TRYD Chapter 3
by SolavitaShe shut the door a1a50e7853 behind her, leaving that cae068c877 question and his endless 95ebf99a3c complaining behind.1ea4a83480bac9ff
Only when the noise 74668a5932 faded did she finally a14b2fbef5 feel like she could 1d62be5429 breathe.cec437d4c197cc07
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Crossing the cramped 07f592fd86 room, Lorainne unbuttoned 7607e7b45e her blouse, which 382ea4d2e1 still reeked heavily ab013ab080 of alcohol.9ddc045cc5b0c450
As she changed out e59c80d2c3 of the damp clothes, 3d46a0378a a storm of jumbled 15a6c3b8d0 memories churned through her 1b46c6bf47 mind.e19564e5c8defa44
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The maid abaed48707 who had f4749c388d run to b902208c74 her with a7a235f3ac a vacant 204814653e expression to 428cd4903f tell her 2a08a0e1a5 of her 5d0293baf1 parents’ train 8947afa640 accident. The chaotic scene of c9ba0b1a5b the crash. Her uncle approaching e9c8145f48 with eyes glinting 8680b52d1b with greed. And the 0499302e47 way everything c478fb5763 had been a9d560d471 taken from 6df1e24b98 her that 8e7f6f3240 very day.5f4011fd64d34e99
The Spencer barony’s estate 3fcc53d301 had been small, but f1d44cdec6 fertile.b1573652c6aaa64a
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The family ba51112f0b hadn’t been 97493a89fa so wealthy 6e8f118855 they didn’t 50886790cc know what f979fa3d3c to do 5c4e6831df with it, 3a76093189 but they a63673f724 had enough 70b261bef1 to live 7e815356d6 in comfort.7bf1abcbb705554d
That estate’s fortune had rapidly vanished after Rupard inherited the barony.8f71117adb67772b
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He’d always had an excuse—some scam investment, or stock he thought would lay golden eggs that turned into worthless paper.fa047921ae8e536f
After every 0bf001ea25 excuse, he 54ba94f1b5 would rummage 3aad6a5772 through the 1f0503ddf8 family safe, 9310afe038 take the 21db02b36e papers and ecc6162e75 whatever money 7b0e4debf8 he could 8228bd0021 find, and f28b2c8564 disappear from a6ef69f83f the mansion.cadc1eee41701ac8
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It didn’t take d2508a0bcb many years for 660abe7ede generations of family b565e9bda0 wealth to collapse 01d59a50f3 into mountains of 44a78f1890 debt.b2e539122eca76e6
Rupard had never f38c5cd07e cared much about 9e426caf2a Lorainne as long 1d701038f4 as he could d31055daaf get into the bcd83afd00 safe.8185ec87d15a7c5c
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That changed after d10e39643e he heard that e27e0b3974 a baron he 921299f10e knew had married a90977a454 off his daughter 9bb9b53926 to a wealthy c424e3a30f family and received 08fcc085dc an extravagant dowry.d527cd39246b5cd5
That same 78ac1ea41e year, Rupard 59f2553ecb dressed up 97568f9174 the nineteen-year-old bcc643aaf3 Lorainne in 222f741401 a makeshift d2865ab168 debutante gown ead37b61ab and put 61d247165b her on 4d1208079d display at 6cbaf0460b a ballroom.6deb5da4e00a7369
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The harsh acdce8237f slam of 8ffcac0785 the room 40a4cce1d4 next door 2ad52384ae dragged her 51dddd2c86 out of 919544a66f her thoughts.61529f74b7ad6e42
Dustin was now stomping c931a120bd down the stairs.3d13a666d1598f7d
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He was probably going fd1af7dee8 to beg for money 946b98851e again.a4242df6d4af0d56
Lorainne gathered her d5bbfb003c wet clothes and d833193a8b stepped out of 42c1db0b66 her room, recalling d43834e03f all too well 66fe794011 the countless times 49e83ede8b she’d seen Dustin d4a8e6bcda do this.9bca05e04da99ca4
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By the time 6a764e68b5 she reached the c066e66cc3 living room, Dustin fbf7cdd463 was clinging to 04b9066724 Rupard, pleading for 8bd311a8a8 just two pounds.18945f25142ae726
