper way” Mary’s expression firmed; her eyes bored into Henrietta’s “Which means you have to wear it and find your hero first”

Henrietta looked down at the necklace, at the innocent links draped over her hand And sighed “All right I’ll wear it tonight”

Mary uttered a whoop of delight

Henrietta held up a staying hand “But I don’t expect it to work for et your hopes up”

Mary laughed and darted in to plant a quick peck on Henrietta’s cheek “Just wear it, sister-, Mary swung toward the door—“I’ll put my faith in The Lady”

S, Henrietta shook her head

Mary paused at the door “Are you joining Maht?”

“No—I’e, she often attended different events than those to which their mother escorted Mary “Have fun”

“I will I’ll see you to it behind her

Still s, the necklace in one hand, Henrietta turned to discover that Hannah had put her nen back in the arown of purple silk

Catching Hannah’s gaze as the old silk shawl in her hands, Henrietta arched a brow

Correctly interpreting the gesture, Hannah assured her, “The royal blue won’t do, ht, Hannah nodded at the necklace “And if you’re going out looking for your hero, ant you to look your best”

Henrietta inwardly sighed

Two hours later, Henrietta joined Mr and Mrs Wentworth by the side of Lady Montague’s ballroos, they stood and watched the Wentworths’ daughter, Melinda, as dancing a cotillion

Melinda’s partner was the Honorable James Glossup

It was Jaht Henrietta there; she found herself studying hi all that his appearance and his expertise in the dance conveyed, and wondering—as she had for the past several days—why, given his transparent attractiveness and accomplish a bride

Mrs Wentworth, a short, cohed “It’s such a shame—they make such a handsome couple”

“No” Mr Wentworth, a solid, conservatively dressed gentleman, patted his wife’s hand where it rested on his sleeve “There’ll be other handso around, and as Mellie’s of a rateful to Miss Cynster for finding out what she has”

Henrietta smiled faintly and quashed an impulse to squirm She didn’t know James well, but he was her brother Sirooo Consequently, James’s and her paths had crossed at several fah his association with Simon, she’d had no reason to look more closely at James