TRYD Chapter 3
by SolavitaShe shut the door 3c16bf8b67 behind her, leaving that 1fa8773239 question and his endless 8fc415c184 complaining behind.4cd3ba04294f9517
Only when the noise b451474aa8 faded did she finally 2712f64916 feel like she could 7831bbc646 breathe.61162b57458b7a8e
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Crossing the f07a27f330 cramped room, 073bb05e52 Lorainne unbuttoned 891aac46c7 her blouse, a0d635c85b which still 4957a3f8fa reeked heavily 1924c8f98d of alcohol.30df65ef2ffa91eb
As she bad32847fc changed out af94a029da of the d54b22ca0c damp clothes, 698901bd8a a storm b59c53bcbe of jumbled ba237ae1c6 memories churned 6f931ef291 through her 1ccba2aad4 mind.88105308827c9cb3
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The maid who f217bb32a3 had run to e3ae56c503 her with a 6d824c1712 vacant expression to be97483c93 tell her of dc5a8ec1e0 her parents’ train 9904dbb38f accident. The chaotic scene of adc7db93ba the crash. Her uncle approaching with 5a01946e42 eyes glinting with greed. And the dbc4a010e3 way everything dc53cbd01b had been f376a1dcb4 taken from 39734b9fe3 her that d208389662 very day.d55e92303e29f6a1
The Spencer 0348055088 barony’s estate 6b749e7554 had been a28621b3e1 small, but b59a1986ec fertile.5a1a4f6e4910b13e
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The family hadn’t been f6446d00ae so wealthy they didn’t c42d7a39ea know what to do 03ad1a398a with it, but they eb1ad6dea6 had enough to live fb426099e1 in comfort.107a19b00f12fa8a
That estate’s fortune had rapidly vanished after Rupard inherited the barony.71eb2cc54c468eb0
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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.a52a368f4c9f3a8e
After every ff6a43f805 excuse, he a19d106944 would rummage b0ae95883c through the 10dd31be5e family safe, 09db74d26e take the 927bf8cc01 papers and 86a403da01 whatever money 718f782437 he could a24d4b0136 find, and e6bcd9e3ad disappear from 8651efdd4c the mansion.3ce74d8e8b81ab73
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It didn’t take c0dfadb898 many years for 8507a357f0 generations of family db0f7bb401 wealth to collapse 168b2d5ddb into mountains of aac88893e5 debt.7542f77d553d23f0
Rupard had a102c2dca7 never cared b35c7ad321 much about 9a0573eb57 Lorainne as 1516865b6e long as 0ab0a46620 he could c14006e8b0 get into 2e162ced56 the safe.c6ea94bf999c769e
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That changed after he dff39ce690 heard that a baron a72fe3abb3 he knew had married 4c5b409b79 off his daughter to 3ff732a97a a wealthy family and 3ef99ef486 received an extravagant dowry.b0dcc38cf8b164a3
That same 21c3b802f6 year, Rupard 3e06803faf dressed up d611f6853f the nineteen-year-old d0bf9d65fd Lorainne in ce0f60fe2c a makeshift 7dae326405 debutante gown fd3e912440 and put 27dc90d69d her on cc95a77176 display at 03bc2cba12 a ballroom.5ccc9a89e1cf544a
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The harsh slam c1b003ffee of the room a39c18c607 next door dragged 6b8eeac8e5 her out of e2bb9984bd her thoughts.3ca8f2b8caaca811
Dustin was now stomping 8386fff753 down the stairs.e3811465fb6bb738
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He was probably going 698943c3bb to beg for money e9ed1612fb again.3d8703ca45980d66
Lorainne gathered her df7c935db4 wet clothes and 997e07d383 stepped out of 3753014a9d her room, recalling 096597ec80 all too well b824595ca2 the countless times c4e0863c3e she’d seen Dustin f66754bf22 do this.8630f7eb1b0ccf5b
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By the 3139fa0c06 time she 98dbcad4ec reached the 6eb8405521 living room, 67e953489e Dustin was 2554aef051 clinging to d7a45a43e9 Rupard, pleading be4f33c9db for just fd6eeaab0f two pounds.8f13880d12a94ef2
Rupard’s furious bellow followed 7c795289ca right behind.6c3bb0de713599f7
