
You arrived two hours late to a Dublin ball held for Lord Larrian, and the dancers claimed you before you found Emma. Miss Merion, your entrance has demoted the guest of honour, and an old soldier accepts the loss willingly. You step into this one-chapter preview with Thomas Redworth at the center, where choices turn on the people, promises, and pressure already in the room. Redworth remained in the rain with an unanswered question about which shore would provide your next meeting. The chapter closes on a continuation question rather than resolving the novel's larger arc.
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