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have no sponsor. Even if I had the money of my own, I have no entre into society.”
    â€œOn the contrary,” he said. “You know me.”
    â€œYou are hardly an appropriate chaperone.”
    â€œQuite true, but I have friends who would help if I asked.” He flashed her his most charming smile. “I can be rather persuasive when I want.”
    She turned to frown at him, but hope sparked in her eyes. “You would do that for me? You would be persuasive on my behalf?”
    â€œOf course I would,” he said, excitement bright in his heart.
    â€œBut why?”
    He grinned. If he was to do this thing, then he should by all rights do it completely. And so he dropped to one knee before her, imitating the exact pose her cousin had been in not twelve hours before.
    â€œI would do it,” he said, “if you would become my affianced bride.”

Three
    Rakes are tricky beasts who always have a plan.
    Mellie stared at the man at her feet, and her mind refused to comprehend. Mr. Anaedsley, the future Duke of Timby, was on his knees before her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. It made no sense. What he’d said… He couldn’t be serious, and yet some part of her understood exactly what was happening and was beyond thrilled. Her heart beat in her throat, and the joy that tingled in her stomach was going to make her ill.
    Lord Charming was asking her to be his bride.
    â€œBut…but…” she babbled.
    â€œYes?” he prompted, his grin widening. He had the attitude of a man making a joke, but this was no joke. Not to her.
    â€œBut you don’t like me!”
    â€œI know,” he said. His eyes were definitely dancing now. “And you don’t like me.”
    Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She thought him mischievous and unfocused and…well, and an aristocrat. Which meant he was generally a useless person living a life of selfish pleasure. He didn’t study. He didn’t lead. He simply gadded about doing whatever struck his fancy.
    Useless. He was useless, and yet for the first time in her life, she thought that useless might not be so bad. Not when it came with a smile and a twinkle. Not when he could make her laugh and offered to save her from her cousin. Given that, useless might look like chivalry.
    â€œMr. Anaedsley…” she began, but she didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want him to sacrifice himself to rescue her. And yet, part of her did. Part of her wanted it most desperately.
    He laughed, then lightly jumped back onto his seat. “Sorry. Couldn’t stay down there long. It’s too hard on the knee.”
    She blinked and nodded. She didn’t want him hurting his knee. But…
    He had just proposed to her! Her mind finally latched onto that one fact. Marriage. To Mr. Anaedsley.
    â€œI—” she began, not knowing in the least what she wanted to say.
    â€œDon’t answer. Not until you’ve heard me out.”
    She closed her mouth. That was the least she could do.
    â€œYou suffer from a lack of options. You have not met enough gentlemen to attract the right man.”
    She barely heard his words. She kept thinking. He was the grandson of a duke. Why would he propose to her? Especially since he just said he didn’t like her. It made no sense, and so she set her free hand to her mouth, pushing her lips hard against her teeth to prevent any sound from escaping.
    â€œWhat you don’t know,” he said, “because I have taken great pains to hide the fact, is that I am woefully short on funds.” He still held her right hand, and he began to idly rub her knuckles as he spoke. It seemed a casual gesture, one he did without thought, and yet she felt every pass of his thumb as if he were scraping against her open heart. “Do you remember my favorite mare? The chestnut one that I usually ride when coming to visit?”
    She nodded, barely able to follow his