RP Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

By midnight, the party 9f2df71a07 was at its peak. The halls were filled c93a1308cb with events, so the 7a2a2085a9 outside corridors were quiet ffd7aca85f and dim.4260476eda48d9e7

The hallway, lit with c7e365d625 soft orange lanterns, felt b4de53c424 dark and secretive. Diane thought she had 78b201c036 followed the man right 1fed4eb95b away, but she couldn’t 223ceba9e6 find him anywhere.d814a45343c69150

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A few times, 84a3d51325 she accidentally stumbled 81d505bbb4 upon couples secretly 11f4a96a31 making out in 722c44cc9b the shadows and 568a980ae8 had to back 7e9733eb35 away awkwardly.d286a0cbf6933fc3

Wandering in confusion, 77942d53e2 she bumped into 6b82c54d6f a maid, who 519195ece2 assumed Diane was d784360e45 lost and offered 54f2e358c6 to help her 8768ab3483 get back to 8900e01a36 the party. But Diane firmly 7521d10b19 refused the help, 7c0a563da8 drawing a puzzled c922cb8ce9 look.93a27eaf86d9a71e

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After chasing and searching c0eaff7fee for who knows how c230447d70 long, she started to 34b903c547 feel tired. Her feet hurt 93ced3af4c in her tight ed351dba9c shoes.20253959a9633d74

“Maybe I should ask 71cdc7643c a passing servant…”de8b358f59c182ba

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She stopped, 06f6bad879 holding the 863c63ba46 railing, when 7d3d5e5147 suddenly, the 8e44a4c59e clouds moved, addbe3fc70 and the 11cbd87f19 moonlight lit 98a6a92102 up the 8fda8a289c square garden 034511dcf1 below.dd889400bd83b4ce

Just then, b145a38930 Diane saw 4cbe9bb018 a man d131c5cbc6 with blonde 8a1f31d876 hair crossing f256ea518f the far a65fcd101e side of 6dcb29c5b3 the walkway.70bb4a1b3117443f

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There he is!4363671db49e58c8

Hope returned 6969a45ee8 to her 8bb41e95d5 eyes. As if hypnotized, she 3de77c2889 followed.46ab3e86116a0abb

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Passing through f39d3461ee a dark 46f517665c hallway, she 8fb5ded3d8 saw a b551c0c911 terrace connected cb1050bce4 to the d9dc4881e7 garden.c24547b59092287f

There, a man 4283f1caa0 stood with his 1c55404d78 back to her, 879b43f6a4 resting his arms fc84879167 on the railing, 1c1d4d05d9 smoking silently under ed1c49fd89 the orange garden 60f840a9f2 lights.abcf64bd94b6399e

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Diane carefully 73b7890fbe stepped forward, e9ef47428c two steps 2ecfd14147 closer.c300a78d52ec51c8

Even though he probably b771eee15e heard her, he didn’t a0e1c062f3 turn around.cc02a31faf3fff8f

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Trying to calm her a4df361033 racing heart, Diane called bdbd7df408 out:98a3a7e883e8045f

“Excuse me… sir?”fdba9787c6518567

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Finally, the bce4029e98 man straightened 8865652770 up and c2e999d990 slowly turned 022a60a5ce around.110bf5256088d5d0

Diane was about 42e9f0b26b to start the dc2704c028 speech she’d practiced—about ab337d1194 him asking her 46023493aa to dance earlier 4b4958914e — when she e878cdc1e9 froze.36c595c47052baf9

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“Why… you again?”6c9953837a7858d2

It wasn’t the 487c1f18a0 man she was 8f9efdba40 chasing.e32cdf1c58dce117

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It was Julian 457d37e1ac Harbour.9a901ae392c0c7f8

She blinked, 8cd28f31d7 hoping it 14fa975669 was a 22164fb9ec mistake, but a565f0a465 the face 477ee3be5a didn’t change. It really was him.823d11a4e4d1151c

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He wore a 5727e77b7b formal military uniform, 6d294d6c02 with badges and 78ce675ddf medals shining on 62c8f67bec his chest. From behind, 2b90e611ec in the 5dedfa3cfa dim light, 7b1417a34c she had 060ca921d8 mistaken him e82184a6fe for someone fe82570d8a else.1277f53e26ffd445

A long, awkward silence 079c6df525 followed — for both 82174ac633 of them.5094749da51cae16