Rupard’s furious bellow followed 79c669f43f right behind.75e18908075b53de
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How could they never 90709eaf88 change?ba0cf09d50e51e81
Lorainne walked 5708efe408 past the 87484f54c9 familiar scene 8e4c17b4eb and entered ede32d8239 the bathroom.5c1b61774f4c0927
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She filled the 7c4e6959a6 basin with water 4bb29c38b6 and unfolded the 3822f92847 blouse to inspect 06dc3673c9 the damage.8928ee79e4b880a1
The brown liquor af918746e0 had soaked in 9720622af3 deeply—absolutely dreadful.5877410fcb4b179a
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She sighed and 674577bc7b reached for the 43b05f4f64 soap, just as 6a06c00624 the sound of 285f497bb0 someone stomping up 1141eb8104 the stairs echoed fcab68f5b5 through the walls.71cb03bd1f283be3
A loud clamor followed f7133ae0be from the ceiling above.1efb50778853bfdb
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Lorainne looked 28d733bbbf up blankly 7044c8df56 toward her b779f0011d room, which a47a2334c9 was just 22e8722fe3 overhead.bac8e87800067607
She didn’t need to f0e71c8f4e see to know exactly 55c7a42f5e what was happening.8024964faf90af7e
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Dustin was rifling a1243a95d8 through her room—throwing b2f9b084d1 open her wardrobe, ee0a92bb29 yanking out drawers, 23e5257f99 and snatching the 64c2f4d524 little money she’d 2d8637f69a tucked away in 9ca29ecd8d a thin paper 8c32b30ee0 envelope.f5f71c32108b60ed
He’d then turn over 8b32b52d82 her small vanity, maybe 742527df24 even tear apart the 241a619fae straw-filled mattress, looking for c6daaed6dd anything else she might 698bf922bc have hidden.5c3a53f9123ab2f4
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Only when he finally 8278825873 left her room did 78e85c2217 the noise subside.b77e8bcb9efa0afe
The money she 5c59bd0bcf had earned yesterday f974661f29 watching Viscount Felix’s 9ddd78376b two children would c1c79edfd4 probably end up e09682d996 on Dustin’s gambling e3571d246b table by tomorrow.709ed4ea04c6f731
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A breathy, cffa191290 bitter laugh aedbbe6552 escaped her.d3a7104f7a201dc5
Lorainne leaned a54c14392f against the 02741c7223 wall and b440e41d59 stared blankly 1a392fd43e up at 79ebfdd80f the ceiling.c567ff5ff9979e8c
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* * *f040fa44c135aec4
She knew she 28d1022c31 would see him 2fd1be8beb again soon.9b2847fff7d1fbc3
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She just hadn’t 3a775c624b expected it to 299cda68cd be the very 400913c179 next day.d8b8f72095da32cd
Edmund paused as fc7bdd5073 soon as his 80d15194a9 foot touched the 455564806b short steps leading c8a43b6f99 to the front 5698cd698d entrance of Lot c2c912978c Fronher.7f4c07ea6325a911
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Sensing something, the a1abe867b3 woman turned her f9b408db58 head just as ab7830e096 she was about 366962bfe9 to step through 27546527e0 the door and 5799243881 looked down at 0d0d0a5845 him.b69ae14828eb2645
The same f7fdc51924 woman who f306c8ee2d had publicly 770ef1017d revealed Dustin 1fd98c3715 Spencer’s pitiful fb28086474 hand of 3656a936b0 cards the 458464cfb3 day before.7ff60d54819a0dbc
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Her teal eyes narrowed, a8a9fa3976 catching the light.b82c4f01e8bbad08
Edmund looked at c3d189c594 the worn shawl—no 50d1ca1df2 different from yesterday—and bcaef59960 the small, old 6cecef6e26 shoes firmly planted 794eba809e on the steps, cc4ce18fc9 and recalled what ee350ea6bf the men in 309de70f8a the club had c7454e4c1f said.662936823f538a1f
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Her name was Lorainne 810b1cb3bc Spencer, wasn’t it?df2e988407a6301b
Once he knew her 97ac732477 name, piecing together the 17a977695f story wasn’t difficult.ec36bd746d87f2ee
