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"And it was mine in the first place, rather than answer your questions No, I think it will be good for you If you don't witness anything too bizarre it may even help you overcome your aversion to men "

"I have no aversion to e, which enslaves women as surely as—“

"Yes, I know," Lina said, having heard it all before "And in truth, you'll see men at their basest—it could put you off thee, quite the opposite I just have different reasons ”

"Since no one seems likely to offer for me then that's probably just as well And you knohat a lively intellect I have This is one area I can't study in books "

"Depends on the bookNever reat deal of fun once we're back horeat men of London look like without their drawers In ht "

"Then why—" Charlotte began, honestly curious

"It's not the looking, dearest It's the touching Not that you're to let anyone touch you If they try I'll cut off theirears You're my dearest cousin and I intend to protect you " She looked at her for a long ht, and I'll have Louise coive it one last go before all your illusions are shattered "

"I have no illusions, I have no interest in 'giving it one last go' as you so delicately put it, and Meggie can take care of my hair "

"You're ireen and not that hideous peach thing It looks dreadful with your hair "

Charlotte rose fro the i looked dreadful with her hair Except, perhaps, the sarcenet, which reen "I'll , and took herself off

Lina watched her cousin disappear, then turned her attention back to her reflection, trying to ignore Louise's lis-on of the Heavenly Host and innocent cousin Charlotte ain countenance the idea ofthe same mistake Lina had made

She knew her cousin much better than Charlotte realized She understood perfectly well the look in Charlotte's eyes when Viscount Rohan entered the rooh to te she had no interest in eneral or the viscount in particular And in truth, she was probably safe Rohan could have anyone he wanted, and usually did He'd have no appreciation for an over-tall young woman with copper hair asn't quite comme il faut, one so fir lace caps and sitting with the dowagers Which Charlotte would, if Lina would let her

And just in case, once Lina had finished with hier hold the faintest allure for her cousin

No, Rohan wouldn't be likely to go near her, and Lina was reasonably certain that Charlotte would be i or affluent As for the kind of ht be more likely to attract—some plump, elderly er or, even worse, soaspirants In truth, she was taking her into the wilds of Sussex, to Hensley Court and the libertine gathering of the Heavenly Host, to protect her

Charlotte knew only a bit of the horrors of Evangelina's e to the elderly earl of Whit her any of the unpleasant details, details that were better left in the shadohere they belonged Those were tiht when she couldn't help it, and she could stuff her pillow over her face to keep fro out loud It was over, it was past But she wasn't going to chance letting the sa Charlotte