“I'm the bride," Rebecca said from the doorway,bringing the room to momentary silence.Her remark brought every eye in the room to her, inculding Rupert's. "You forgot to say lucky bride, didn't you?" Rupert asked in a low voice as he stood beside her.That was the usual response of a new bride, she supposed,but it definitely didn't apply to her. "No,I didn't," she whispered back with a false smile. "But I managed to withhold the 'unlucky' that was on the tip of my tongue. You can thank me later.”

“Below is a conversation between Jorg and his new bride."The Prince of Arrow has a much bigger army than you," Miana said. No "Your Highness" no "My Lord.""Yes, he does." I kept waving to the crowd, the big smile on my face."He's going to win, isn't he?" she said. She looked twelve but she didn't sound twelve."How old are you?" I asked, a quick glance down at her, still waving."Twelve."Damn.”

“Who is he?""Rupert St. John.""Isn't he-oh,my,that handsome boy of Julie's? Well, that explains a bit, I suppose. He always did dazzle you whenever you saw him,didn't he?""Yes,until I got to know him," Rebecca replied, then wished she'd kept that grumble to herself.Up went Lilly's brow. "Something else is wrong aside from the fact that you had to get married?""I suppose that the bride and groom hate each other could be considered a little something else," Flora said.This time Lilly sat down.She started to say something, but changed her mind. She opened her mouth to start again, but again snapped it shut. Finally she burst out, "This sort of thing was never supposed to happen to you!" Then after giving herself a brief shake, she said, "Very well, as briefly as you can, please,so I can get beyond this sudden urge to go find a pistol.”

“Are you ready to discuss what you're doing here?""Certainly-with your daughter." He suddenly swept Rebecca into his arms and carried her out of the room."Now just a minute!" Lilly protested behind the,.Rupert didn't stop,in fact, he as nearly running up the stairs to the second floor. Incredulous,Rebecca pointed out, "She might follow us.""She won't," he replied with typical male confidencec. "I suppose I'll have to try each of these doors to find out which one is yours,just as you did at my house."He was doing just that,but she said, "Or you could ask."He glanced down at her. "And you'd tell me?""Why don't you try that one." She nodded toward the door he'd been about to open.”

“Me? I want you to be sure." he said."You," Livia whispered. "Me." His eyes were full of intent. "Always you." Livia gave him her biggest, heartfelt smile. "Five hundred." Blake touched her face as if she might be a mirage and smiled back only when she didn't disappear.”

“You don't look like a Rupert."Startled,he raised a black brow at her. "Dare I ask what I look like to you?""A hungry wolf."He didn't laugh at the description, but he did abruptly release her. "Wolf, perhaps," he said drily. "Hungry? Not at the moment."She had enough sense to guess she'd just been insulted. Had she touched a nerve perhaps? Good,because he was certainly touching too many of hers.Regaining her balance after stumbling back from him,she went to straighten her skirt in an indignant manner,but forgot she wasn't wearing one.How could she appear to be offended while she was wearing britches? She settled for grabbing the hat off the floor and shoving it back down on her head.The very idea! Not hungry at the moment? As if she didn't know he was implying she wasn't to his taste.”