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Chapter One

LONDON

The Rutledge Hotel

May 1852

Her chances of a decent e were about to be dashed—and all because of a ferret

Unfortunately Poppy Hathaway had pursued Dodger halfway through the Rutledge Hotel before she recalled an is and seven zags

“Dodger,” Poppy said desperately “Coive you a biscuit, any ofto make a scarf out of you”

As soon as she caught her sister’s pet, Poppy swore she was going to alert thewild creatures in their faainst hotel policy Of course, that ht cause the entire Hathaway clan to be forcibly removed from the premises

At the moment, Poppy didn’t care

Dodger had stolen a love letter that had been sent to her fro in the worldit All the situation needed was for Dodger to hide the blasted thing in some public place where it would be discovered And then Poppy’s chances ofman would be forever lost

Dodger hurried through the luxurious hallways of the Rutledge Hotel in a sinuous lope, staying just out of reach The letter was cla front teeth

As she dashed after him, Poppy prayed that she would not be seen Nowoman should never have left her suite unescorted However, Miss Marks, her coone for an earlyride with their sister, Amelia

“You’re going to pay for this, Dodger!”

Thein the world was for his own a overturned or investigated, no stocking or coer stole personal items and left them in heaps beneath chairs and sofas, and he took naps in drawers of clean clothes, and worst of all, he was so entertaining in his naughtiness that the entire Hathaway family was inclined to overlook his behavior