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day, but as the adage goes, opposites attract, so they did. Alysse thought Tiffany to be everything she was not--bright, amusing, and beautiful, with her long, dark hair and sapphire eyes. She admired the spirit and courage her new friend possessed and was not taken back when Tiffany confessed how she came to board the ship bound for France.
    "Heavens, Tiffany, you are so brave; why, I would still be in shock over it all. Of course," she stated sullenly, "I've never had much spirit or courage, for that matter, to even consider such an escapade."
    A look of concern crossed Tiffany's face as she sat, legs crossed, on her berth, brushing her hair. "Oh, Alysse, you have been the better for it; look where it got me. Exiled from my beloved Courtland, torn from my true love, Alan, and ..." She broke off, tears filling her eyes.
    "Oh, Tiffany. Look what I've done making you remember sad things. Brian always says I don't think before I speak."
    "It's all right, I have to get used to the fact that Xanadu is gone."
    Alysse looked at Tiffany, wishing to kick herself for causing such unhappiness, although she could never imagine being so attached to a horse. God, she rode only because it was expected of her. Certainly not for any enjoyment. Pulling down the covers, she crawled between the cool sheets. "Will you get the light, Tiffany, when you're finished brushing her hair?"
    Tiffany blew out the candle and slid into bed, feeling the lulling motion of the ship.
    A long moment passed and was broken by Alysse. "Do you think men will find me pretty?"
    Tiffany was shocked by the question, thinking Alysse to be what the time considered a fashionable beauty. "Oh, but of course! I bet your coming out will be such a success."
    "I do hope so . . . for the sake of my betrothed, at least." Alysse sighed, turning in bed.
    "Have you ever met him?"
    "No, it was arranged at my birth. The Allistairs are longtime family friends, and my father had promised the Marquess Allistair his firstborn daughter. The marquess had lost all hope what with mother presenting father with three sons, but alas, I was born."
    "Is he much older than you?" Tiffany asked, visions of a gnarled old man crossing her mind. She shivered involuntarily.
    "He is twenty-six and holds the title. I overheard my older brother, Chad, say, 'He is quite sought after by the ladies.' " She sighed. "As soon as I am eighteen, the marriage will take place and the contract will be fulfilled."
    Tiffany turned to her side, peering through the dark, trying to see Alysse. "Does it disturb you that you had no choice in the matter? For it certainly would bother me."
    "What can I do? It is how things are done."
    Tiffany wondered about Alysse's calm acceptance of the situation. The rocking motion of the ship caused the girls to drift to the edges of sleep. But before falling off, Alysse softly asked, "Do you think we can have a few girlish adventures before I become a married woman?"
    Tiffany smiled in the dark, saying, "Oh, most definitely!"
    Tiffany could never recall feeling as anxious as she did this moment. The closer the carriage pushed onward to Paris, the more anxious she became. Her stomach knotted with each passing mile and she nearly jumped out of her skin when Carolyn leaned over to stop her hands from doing irreparable damage to the silk of her gown. "Now, Tiffany dear, don't fret so. Winnie and I go back eons. She's not an ogre, you know, dear."
    Tiffany smiled tremulously and stilled her hands, folding them in her lap.
    Brian spoke. "I believe we will be crossing the property line of Breatoney. Yes, indeed we have; see there." He pointed at the stone wall. "There lies the beginning of Breatoney."
    Tiffany looked out in the direction of Brian's finger, seeing a high stone wall. Her stomach began to flutter anew.
    "Oh, thank God, I shall be so grateful when this trip is over; what with all this bouncing around the countryside and jostling, my lumbago is flaring up," moaned Carolyn.
    Three pairs