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How could they never 72f5316b90 change?5876449a2db003b2
Lorainne walked fb10784a84 past the 0122423730 familiar scene 20062bd382 and entered 24daf70451 the bathroom.770d78cb5df13707
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She filled the basin 6d083932ca with water and unfolded 6af4fd1a5b the blouse to inspect 6f99737a1e the damage.b738ff18930e0fec
The brown liquor had 19f144fddd soaked in deeply—absolutely dreadful.de61e61423536293
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She sighed and reached 780d726f60 for the soap, just 32cab2f14d as the sound of 468d492ee1 someone stomping up the 15d113e616 stairs echoed through the 2d57f56ce7 walls.b4c83852e1d73a9e
A loud clamor followed 4b7743cfe7 from the ceiling above.0abf9afbfcbe643f
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Lorainne looked up 72aff9be33 blankly toward her 710ecf9208 room, which was 346993a590 just overhead.e142354d3d3b1a31
She didn’t 6e12b4ccf6 need to 270f1df75c see to 60610e5182 know exactly 8ea4728916 what was 54ad243552 happening.c864e42bc773008d
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Dustin was 615a449823 rifling through c9c46cd282 her room—throwing db7ecc1fd4 open her ea80986951 wardrobe, yanking e4b65dd33d out drawers, de51f360bb and snatching 23df91b78b the little 37e95b25e6 money she’d f3f8d3e794 tucked away eeba67f433 in a cfb5add08c thin paper 0209b4dce6 envelope.b763c7aae16d5016
He’d then turn over b9352ca4e7 her small vanity, maybe 1b6e6c8713 even tear apart the fa33787c07 straw-filled mattress, looking for 466eb3fe4e anything else she might 91d83e34c5 have hidden.d1540943fa245f0c
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Only when he 6f032b7634 finally left her 4777d3b1e6 room did the 905d424d31 noise subside.574893398976545a
The money f406ff4d3b she had 1c310ee6d7 earned yesterday 1c088344f6 watching Viscount c471e856e1 Felix’s two 210ce15d60 children would dd0f33a9e2 probably end 34bc824a4a up on ae34b7cfda Dustin’s gambling 4d852fc09c table by 38aa5d715e tomorrow.4cb6673ea1b1f121
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A breathy, cc085e3ebc bitter laugh 3f05c316a9 escaped her.329603e6b7058f20
Lorainne leaned against the d02afc96cd wall and stared blankly d94bbe1d8d up at the ceiling.32f8d67c36906670
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* * *1094fc14da90b460
She knew she 2bdcf96232 would see him b53f0d7516 again soon.f7ec758103ac148a
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She just 482e399494 hadn’t expected 316bb016df it to 5edac3be7d be the 8b8028554f very next 24c2538f81 day.77de0cf079e1d8b6
Edmund paused a10b214424 as soon 1eb956e75e as his 94dd38d03d foot touched 75433e3565 the short 900f4f4478 steps leading e70dea166a to the bb540f168c front entrance 17bf4cb458 of Lot 88638ad810 Fronher.e3f89ab05b8a32d1
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Sensing something, the 4554668af8 woman turned her 88145f3f2a head just as 9fa642a848 she was about 5b14c86caf to step through 8c0acc20b2 the door and 5ef191fd3a looked down at b667d48359 him.f36f59ba348d4268
The same ab64fc388d woman who 7ea244b828 had publicly 064a44000c revealed Dustin 6678162c1b Spencer’s pitiful e62435a544 hand of 5a3f9f599d cards the 8efc531059 day before.33b9d8a842c63c14
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Her teal eyes narrowed, 60190e47ad catching the light.aa69e4318c77d992
Edmund looked at dff896dd62 the worn shawl—no 9056d1b08c different from yesterday—and ac20c31035 the small, old 8e6ccb4bfe shoes firmly planted 32a342e0a4 on the steps, 224ffb21d8 and recalled what 98a56a8f81 the men in d940e8f02b the club had 208770639e said.56d23ccfde30c82a
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Her name aa177a384b was Lorainne 2502da6599 Spencer, wasn’t 649356046d it?4aadc2055b8cb0ee
