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     no one at all.  If she chose someone, that man could then be     her escort.          Sir Phillip stood conspicuously near her     parents, sure that she would come to him.  She knew who     she wanted to dance with, but she feared how he might     respond.  Had his heart been so battered that he would have     difficulty reacting positively to her?  What would her     father think?  What would everyone think?  Wouldn’t it     just be easier to choose no one?  But choosing no one was     still a choice.            She thought of Alexander taking her father’s anger in     her stead.  Then, for no explainable reason, her mind     wandered back to that day on the mountain.  She could     almost feel Nell’s arms around her neck and the kiss on her     cheek.  She remembered Alexander and the children.  She     thought of him giving her his food and going hungry     himself, as he was even now.  Suddenly, tears came to her     eyes, and she didn’t care what anyone else thought.  She     walked right past Sir Phillip, whose smile quickly faded.     She proceeded right past her shocked father and past her     mother.  She boldly passed Duke Reginald and Lady     Margaret and stopped in front of Alexander.  There was an     audible gasp in the hall, and a groan from her father.            Alexander slowly raised his eyes to meet hers.  She     held out her hand to him and smiled.  He stood as if in     shock for what seemed like the longest time, and slowly,     ever so slowly, but just as surely, he smiled back at her.     She could see a sparkle of tears form in the corner of his     eyes as he gently took her hand in his.  He escorted her to                                       62
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