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Autubird Square, Mayfair

The lights from the town house spilled from the many s and reflected off the puddles in the square It wasn’t the best of nights but even Dominic Frampton, Earl of Monkstead, couldn’t control the weather

“Nic!”

Only one person ever shortened his name like that A warm hand slipped into his, and he turned to his sister Lady Sibylla earing the latest in fashion, with a neckline that bordered on risqué, and her hair awith excite, and only someone who knew her very ould notice the sadness in their depths

“Sib,” heher scrunch up her face There were lines there he didn’t re wo into scandal At twenty-seven she was still beautiful and he hoped despite the disgrace that clung to her name he could ease her path back into London society

“Sibylla, if you please,” she huffed, but squeezed his hand at the sa “I had forgotten you lived in your own private little fiefdohbours know that they’re your property?”

She was only half joking They were both well aware that their ancestors had been the sort of lawless raiders who took what they wanted, and with the ht land There was Monkstead Abbey in the country, and the chunk of Mayfair that later becabird, so the story went, because the Monksteads were not aristocrats and certainly not respectable enough tothebird, they had learned to fit in by imitation

Dominic knew that, like the rest of his faood fake

“I don’t own them,” he said “I’m not that medieval”

“Yes you are,” she retorted “I’ve heard about your , brother I’m surprised you didn’t meddle in my affairs”

He glanced at her and wondered if she was still joking The truth was he wished he had Sibylla had made a poor choice of husband, and to confoundoff with the man Eloped to the border, and then vanished for over a decade

Dominic had done the opposite He had irl he hardly knew because he felt he ret

“We haven’t exactly covered ourselves in glory” It seemed Sibylla had read his mind

“We cooods, what can you expect?”

“At least I married for love,” she said softly, for his ears alone

“I’ve had my share of affairs, Sibylla”

“Yes, but you haven’t loved any of them”

“Perhaps love is over-rated”

She had opened her ue with hi their first guest With relief, he entlemen he’d invited expressly with his sister’s future in e, nor did he want to reet all about their conversation by the tiht was over

So a success The food had been praiseworthy and the company jolly His sister had enjoyed herself, despite the fact that everyone here must have known about her past She was a hit, and had even sung in accootten what an exquisite voice she had Yes, she was notorious, but so charidthemselves to snub her And Dominic had made certain none of those puritans had been invited

His gaze skihurst and Lady Rich their happiness He watched the himself that here was another success he had had a hand in Another happy ending