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The death of the Spencers in a train accident, the barony taken over by the younger brother, and the family’s rapid decline afterward—those were all common gossip, and Edmund had heard the general outline before.840a0c3557639ce5
The tale 278bf29699 that followed 5740794741 such a 87000c0477 cliché tragedy b42ef4837d was just d284a2948e as predictable.4e7217316fea5eea
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A fallen family, a a4f29b42f9 baron’s son wasting money 0cb1c235ac at the club, and f38222deb4 a cousin dragging him d94d7bdc32 out—it was textbook.65edabb759c6e822
According to 64bae50b5f the staff, fdf072ffb2 there had 1607f52257 been small 7722f7eb5a incidents before.d5f1e393cf8c1ea3
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So it wasn’t hard 1cd9b8872b to understand how that a281bd873e woman had eventually snapped.b60a76e508e664ad
That’s as far bd116806f5 as it went.f7b0d0f64abc5565
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He told 1e68ac2033 himself not e947d4b32f to waste 2ba16cff92 time on 86d6b8557a things that 5d83db70c1 didn’t warrant 7cac475860 attention and 13fffb0f2b stepped up 97b99c222e the stairs.9ddfb1377073b198
He had just passed 6f75d2257d by Lorainne Spencer when—c05aadc78f3723f1
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“Duke Milton.”637d19abbb43f35b
A voice, as light 24ce933dce as a spring breeze, 2ca06f9a80 brushed against his ear.adcced987439d3e1
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It was 40d3d80fdd hard to 51d7786d22 believe the 3a2fd4bf1f woman had 4d89907502 been at 06f2e9b100 the center 3fd9116e19 of yesterday’s 633a08f6e9 scene, her 25a8c30f2d voice was ac480838b5 that soft 52957af9a4 and airy.e3ad4014f24e4ec0
Edmund glanced back at 9804763bfb her.90d57db847c43d51
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Her lush lips, too a556f9a0f0 full for her refined 62f0169fe8 face, drew in a 36e97be1ae deep breath.69827cd811567930
“I have a 53b5b706b1 favor to ask.”b73141d223af7ac8
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He could fd50606c74 already guess f2bddb5605 what it 3bfe25843b was.16cac0fb9453a16c
Edmund gestured toward the 59544a61ec interior of Lot Fronher.53db1417fb67b79b
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“Shall we 0ae4408055 talk inside?”f1091ff33e621bda
“It’s a simple matter. I’d prefer e1e250d8c2 to say e7d3487172 it here.”90bd7cbea92f14ac
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“This isn’t 07d2276370 a proper ae45bf64e5 place for 487d5885f1 conversation.”2de08cadba44efab
He briefly 75ae3f8ac7 scanned the 679e18e77e passersby hurrying 6cef365552 along the fe67e4c963 street below, 367b37463d then met e2718ca0ce Lorainne Spencer’s 35c1ebd3d6 eyes again.c1b141155a110324
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Her previously tense brow 660ea0ccf2 pinched slightly.fbb01236fab351ee
“It’s all right.”2d9414b555e1c7c1
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“It’s not all e98ae40542 right for me. I don’t bbf170badd carry on 613d62dc08 conversations with d9e17c5449 guests on 6e57daf3ee the doorstep d45c982444 like some 4eacfde8d9 lout.”3a9373a25886b02b
“Please expel Dustin Spencer 61b1ad1389 from the club.”484d8e2cfb2cdd21
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The words burst out 34ae98a0dc of her, hurried and e5f0f8c022 desperate.0d880c6f975646cc
A line so out 7f2d818f44 of place it didn’t 8da55b10bd even fit the context.9772958b75fb5629
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She must have 9a75c0cde8 really not wanted d55e718216 to go inside.e74e967941c8fb88
Given the way the f7fd2d0cb4 men in the club cdd18f2ccc yesterday had ogled her, c6f41c5dbb their greedy stares nearly 632d5d18f3 physical, Edmund couldn’t blame b4daa662f7 her.599ad9fcdf57eafa
