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She was actually considering it Like awhat it would be to ine it Couldn’t even begin to conceive of what it would be like to marry a ht And carried screa women off into abandoned houses
It would not be a nore of the ton, that was certain
She ht on, thanks to the step upon which he’d deposited her "If I reat secret of society is that ruination is not nearly as bad as they make it out to be You’ll have all the freedoms that come with a ruined reputation They are not inconsiderable"
He would know
She shook her head "It’s not simply ood matches if we marry All of society will think they’re aseasily scandalizedas I was"
"Your sisters are not my concern"
"But they are my concern"
He raised a brow "Are you certain that you are in a condition to bedemands?"
She wasn’t Not at all But she soldiered on nonetheless, squaring her shoulders "You forget that no vicar in Britain will marry us if I refuse"
"You think I would not spread it across London that I thoroughly ruined you this evening if you did so?"
"I do"
"You think wrong The story I would concoct would make the most hardened of prostitutes blush"
It was Penelope who blushed, but she refused to be cowed She took a deep breath and played herme, you would also ruin your chances at Falconwell"
He stiffened Penelope was breathless with excitement as she waited for his reply
"Name your price"
She had won
She had won
She wanted to crow her success, her defeat of this great, immovable beast of a ht must not affect my sisters’ reputations"
He nodded "You have my word on it"
She clenched the torn fabric of her dress in a tight fist "The word of a notorious scoundrel?"
He took a step up, co her in the darkness She forced herself to reer and proa her courage "I--I’m neither of those"
"Nonsense," he whispered, and she iined she could feel his lips at her teamer You simply require instruction"
No doubt he could teach her ined
She pushed the thought--and the ies that careeone, chased by trepidation
She wished she could see his eyes "Do I have a choice?"
"No" There was no euilt Just cold honesty
He offered her his hand once more, and the wide, flat palranate seeds
If she took it, everything would change Everything would be different