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King Richard pressed the card to his wounded breast, and melted away like butter in su House

“Rude,” Charlotte said when the King had gone

“What ato say to a person you’ve just host doesn’t s all the time What’s the matter with how do you do, happy to take your letter, isn’t it a bit of weather we’re having? I suppose nobody raps a King’s knuckles for bad manners, even if they clearly should” The color drained from her cheeks “You don’t think he’s cursed us, do you? Richard is meant to be a villain, after all!”

Mr Bud chatted away at the to outrace and outshout both his guilty conscience and any hostly curses But Charlotte and E totheir post

“What Mr Bud means to say,” interrupted Mr Tree, “and what he is not saying very well at all, is that the Wildfell Ball’s on tonight, up at Lavendry-on-Puce”

“Good gracious, we haven’t got time for a ball,” Charlotte scoffed “My brother and sister have been kidnapped by a book! I’ to dance while they’re tied to so that vicious acid dripped on theun to wobble It started in her legs and ht co on that red glass street, bleeding and bleeding and bleeding

“I can’t be wrong again,” Charlotte whispered No one bothered to hear

“Ugh, I’ll tell you twic

e for free and three times for a penny, I’d trade that whole town for a pair of wool socks” Mr Bud gruot a ball or a festival or a holiday or a feast for every day of the calendar You’d think they’d get sick of it! Too much pastry spoils the beef!”

“It’s to benefit the war hospital, Mr Bud! Don’t be ungracious We must all do our part”

“Oh, they always say it’s to benefit St Tosh’s Home for Poncery and Blatherall But really, it’s only ever to benefit their bellies with donations of chane and cakes!”

Eet the editors’ attention “This is ridiculous! Mr Bud, Mr Tree, we are not going to a party We are going to Gondal We are going to save Annie and Branwell! What kind of person could drink chae and fans and all that nonsense They’re getting farther aith every second and all you want to talk about is cake!”

Mr Bud shook his leather-lashed head “My dearies, youbattlefield for the likes of you Rouge? Fans? Chane? Yes, you will, for their sake With all that frippery you must arm and arh-class ponies with silk for snot Wellington, Douro, Byron, Elrington, the Duke and Duchess, the Queen of the Blues You’ve got half a clever tongue between the two of you and a ripping sob story in your pockets So play your hand Mind you, you look like a couple of spaniels who’ve been at the , be bright, tell your tale! Go about with hat in hand and hand on heart and make the ball benefit you”

E over the ledge of Mr Tree’s desk Her burglar’s instincts pricked up She couldn’t help herself They needed to press on and Mr Bud si He liked talking and Mr Tree liked listening so ers disappear into the desk and then into her pockets without a sound

Charlotte desperately wanted to run, all the way to Gondal if she had to Running see But perhaps the publishers were right Perhaps they needed friends Perhaps two young girls from Yorkshire could not invade a country entirely by theether in one place, they would have brought enough grog with them to revive all the elephants in the Alps The rich and the political were very partial to their own skin, after all