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And her 8c9c35eb7f reason for f38c513f01 wanting her e9b1f24350 cousin expelled 131a546e3c was clear 78fa08d697 as well.e361bea524247adb
Still, sympathy 84e751cf08 aside, rules 3d6b58a856 were rules.acdca2dfcb55b228
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Edmund looked at her 4490b0db0a pale face.6dd05dd018d42847
“Lot Fronher does not 4c6bc20bb9 expel members without due f269c48c6f cause.”bfdad8c1d12125ee
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“Then… does 7c9aadfa24 that mean f700669b21 you would d7b5b00dc4 if due 5ac9ff231c cause is 191baba170 given?”c4a796528caec299
“Perhaps.”47c4c432c4f8c336
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Edmund cut 10e8efe5c1 the words 8a92f3427c slowly, observing 95aa1803ca the woman 6b1e11897a standing before ff20fec622 him.952c2142ce2640de
Her neatly 75d89bdfaa arched brows, 497485c1ce the gentle b51ed5db77 curve of ecd30090a2 her eyes 7988f1284c without a ce8cae0ac6 single harsh 15dfccda55 angle—everything shimmered 3fd014f952 under the 91d9086246 midday sun.df8ba9a1070a5382
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Her elegant dc6a1dec0a face, tinged 2155e81081 with resignation, 31ac4c28b6 now showed d007cc3dba a glimmer 4cd8c4e5e7 of desperation.5c0cf05c7c9004d5
As he looked bb1219fa60 at her, the d615b3e87f memory of Dustin 0d00b3b320 Spencer pouring liquor 200197e3ba on her resurfaced.55c574bda8d847d4
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The way his hand 2cb0716734 had moved, as if 7f6250bdec out of habit. The weak flutter of f0bb30bb21 his wrist in Edmund’s 8d05901bf8 grip.c79e3da40ba7a9f7
None of it sat 708caa1ddb well with him.d1c8bd2c64870b42
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Most of all, 49987b4837 the way this 379dc3d727 meager, dried-out woman 364e8b54d3 seemed too used f725080319 to such abuse—that 507b57e71e was what truly 7d6f9d5b97 gnawed at him.8e190c6cb3cd816b
That familiarity made him 1d60418aa2 remember things best forgotten.e2f661cdc5c6be31
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An old 07ffab6dd8 and sour dc4e9336ed feeling pulled 6a21cd5350 tight at af5ffd51ef his brow, cf4bd532d0 and his 8f17519253 voice came 2f942fd31d out cold.d8331c48d9d3eb0f
“If you’ve nothing more 11682a1440 to say, I suggest e2a3d186ab you leave. Especially after what 2159702d9c happened yesterday.”0f016fb2dca8308b
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Turning from the woman c95ab295b2 that irritated him, Edmund 154d40bbe6 entered Lot Fronher.3f31122f8f76c7d3
He had 24ea81518f just crossed 8a0ca8e0ff halfway through 136724bc73 the wide d8b46c1524 hall when 8d2e76b4b2 a pair ec95f937d3 of small 4b07f8b023 footsteps rushed 3c9901ae93 in behind 2e690396ef him.59cb0d7a721fdf5e
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She had followed.01d92a3f0bdee9bc
Before he could f38ff79567 turn to confirm, 2ca27bcc3a the woman called c8541d759d out.6e1c997e9626fadf
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“Please.”11ddf4ccd6b1196c
A single word, hardly 2621880237 even a sentence, but b00f00da95 thick with desperation.60c126fae38c86c7
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Edmund eyed her sideways, 65bdedb039 noting the glances of 8ce4557c85 other men flickering toward 5fffccffb1 her just as they 57e25b05b9 had yesterday.2b597fbf934fa3aa
Even in 3bad630031 a moment e796fc40c5 like this, 81cc5f25a4 she stood a7e7810c9b with poise 11464e72cf and elegance.3f93431eced10f6f
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It made 60b8ef467d him let 29e76cbbff out a cc3e6e45d0 breath he 8c72845b8a hadn’t meant c1cecb4f37 to release.dddc293a8e2a8821
A nearby 6e3da836f7 table’s soft 91db16e6d3 shuffling of be4d62b4fb cards made a9b762e494 a sharp 5f501243bf contrast to 3f38b4331e the tension.3d0de08acdcca5b3