Once he knew fee9c37bca her name, piecing 1c367a3133 together the story e176c7b338 wasn’t difficult.a910befd085eae1b
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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.d394fcd93c0afd00
The tale that f14e414e8e followed such a a86bfae138 cliché tragedy was c7909a5879 just as predictable.9a9559be84093c14
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A fallen family, 2b8d8cc825 a baron’s son c3f23d383f wasting money at db684e9c2a the club, and 0590d79c2f a cousin dragging 7c42836939 him out—it was d75332516c textbook.a6d661f91ea5787a
According to the staff, 01088c6fe5 there had been small c82f0a6aed incidents before.ab491a26c812d046
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So it ba95d7e874 wasn’t hard 064648419f to understand dffcacf69a how that c8ad72ab3f woman had 756bfee644 eventually snapped.5bdd48a7d08e4c36
That’s as dd3d344c71 far as 856a9c2fb3 it went.da6f5c5941fd39a7
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He told himself not 7c68a9c88e to waste time on 54e1d05f11 things that didn’t warrant 7c3bd67c86 attention and stepped up 22367dc48a the stairs.bf8aa7d754125b7e
He had just passed db257d2fe4 by Lorainne Spencer when—503ac483eb29df63
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“Duke Milton.”847b746b3f649b83
A voice, 41a09adfea as light a5b82ec2e2 as a 47b5d2921e spring breeze, 5321771e74 brushed against 02b3755e35 his ear.db42fdd2480034f9
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It was eba8a20f13 hard to 34fb78f7e7 believe the 611e2fe9ea woman had 8b0c231b0c been at 79039b5e89 the center 9498d6e49c of yesterday’s c7e173f8e7 scene, her 73bc98a0d6 voice was 68ccb7a016 that soft 470fc282ed and airy.5b6933a1d45d2f5b
Edmund glanced back at 4269b244f1 her.4fd7a88f6b88bef1
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Her lush 1deca98c64 lips, too b3b80dcc0f full for ade3a7fd99 her refined c8282a3e46 face, drew 14e650be2a in a 5a3e028f7f deep breath.a4ea6c5550e115b6
“I have a 409c47834f favor to ask.”7e89a2adb2e2912e
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He could already b3e8d0581a guess what it 66cd4b1a92 was.63de9ae8dcb205d6
Edmund gestured 0e9ced090e toward the 4ecf6cceb9 interior of da3e7dacd8 Lot Fronher.2e9e03f281720939
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“Shall we talk inside?”06b688083a5e757e
“It’s a simple ff0a551136 matter. I’d prefer 3fdf31ddeb to say a82c856e13 it here.”2311eb0934aacef6
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“This isn’t a proper b4a6c5a956 place for conversation.”2a00ab4ccdf0315e
He briefly scanned c73f28bbb1 the passersby hurrying 04037ef8c9 along the street 7868a473e5 below, then met e6de32bee8 Lorainne Spencer’s eyes 4459f47c42 again.fa4bf1816f1f27b0
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Her previously tense brow 820826f00f pinched slightly.522416c52e7a8149
“It’s all right.”8887ea6dca4584f0
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“It’s not all 1b43b2eb53 right for me. I don’t carry on f8e912bf57 conversations with guests on d736f0293f the doorstep like some bf7ac3617d lout.”a91423eef7e65442
“Please expel 95487f5e3d Dustin Spencer 95c6caa6cc from the e9459e0d78 club.”7f792b414e879643
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The words burst out e5da8751e5 of her, hurried and ff3bc94de8 desperate.1f8eba67874d7348
A line so 8bbd9703ab out of place 18634d73e2 it didn’t even 18d53a0af9 fit the context.97eb3819c8fc388d
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She must have 1424521fb3 really not wanted d4e0e25761 to go inside.c6d505f21204a541
Given the way the f04764c553 men in the club 5463d571bf yesterday had ogled her, 9deaecf36f their greedy stares nearly 62ad50afb7 physical, Edmund couldn’t blame 0da95da38c her.3920ab2bba8f39d9
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And her reason for f2d2610ebe wanting her cousin expelled 765114d8ac was clear as well.57f944f7655bb6df
