“It looked like his ponytail had revolted against him," said Bramble.”

“Keeper," Bramble said in a syrupy voice, grinning. "Have you met anyone so blasted handsome?""Hush," said Azalea through her teeth. "He can probably hear you!""And so dashing," said Bramble, though her tone was a touch lower."And so perfect.""I've never seen anyone with such...fingers," said Goldenrod.Everyone paused."Well, yes, his fingers, too," said Bramble.”

“It had ended with a battle; Azalea raked the front page, and then the one's after, searching for any familiar names among the wounded."Anyone we know?" said Bramble. "Anyone...at all?""No," said Azalea, relief sweeping over her. "No."Everyone exhaled."Not that we cared, naturally," said Bramble."Naturally," said Delphinium."I mean, I certainly don't.""Neither do I.”

“Bramble's lips were tight. Her fists still shook."Take it back," she said. She gazed at the floor, but the words whipped. "We don't want the picture. We don't want your charity. Take it back!"Teddie drew himself up to his full, towering taffy height."N-dash it-O!" he said. "It's not charity and I won't take it back! It's a gift! A gift, dash it all! Because I liked your mum! And I like your sisters! And you, Bramble! I love you!"The words echoed. Everyone's hands clasped over their mouths, and they stared at Lord Teddie, who panted but kept a tight chin up. Bramble's lips were still pursed. They were white."Young man," said the King gently. "Your ship leaves soon?"Azalea guessed that, with the fiasco of everything, the King had annulled any arrangements between Bramble and Lord Teddie. Lord Teddie's entire taffylike form slumped. He turned to go, all bounciness dissolved."Do you mean it?"Lord Teddie turned quickly. Bramble's lips remained tight, but her gaze was up, blazing yellow."Gad, yes," said Lord Teddie. "I love you so much, my fingers hurt!""Oh!" Bramble slapped he hand over her mouth and doubled over. "Oh-oh-oh-oh!" She shook. It was hard to tell if she was crying, or coughing, or ill. "Oh!"In a billow of skirts, Bramble leaped. It was a grand jete worthy of the Delchastrian prima ballerina. She landed right on Lord Teddie, who had no choice but to catch her, and threw her arms around his neck. Then, to everyone's shock, she pressed her lips full on his."Oh...my," said Clover.No one seemed more surprised than Lord Teddie who stumbled back under Bramble's assault.”

“His steward his here,too.""Oh,look, the King's gone out to greet him.""With a gun," said Bramble.Everyone leaned forward."Pistols!" cried Clover. She fled the room."Clover-duels aren't-oh,hang," said Bramble. "She's going to do something rash. Well, at least we can see it from here."Two seconds later, Clover streaked out the entrance hall doors, down the marble stairs, her skirts flying behind her.The gentlemen had a split moment to look up before Clover threw herself onto the King in a scatter of gravel, sobbing as she hung about his neck.The window muffled their voices. Everyone leaned even farther forward.Clover fell to her knees and kissed the hem of the King's coat."Oh,now,let's not go overboard," Bramble muttered.Fairweller removed his coat and set it over Clover's shoulders; the King threw it off and put his own coat over her shoulders.”

“I can be agreeable," said Fairweller. "If the other party is.""Oh,well," said Bramble. "There goes that, then.”

“Bramble had taken another pencil from Delphinium, and Azalea's napkin, and wrote something new.You're afraid of the King. Admit it.Azalea grimaced at her untouched food, burning in humiliation as Lord Bradford took the napkin and read it. This time, he looked to be discreetly writing something back beneath the table.Fairweller blinked at the King for a moment, in which Lord Bradford handed Bramble her napkin. She opened it and turned a rosy pink.My lady, it read,who isn't?Bramble pursed her lips and kicked Lord Bradford beneath the table-hard. His face twitched befre regaining its solemn expression.Azalea buried her face in her hands."All we ask is for you to consider it. That is all," said Fairweller."Oh." Lord Bradford's voice was slightly strangled. "Yes. Thank you."Bramble threw the pencil-smudged napkin onto her plate. "I'm done," she said. "May we go to our room now?”