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A cold knife plunged into her heart In that frozen moment, she knew that he ed defeat What's more, Rolt are that she knew it even if his brother didn't It was there in the lint of his eye

"Drink up, Alanna," Kurt prolass and carried it to her lips The drink was in her mouth before she could stop him

"Now that I've toasted the future bride, do you object if I dance with her?" Rolt inquired

"Not at all" Kurt renani her into his brother's custody

Don't you see what he's doing? Alanna screamed silently at Kurt But he merely smiled into her pale face and prodded her in the direction of his older brother, now standing expectantly beside her chair Feeling abandoned, she rose, frozenly accepting the guiding hand on her back

The small dance floor was crowded, as was all of the bar Yet Alanna ed to hold herself stiffly ahen Rolt turned her into his arid in his hand and her other hand rested on only a small square of his muscular shoulder She looked sideways at the other couples rather than at her partner

"All yourwon't work, you know," sheto marry him"

"Are you?" he countered smoothly

Alanna flashed hihtly shut It would be a waste of breath to try to convince hiant and conceited to listen She lapsed into a frigid silence

"How are your parents?" Rolt asked

"Fine," she answered icily

"Are they?" Hisdoubt

Alanna htened around her waist It wasn't a desire for small talk that had prompted his inquiry about her parents She knew it as surely as she knew her name

"Why do you say that?" she asked warily

"I thought your father see when I was there for dinner the other evening" Rolt shrugged in see indifference "Doesn't he approve of Kurt?"