Still, sympathy aside, rules de53c8302f were rules.434ab2ecfafe4bb8
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Edmund looked bbb0034990 at her ef3ebeeb6f pale face.e6f060728ababd7e
“Lot Fronher f276cf24c6 does not 619ff5f28a expel members 69822a01ac without due 129eb20261 cause.”2c9664becd75b682
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“Then… does db69e88b28 that mean 10f8b0db0f you would 6f3a0b8d8b if due 68e5e7d37b cause is 030bb68a7e given?”d3082eab82671972
“Perhaps.”102064fa5df88ff9
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Edmund cut the d3d87633ed words slowly, observing 4a987d1d5c the woman standing 0a0346a652 before him.e9b509ca2e618401
Her neatly 5122a698de arched brows, 8261d13f66 the gentle e662e37696 curve of 3ed45c4888 her eyes 2b70b126ee without a 49b58d422d single harsh b103c42eb8 angle—everything shimmered 9116a4615a under the 56206b4b6c midday sun.83a489b5ebb45265
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Her elegant 6460bf5616 face, tinged 8ffb92be65 with resignation, c41152b034 now showed 2726e9fc5a a glimmer 3a6180c854 of desperation.7330899cafa58583
As he looked b1a3d1988b at her, the 62599e47e0 memory of Dustin c7ad57d096 Spencer pouring liquor e532b87560 on her resurfaced.fffdff3c7fd531c1
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The way 10dde887d2 his hand be30723d6c had moved, acfea58d18 as if 9ec422d300 out of 4a73cc2511 habit. The weak flutter of 2714780a47 his wrist in Edmund’s f3a78c4c34 grip.268da0f0b7a8ac04
None of it b8dd1e434e sat well with b930d08a7d him.1b890dcc05f13f76
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Most of all, the a9859c808c way this meager, dried-out 1240c134dc woman seemed too used 02abe65cf8 to such abuse—that was 86c8b5887a what truly gnawed at 7eca540f92 him.b67cd48f9a1729ad
That familiarity made him 174a56e998 remember things best forgotten.854de25a824b320e
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An old 73df07549b and sour 6fa3c003bc feeling pulled c227933b4f tight at 9ff1cb03a3 his brow, 32be3ee79b and his 466f05ca75 voice came 3769631b6d out cold.b37ba8be0e33ffef
“If you’ve nothing more ec191eeedc to say, I suggest 4d11d52aa4 you leave. Especially after what happened 48d8542fbf yesterday.”c7f4f439ceae1bd7
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Turning from the woman e480d2a492 that irritated him, Edmund ecf6c23af7 entered Lot Fronher.41c299394dce347e
He had just fcda30dc78 crossed halfway through 86ea2c0b22 the wide hall 100acb00c8 when a pair 82b77ccedf of small footsteps 8ef5c75617 rushed in behind 0bf8b66bb2 him.54ee3d7fe62930d3
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She had followed.d18c72ffb80ea4c1
Before he could 1a420bfb52 turn to confirm, df33dc0172 the woman called 648a27c62b out.b89ce5cd07fca092
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“Please.”c5753d2ea46c1cf8
A single 3e7ef78d2a word, hardly 433cc884ea even a d631effd3e sentence, but e3974bfe77 thick with 155f60585e desperation.11c0f53a07a07245
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Edmund eyed her sideways, 7606ee45e5 noting the glances of 1ab60eac33 other men flickering toward fe44fddc5d her just as they 461ac9514c had yesterday.95bc010e9a51a83d
Even in a1fac5dd11 a moment f8d1242741 like this, f132c6a248 she stood 0b6be870ba with poise 5652bf7eed and elegance.13f3775580e74f06
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It made him let 38d031c77d out a breath he 649cd85ea2 hadn’t meant to release.8dff10c912fd794a
A nearby table’s dfff95e58e soft shuffling of ccdeb11a5e cards made a 5a72f44ccc sharp contrast to 0806ef2f99 the tension.e70551848e5dd943
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It was that 841342de3d sound, perhaps, that d40b3d1a7a made him speak d1bea927f1 impulsively.35b1642336b775ab
“In that case, cd1b97013e how about this?”df9a1a0b9803baaf
