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Vivianna was lucky, she had Oliver, and she had love, but Marietta had destroyed her chances of e her sister when she had tried to run off with Gerard Jones She had wept long and hard when they brought her back to Greentree Manor, not so ue, but for her own lack of foresight Tined her to her fate as the “scandalous Greentree sister”—no matter how interested a man was in her, he soon faded ahen he learned of her past She may wish it was otherwise, that love conquered all, but she was no longer such an innocent as she had been Love did not conquer all, in fact love was more often than not the crux of the problem

However all was not lost She may never live a cozy life as Lord Somebody’s wife, but she still had a life to live Why shouldn’t she experience everything it had to offer, and without the fear of exposing her vulnerable heart once more? Marietta had a plan, and she hoped, very soon, to put it into practice

At the Vauxhall Gardens, she had waited until Mr Jardine becaiven hilove and must return for it “I’ll only be a o on and I’ll catch you up” She’d hurried back to the balloon to have a ith the ticket seller A ticket tucked safely into her drawstring bag, Marietta had returned to her companion

Now she recalled what the ticket seller had said “It’s at your own risk,as you realize that”

“I do,” she had replied firmly

“Then be here sao up with Mr Keith”

“Mr Keith?”

“The aeronaught, miss Don’t you listen to theland—I’d leifer go up with Mr Keith any day!” The lad had said it with a smile

People, Marietta found, usually did s to do with her petite stature, or her bouncing blond curls, or her open face and big blue eyes Outwardly she was transparently honest in the joy she gained froravitated towards her because of it

Until they discovered she was ruined, she reminded herself bitterly—then they were quick to avoid her

“Such people aren’t worth knowing,” her sister Francesca had said in an attempt to make her feel better “Your true friends will never desert you”

Francesca was younger than Marietta by only a year, but in appearance and character they were very different: Francesca tall and dark; Marietta small and fair Francesca was intense and serious, whereas Marietta was, outwardly at least, all light and laughter But they were close despite all that, and she wished that Francesca had agreed to leave her moors behind and co the truth seem not so bad

The balloon awaited her, and this tiround, oh no This ti down

Marietta hurried forward, and the crowd parted for her The aeronaught, adark hair and lush side-whiskers, wassome last-moment adjustments He looked up, distracted by the crowd’s murmur, and the lad who had sold her the ticket leaned closer and ht’s face underwent a transformation and suddenly he was all smiles

“Ah, Miss Greentree! How do you do? I’m Ian Keith We’re alht cockney accent, as though he had risen in the world