Of course, the gossiping men of the East Market weren't going to let her off the hook that easily. Having caught the scent of high-society drama, they were completely zeroed in.
The man in the emerald silk, clearly a seasoned veteran of courtyard gossip, leaned forward and rested his chin lightly on his fan. He looked at her with a blunt, conspiratorial gleam in his eye.
"Oh my, My Lady," he purred. "Let us be honest. To endure a public beating and get thrown into the slums... is it that you fell in love with someone secret? A forbidden romance, perhaps?"
Heena looked at him, letting a soft, amused breath escape her lips. She raised her hand to lightly cover the lower half of her face, feigning a polite, aristocratic modesty.
"Of course not, My Lord," Heena replied, her voice dropping into a smooth, teasing cadence. She let her dark eyes sweep over the small crowd of veiled men. "I simply haven't found anyone nearly as good-looking as you gentlemen yet."