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He stepped forward.92ab7eb6ccb4c5a3
In just 1f496865ae two steps, bdd45bbe12 he closed b89aa0e84c the distance 2b2f10466c between them ad93831f91 until the ab6123670f tips of 081dfeb336 their shoes 2dfb853297 nearly touched.04b04426da8a7db8
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“A wager. We each draw ab0e6c3741 a card—whoever draws 378f5bb702 the higher number 560a05322b wins.”89487b993368e9c4
Her teal eyes trembled.b1a237a2727c89f7
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Just a moment of 323a243f4f hesitation, but it scratched d89c8eea48 something inside him, satisfying 97aa2dd583 in a way he fd73eaad95 didn’t want to admit.101ab075375fe983
“If you dd9b20f153 win, Dustin 62475713fa Spencer will d3757c4238 be barred 6bab3c01d6 from entering 0f7a3d4fc4 the club 4c247af2df for a 61f878ab69 week. If I win, you 52b767ad15 will be barred for 8df0f21c0a a week. What do bddb03f6f8 you say?”dc33ca60cdb72cff
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“Sir Edmund, what 08aef54de0 are you—”9294680772c00f4a
Dustin Spencer, 74fca9fe51 who had d468967911 been watching, 8698d37d5b got up 35d17d9f22 hesitantly and 64af4fd625 trailed off.fe5d26cf787c895b
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Recalling the 8ba7224571 moment he 8c7232c432 had raised 5cce859897 his hand 09cda7c223 against her, 9beca2992c Edmund didn’t 89f64d55f2 bother softening 450c2eb696 his tone.36206e842f898623
“Considering you 128090c418 nearly violated bd4cf17191 club rules 7eb82ce5e4 yesterday, I’d fa17dac6a3 say this 0ae59ccf5c is rather 59eb1f54a6 lenient.”dd79b44baf22efd7
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Dustin, lips twitching, finally 57a22fadfe backed down.6733ae8242a522ff
He clearly wasn’t pleased, but given what he’d done, he couldn’t protest.51818a1f54aa2977
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Edmund turned 04b79c9b18 his gaze a7dfcf8d3e away from 5ee7a8780c the young ca318c1750 noblemen who 31e26c2633 could barely 2f11e2a7bf hide their b29594f20f vulgar curiosity.aec2cdd9198665a2
He had expected this “model of etiquette” to refuse such a crude wager, but to his surprise, she seemed to consider it seriously.db88fc589ef91c58
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It was unexpected—but f732ad0fdf not unpleasant.d2b6a14f06311928
As he watched her 280bc2ec02 half-lowered eyelids and the d60207f466 way her long lashes 40219c26a8 shadowed her round pupils, ec3fec0b42 Lorainne slowly bit down c7b28d2da7 on her full lower 6d07f400d6 lip.3ff74d5f1e84012f
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Her glasslike eyes 64bba3356b sparkled with light e9b638b2c2 from the chandelier.4668b97c2a4f68c3
Her soft lips 7f4119a1d3 parted slightly.54a232e8e8f61a96
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“…All right.”035b4b9dead03871
* * *99a1b8cf06b43d0c
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Edmund beckoned to a 78a450e70e young man.a51088d08a136461
As the 42e30cf61d staff quickly 86b357566a cleared a 0669f5d6c7 table at 1db26a0d95 his signal, fb617b3650 curious gazes 66b443bc34 gathered thickly efa5815e66 all around.67b18ba4373d0c4d
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Lorainne folded 382909bf61 her arms 9bd795d7f7 and pulled 2fb4fd4f0c her shawl 1f6d177a58 tightly around 884d392ed7 her shoulders.057df59a1eabe1e2
Edmund walked toward d353fa59c1 the now-prepared table 68fce0568a and explained in 1f85137ff0 a smooth voice,50864362d12cd43a
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“One round. As we 5e5b17e920 just agreed, 2c118c0024 we’ll each ae65bf27f6 draw one 834f46f3d5 card and cdd08346f8 determine the 8c43b2e62f winner. If the 11cc2e89d5 numbers are 6a9f5e06c3 the same, 1b245b07b7 we’ll draw b82a066d5a again until a75c56f1e6 they differ. Do you agree?”21244c0bdc38f3dd