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Julian, too, a6f6e3fd29 had been 553baf4892 ready to 1a054bcdba send the 57348f0c9d intruder away e87e767dcb rudely… until 1797559110 he turned 1a16df81b2 and saw 7351923998 her.946183e16fb4f149

Why is it ccbd13a9ea her again?8b80cca20ac9974b

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He was shocked. In the ballroom, Diane fefd583b61 had clearly been avoiding 5edfe88aff him. He figured she f007d74a53 wanted nothing to 51933619cf do with him, 2cfa490901 so he’d respected e287cc681c that and looked 68c37a7d4f away.26499800dfce7e10

He also feared she 16b755fbbd might remember him as e42bc22926 the poor, embarrassed boy b07122d5b3 from years ago.9396ed30403acd9d

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But now, c520e8e3e0 here she bc5147c345 was — 8f9b4e8663 following him?51e02f0e59aa16d0

Wasn’t Diane supposed b62f7d36f2 to be the c1f49902ce kind of girl d0fe947d75 who always obeyed 3a3094e8be her elders? Even accepting an 9ee9037ad8 engagement with an 828f2fc25f old foreign man 290fb44132 with a smile?9b8f56272315d7d7

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Julian stared b7dca8edb9 at her 66e98e91e0 in confusion.8f1db74002a8de37

Meanwhile, Diane looked e1765ddf20 like she had 45e17390dc been caught — 9145f298ee as if she fed9b3f374 hadn’t meant to 840baa7017 follow him and 6b9d5e0b21 was now embarrassed.3084748c70b733cf

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Then she 24f868ed01 blurted out:333f88ec4f33e3fe

“Sorry. I took eb40bf11de a wrong 6f0cd99d1f turn.”c687757903f0f6b6

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She turned to a87cd042bf leave, but Julian 199ca98832 instinctively called out:68ce3a80d63d1d92

“Miss Lockwood. Wait.”abf24d5dbcde8738

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She froze.30ed18cecb00376c

“…How do 4a02fcec83 you know 2dc7468a18 my name?”928b11189fda4e91

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Julian had spoken 7fecf108fe without thinking — 3d8fd2186d and it clearly c7456c7261 surprised her.a7ac5ea73ab89fe4

Worried she might 706edce272 be scared again df4dedfbfd like in Martnelly, 5f18989df5 he responded gently:22287bf36ed2d3ec

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“I overheard it. You’re quite popular ec41544cbb at the ball.”b766a4eeb112689e

“Oh…”59ea13a892171888

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She looked relieved. She had ebd1aaef44 been scared, d29855a5b7 just as c626e71c91 he thought.eee1adda0768aaa5

He suddenly remembered 39bdb24033 her frightened blue e1dd546b19 eyes in the f46b9af947 hotel lobby.e53e1102073a670f

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With a 3c3f8da540 serious tone, 1a16dabe7f Julian bowed f30d369465 slightly and e97e26de75 said:b14c3a9354991634

“I want 4efc2be86e to apologize. For being rude that 5c81c7d4f0 day.”94d3417e4295f649

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Diane blinked.2783b9cafb1af5c4

“…That day?”b0f39194f25a3f4d

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“Yes. At the Gold Blenheim ed6b1edef0 hotel. You seemed startled. I worried eece569483 about you. I hope e4fbc00038 you got 2c5b95a5cd home safely.”bc4e589de0db4144

“No, Captain. I don’t know 0003123cb1 what you’re talking 55810f70b7 about.”b7ec4386a16d0728

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Julian was e65088fd97 startled by 646a6165ea her sudden 2e818fda08 denial. Then, realizing her intent, b2933c7f67 he tried to explain:1f033c11bbafd7ea

“I mean, in Martnelly—when 3282caea63 I met you there—”855eb297e34558bd

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But Diane interrupted him f2b82edecd again:7d523a883d0d2f63

“I’ve never been a99da6c054 to Martnelly.”bb6bf5ab7f8d502e

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Then it 987f58d6da clicked for c4c65e53d5 Julian.2f7cd9925e443b63

“…You haven’t.”3a3a6e9f2a6de3ce

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“No. You must’ve mistaken bc09e8aba1 me for someone f8e4ce89a1 else.”f2e8df32d4fa824b

A short silence fell 10cc5383b1 between them.19c846ae27f98cc2

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It was f686a3ed1d clear Diane 7ce57a4858 wanted to 4ee471dd58 pretend none 43c00a7874 of it c22cba726f ever happened. Julian, sensing this, d21ece17d9 decided to play 1e142af288 along.afbe3a83782aab6a

