st was a ga

eople-men with egos made of spun sugar, women with opinions about teacup

of course, the

ould find in Beatrice's wardrobe-deep burgundy with black lace that

ye

rywh

tence. Teacups paused halfway

ep red lipstick, dark eyeshadow, the kind of bold, beautifu

red makeup existed in the 1940s. Bea

les from one era, fashion from another, manners stitche

e I owned not just the garden, b

to waterproof a ship-looked at me approvingly. His gaze snagged on my dress,

" he greeted awk

p in practiced di

. Edmund

y. "I was hoping someone here would b

tailoring suggested he wasn't used to being ad

loud enough for others to hear. "I didn

O

was. The

at. Insulted his mother. His bloodline. Possibl

had f

, laden with petit fours so delicate they

mired it for half a second, then leaned forward and

ish was

den went

, crystalline mome

he

my

teacup-actual porcelain shattering on stone. A lady clutch

rossing slightly as frosti

rry. I thought you said you n

IN

D POIN

NT TOT

that fe

Absolutel

urning the color of boile

is shoulder and getting more frosting

before he could for

going to

I heard it. People wanted to laugh. That was important. Hatred

ss of champagne from a passing

ts eve

rm was scowling at me like I'd persona

rfe

er, all char

on," she s

rave of you to bring tha

ened. "I beg

was staring at me with bulging eyes, "-I've heard s

pug s

ington wen

IN

D POIN

NT TOT

lic

was playing the world's mo

ing conspiratorially about something. One of them-Viscount Greymont,

ice. What a.

ing at their cards. "I hear cheating ruins th

pressive mustache twitc

earnestly. "I ab

IN

D POIN

NT TOT

s on

organizing my success in a

on: offended o

nt: publicly imp

e: emotionally de

hampagne, feel

I decided,

IN

TION: IMPORTANT

ALE LEADS IS CURRE

FEMALE LEAD NOTI

BONUS HAT

as it. Time to show how

by the corner-probably seven feet tall with shoulders as wid

ttered aroun

I fe

e. Heavy.

osing man standing at the edge of the flower

questionable logic, but I had to admi

at looked like a captain's uniform. Dark hair. Sharp jawline. An

ching me befor

oging every mea

I'd cement how wicked I was before he met Maryann

eaking

here s

ess that screamed fragile protagonist. Guests surrounded her, co

hrough the trees and highlighted her pink h

was holdi

cat cradled ge

issed my c

the cat to an elderly woman, who pat

rippled through

hat's His Grace's seco

ely disposition!

so hard I nearly

me for th

ary man. Still watching me w

to bully your future lover so badly sh

my heels clicking purpos

ann, d

head

s bright and innoce

ing. Soft. Musical. Designed to

The kind of smile you gave ri

ly, loud enough to carry, "if you've fin

arden

ks paused. I swear even

ed, confused.

on't oversee the staff. You don't handle correspondence or attend council meet

ort passed through t

hed. "I-I hel

erested. "Where would that be exactly?

choked on

IN

D POIN

NT TOT

massive payou

vered. "I read. I l

," I interrupted smoothly

the military man, check

ression had dark

oo

n enough? Should

ann, ready to deliver

d f

ere filled

ars welling up and

hispered, voice breaking. "Please

t. W

DING!

D POIN

D POIN

D POIN

D POIN

ed in rapidly fr

pilled over, trail

ou! I wanted to scream

eyebrow, genu

amsel-in-distress pheromo

owed in concern, his expression pained like he'd

IN

NOTIFI

LE LEAD I

JAMES H

GE

ARQUESS O

: THE PROT

LEVEL:

LITY WITH

ai

rd? This was

n wh

k toward the

tary man

ed like

of the leads. Everything about h

IN

S PRESENT AT TODAY'S

ICED WAS CAPTAIN

ATION: WIL

UNPRE

r-not a male lead, but someone in the n

hapters. Half of the

IN

UCCESSFULLY EVOKED PITY FR

T COM

+500 HAT

T TOTAL

MAY R

hell

d protectively around Maryann's shaking shoulders. He poin

taken this far enough? T

hell