“I do hope we shall meet again. Perhaps we could have a reading club of some sorts. I 've read that one." She leaned in. "Have you reached the part where Mr. Darcy proposes?"Asriel narrowed his gaze on Cross. "She did that on purpose."Pippa shook her head. "Oh, I did not ruin it. Elizabeth refuses." She paused. "I suppose I did ruin that. Apologies.”

“Yes Simon. He was in control.He was ruining her for all others. And she did not care.”

“What does Éloa mean?”He narrowed his gaze, answered her literally. “It’s the name of an angel.”Penelope tilted her head, thinking. “I’ve never heard of him.”“You wouldn’t have.”“Was he a fallen angel?”“She was, yes.” He hesitated, not wanting to tell her the story, but unable to stop himself. “Lucifer tricked her into falling from heaven.”“Tricked her how?”He met her gaze. “She fell in love with him.”Penelope’s eyes widened. “Did he love her?”Like an addict loves his addiction. “The only way he knew how.”She shook her head. “How could he trick her?”“He never told her his name.”

“You once accused me of never considering the consequences,” she said, willing him to understand. To see. “Of never thinking of what comes next.”“What comes next is, we marry.”She shook her head. “Now you are not considering the consequences. I shall always be your scandal, Simon. Never entirely worthy.”

“Fortuitous mostly for me,Lady Holloway," she said, her gaze steadfast on her husband. "For without our being childhgood neighbors, I am certain that my husband woud never have found me."Michael's gaze lit with admiration, and he lifted his glass in her direction. "At some point I would have realized what I was missing, darling. An I would have come looking for you.”

“He missed you just as I did. He worried about you just as I worried. He looked for you. Tried to find you. Just as I did. But you were gone.” She took a step toward him. “You think he left you? It was you who left, Michael. You left us.” Her voice was shaking now, all the anger and sadness and fear she had felt in those months, those years after Michael had disappeared. “You left me.” She put her hands to his chest, pushing him with all her might, with all her anger. “And I missed you so much. I missed you so much. I still do, damn you.”

“How is it that one woman is…enough…for three men?”“I don’t know.”“She must be a very talented courtesan.”“Callie.”“Well, that was what she was. Wasn’t it?”“Yes.”“How very fascinating!” She smiled brightly. “I’ve never met a courtesan, you know.”“I could have surmised as such.”“She looked just as I imagined they did! Well, she was rather prettier.”Ralston’s eyes darted around the room as though he was looking for the quickest escape route.“Callie. Wouldn’t you rather gamble than talk about courtesans?”