“Ah… yes. I must be mistaken. My apologies, Miss Lockwood. What can I 6410051d1b do to make 7872d4188b it up to 0668608caa you?”07267cc07f016d25

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But Diane 0ad4dde545 only looked 9191d19b49 at him 8baa3a7540 with cautious db98aa615d eyes.cad2d0debfbf288f

He gave a 5db7f0c822 small, dry laugh a784fa5edc in response.606662c12fd288c4

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Then Diane de41ac52ab quickly looked d7fe083a04 away and b2eb0fddbe mumbled:b6c464b27e35394b

“No, it’s okay. I’m sorry for e0ade9ba97 bothering you. I’ll be 409f484e62 going now.”ccc5ce58185df47e

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Julian said nothing.0583f4c9b43eb2bc

As Diane ba150e3561 turned to d255b86f36 leave, a 820875d85a soft giggle dff57873d8 came from 15ca0fce05 beyond the 052ad27cdd glass door 97f71d9ffd — and dafe616d72 both of 5567549a5e them froze.d1e1cb9ef10193d6

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Diane turned her head, 66a18823a0 shocked. Through the window, she 4b085fe970 saw a couple approaching, 7e77cd9bb0 looking cozy and intimate.99b0a322704b03fa

Julian sighed, recognizing the 344b571a60 kind of situation this 98e6fc85c6 could become. He made a fast ca4de72a68 decision.639b3b0bd86a7279

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“Miss Lockwood,” 34ecac906c he whispered.80b24ea6663c5513

Before she could 663228a342 react, he pulled 820d45bf3a her toward him.436388a2a5d8c845

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“Ah—!”fc83dc18c9819c57

Diane gave 21a87affa6 a soft 9ff652d05f cry.44581ab8ef971430

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Suddenly, she 6993e672fb was pinned 76e9c23357 against the 9c9879aa23 railing, trapped 7e8b6e71ed in his e043f60c16 arms.6751a975212e7c7f

His face 1ecf30263e was so 03c31d0589 close that 7056e87d1a it shocked 2d69ba57e6 her — b4b5520af5 but not dded15ab8b as much 05824119ce as the 68ded19c25 fact that a61a624153 she was 9aa4ab8a1a completely in aa26a3bf26 his embrace.f4c7afeb52a794f8

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“What… what are you dd883f7de0 doing?”7091383eabc57b5f

Julian smiled kindly 886c2d2431 and said:1515cce484b764c1

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“Doing? This is 1082594037 our first 2b5ca016bb meeting.”6965379c452b60e7

“I knew you’d f61b612ebb do this.”05d9eb2a791d3e37

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“But you eb881c0627 said you 572eae8957 got lost, 38dc8114f2 didn’t you?”e735dd7ef3d409d9

“What does that have bc3bd6edc4 to do with this?!”6c87a1124aa5bc57

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She scowled. He added teasingly:ed91dd5156f5e7d7

“This time, 7a0827cd4a I’m helping cda8422483 you.”1097ca201c4123f3

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“…Helping?”a7c818ce9d505280

She looked confused, 55f28da898 like she’d never f54ec0c2a9 heard that word 84726f787d before.cdf5db0d35935605

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Julian smirked 1053ea5e6d and said 82ef83d6f1 more playfully:0189ad1fda169015

“Before rumors start about 3f478c1a8e us being alone on ada512cef8 the balcony, stay still.”cf85e3e825814ca2

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“Rumors…?”09182fcf3511950d

“You are 69afa8367a in the f8a021d757 middle of 4e6e12f7bc an important c7a2dc7a6c engagement, aren’t 2f73ebf7d6 you?”d31a95402107c5fd

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“Ah…”431a59c0e4b25f92

Her tense body slowly 4030506927 relaxed.96fa9bdc6affda63

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She realized something important.62579142d3a75d2d

Of course. This man is Julian 2f7d416bf6 Harbour — the one 33587a7b8a known for being with 3ff1ed8713 whoever comes and goes. I was 0a3f1dbed3 so focused 4acf1da029 on running d4d2ad476d away from ef1948b992 him, I’d ae718614fe forgotten that.ef65eedd768bfce1

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Right now… I 6b6d2c0c5e don’t care who 982134c5b6 it is. As long 736d458ee2 as I 19e4b77e7c can give 686b046f0b up my 839f57c8f0 purity…d5188d4c86b30340

 c67032da1fe316e3

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