"An angel of mercy descended upon us decadent demons of the aristocracy", he said with only the barest hint of sarcasm in his warm voice. Pailere had heard worse compliments in her time, yet it would take more than a hasty piece of adoration to impress her. Most men expected the ladies of the court to blanche upon being looked at in a lewd fashion (as was often the case when Pailere frequented salons and ballrooms), but the man lacked that hungry look in his eyes. At least until now. Pailere took a deep breath and folded her arms under her bosom, making their soft flesh rise to even grander proportions, taking a candid pleasure out of the flash of mulled pain as her corset dug deeper into her skin. She tore at the lacy boundaries of etiquette, as much as her looks constantly taunted the he