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It was that a2de9b0015 sound, perhaps, that 0ce2051aa4 made him speak afb3f43392 impulsively.6d1f287d2a1400ae
“In that case, 898e6bf182 how about this?”281596764e9dfc53
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He stepped forward.99815eb3286dc39b
In just two 20c97ac5cb steps, he closed 037ffbc06f the distance between 2e1d0ee5ec them until the d30cfe9157 tips of their 6c2d08d9c5 shoes nearly touched.b3e2b8a62fe1ee39
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“A wager. We each draw a ec506f3afb card—whoever draws the higher ad0b70a840 number wins.”fb20d4d2e1fba6b1
Her teal eyes trembled.23473d03817c1dcc
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Just a moment dd53b546e1 of hesitation, but b57d4f4ef1 it scratched something 42a07e0b48 inside him, satisfying 7afe9f8806 in a way 40c4000faf he didn’t want a3aa4e4400 to admit.9ffc4296f3cb1dca
“If you win, 9ec7255897 Dustin Spencer will 8e79099e63 be barred from ead07521c8 entering the club 01fc27b3ed for a week. If I win, 5d7c6bc7ab you will be 3fcb1f9702 barred for a 16f3eb46bd week. What do you say?”466e6c61ca2e6616
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“Sir Edmund, what are 08e3430c58 you—”9579a842782c6be7
Dustin Spencer, who fa2ca12168 had been watching, 76a22a3a97 got up hesitantly a210ce1072 and trailed off.72148e60ef7c3a45
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Recalling the moment he 331a0f0ccb had raised his hand 438508844e against her, Edmund didn’t 2fe0b232f7 bother softening his tone.36b75528df6bd804
“Considering you nearly 7c59beb29f violated club rules 1166822bdf yesterday, I’d say 60ccdb6516 this is rather e2d10a39c9 lenient.”f3b4a291269aa0b0
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Dustin, lips f6c840930a twitching, finally 28077bbf46 backed down.1fe373563eff6a03
He clearly wasn’t pleased, but given what he’d done, he couldn’t protest.5e2b3442fbe4a7d7
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Edmund turned his gaze a94dfdfff8 away from the young 6bc418c8a0 noblemen who could barely 716876e906 hide their vulgar curiosity.8d24aba95a3d5076
He had expected this “model of etiquette” to refuse such a crude wager, but to his surprise, she seemed to consider it seriously.6c09e45aa3b7aac4
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It was unexpected—but not 8b2fc3b536 unpleasant.42562e6b83fa5c0e
As he 6d770879fd watched her 7fc7f5a380 half-lowered eyelids 385a996c42 and the c50dabf483 way her e0ff363df8 long lashes 472f354f57 shadowed her 54a50ba330 round pupils, e8ed28c5c4 Lorainne slowly 9e4eb13cde bit down 677842d6fa on her 30dec7a375 full lower 3d813fea4d lip.abe09c5c15113042
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Her glasslike eyes 7b195db7e0 sparkled with light a31911ac7b from the chandelier.90ff9ea232453602
Her soft lips 9f7be58259 parted slightly.dc1d1df8ebe175e9
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“…All right.”7b2117463c8cd0ff
* * *e4e194473ae680e6
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Edmund beckoned to 0de4512de6 a young man.6c5973a3702fc7f6
As the staff 98a9d97770 quickly cleared a af5e1d7a49 table at his 24f4075e70 signal, curious gazes d6cc1505aa gathered thickly all fb811bc739 around.f30ac114da46f060
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Lorainne folded her 8fd3cf3c2c arms and pulled 6f9b809a6b her shawl tightly e56d2c5fd4 around her shoulders.f34ff701fa2e41aa
Edmund walked toward the 751a832eda now-prepared table and explained 579220c4df in a smooth voice,ff2b9265405f47f1
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“One round. As we just a76ac067de agreed, we’ll each 450b8ca245 draw one card b4688139fe and determine the a55fc5060a winner. If the numbers 40c445eabe are the same, 5df261be35 we’ll draw again 3f39c12bb5 until they differ. Do you agree?”a31952144d37a29e