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Her head fell back and he kissed her arched throat, his mouth open and hot “Marietta,” he murmured, “we need to think of the consequences We need to take care”

“Why?” she demanded “I don’t want to take care”

“You may think you have no reputation to lose, but believe me if we are seen like this then there will be an uproar My family have disowned me—what I do does not matter—but your family will be made to pay”

His words were sobering, but still it was a th to draay from him

“My family would suffer if it was known that I intend to becoe my name, to become someone else entirely It is the best way Marietta Greentree will disappear and Madame Coeur will appear to take her place”

Max choked “Is that what you’re going to call yourself? I thought the whole point of being a courtesan was not to lose your heart? Maybe you should think again”

Mariettait up with one hand, while with the other she searched for the pins that were scattered all over her skirts “I have thought and that is the best I can come up with”

“Mada her

“I aht stays

His eyes narrowed and moved slowly over her “I don’t know about that,” he drawled Then his rew serious “You tell e, Marietta, but it is still possible you could marry well Your brother-in-law is a wealthy man, is he not?”

Marietta froze, and stared at hiht as Vivianna had, for Oliver to buy her a husband Pick one out for her, as she had just been choosing a pair of gloves! And what sort of ht like that? A man with no pride, a man who cared more for his position and fortune than for her The very idea of it made her shaky and ill

“I do not want a husband who has been bribed to wed me,” she said coldly “I would despise such athis now? It’s because you don’t wantbut that; even marry a man who has been bribed to take me”

“Yes,” he said, “you’re right I don’t want to see you do anything so foolish”

“Why will no one take me seriously!”

Max stared into her eyes, reading as there, all the passion and wonder that was Marietta Greentree He had told hi to his conscience—he had believed he really could lose himself in a hedonistic whirlpool That he deserved her But Max wasn’t finding that easy He kept thinking about Marietta’s future, and ould become of her after he had his pleasure, after he had played the mentor to her pupil, and he left for Cornwall and she moved on to some other man