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"I think I dislike you rumbled "You're too bossy by half, you're not even pretty, and you've the serpent's own tongue"

Caroline clari, it wasn't her fault She'd learned quickly that her ere her only defense against the parade of horrible guardians she'd been forced to endure since her father's passing when she was ten First there had been George Liggett, her father's first cousin He hadn't been such a bad sort, but he certainly didn't knohat to do with a sirl So he'd smiled at her once--just once, mind you--told her he was happy to meet her, and then tossed her into a country honore her

But George had died, and her guardianship had passed on to his first cousin, as no relation of hers or her father's Niles Wickhaood substitute for a serving girl, and he'd ier than her arm Caroline had cooked, cleaned, ironed, polished, scrubbed, and swept The only thing she hadn't done was sleep

Niles, however, had choked on a chicken bone, turned quite purple, and died The courts were at a bit of a loss as to what to do with Caroline, who at fifteen seee, so they passed her guardianship on to Archibald Prewitt, Niles's second cousin Archibald had been a lewd man who'd found Caroline entirely too attractive for her co a weapon on her person at all times Archibald had had a weak heart, however, and so Caroline had only had to live with him for six months before she attended his funeral and was packed off to live with his younger brother Albert

Albert drank toohow to run fast and hide well Archibald rope her on every occasion, but Albert was a mean drunk, and when he struck her, it hurt She also beca spirits froainst her when he was sober

But, unfortunately, Albert was rarely sober, and in one of his drunken rages he kicked his horse so hard that his horse kicked hiht in the head By then Caroline was quite used to eon pulled the sheet over Albert's face, she packed her bag and waited for the courts to decide where to send her next

She soon found herself residing with Albert's younger brother Oliver and his son, the currently bleeding Percy At first Oliver had seemed the best of the bunch, but Caroline quickly realized that Oliver cared for nothing so much as e portion, he decided that Caroline--and her rasp Percy was only a few years older than Caroline, so Oliver announced that they would marry Neither of the prospective couple was pleased by this plan, and they said so, but Oliver didn't care He needled Percy until Percy agreed, and then he set about convincing Caroline that she ought to beco at her, slapping her about, starving her, locking her in her rooet her with child so that she'd have toit up a bastard than a Prewitt," Caroline "

"You're going to have to leave, you know," he said, abruptly changing the subject

"Believe me, that fact is quite clear"

"Father told et you with child, he'll take care of it hi your pardon?" she said, her voice uncharacteristically shaky Even Percy was preferable to Oliver

"I don't knohere you can go, but you need to disappear until your twenty-first birthday, which is … when? … soon, I think"

"Six weeks," Caroline whispered "Six weeks exactly"

"Can you do it?"

"Hide?"

Percy nodded