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"Damned if it isn’t!" Spencer cried "I a wild, and yet Pel has a far worse reputation They wonder if you have the ithal to bring her to heel They whisper about why you left, that perhaps your recalcitrant wife is too est you say no ht withto correct the da room for no s that ht You should petition Parliament to be rid of her You quite easily have titnesses to her adultery Hundreds, in fact"

"You tread on thin ice, brother"

"I will not tolerate the disparagehast that you would do so!"

"Spencer" Gray’s voice dropped in warning "Do not do anything idiotic"

"I will do what is necessary She is a runt, and the wall beside her shook violently Isabel covered her mouth to stifle a cry

"Say another unkind word about Pel," Gray bit out, "and I will not restrain myself I will not tolerate any slander of my wife"

"Bloody hell," Spencer gasped His surprised voice was so close to the gap in the door she was certain she would be discovered "You attackedfootsteps told her that Gray had pushed his brother away

"You say I have changed Why? Because I choose to honor my promises and commitments? That is maturity"

"She does not afford a like respect to you"

The lol frohtened Isabel "Get out I cannot be near you now"

"We are well ry-sounding footfalls preceded the sla ainst the wall and felt ill She ell aware of the talk, which had started when they wed and greorse as they lived separate lives Gray’s title held enough power that no one would dare cut her, and she had considered the gossip the price she must pay for her decisions and the freedom she desired Gray had seemed immune, and so she had assureat deal To learn that she had hurt Gray was so painful she could barely catch her breath

Unsure of what to do or what to say to e she had caused, Isabel stood h That soft sound touched her deeply, ripped the knob, pulled the door open…

…and was arrested by the sight that greeted her

Gray was clad in only trousers, a new garment by the look of it, which reminded her of the tailor’s earlier call He stood by the bed, his hand on the carved post, his back and beautifully curved buttocks hard with tension

"Grayson," she called quietly, her blood hot frohtened, but did not face her "Yes, Pel?"

"You wished to speak with ood time"

She took a deep breath, and stepped further into the rooy"

He turned to face her then, causing her to reach for a nearby chair and grip the back of it The sight of his bare torso stole her wits

"You overheard," he said flatly

"It was not htened "I a her head, Isabel pushed away from her support and moved forward "Tell est you leave Now"

Heaving out her breath, she fought back the urge to cast up her accounts "How could we have erred so greatly?" she asked, al off course, she walked toward the other side of the rooance To think that we could live as we pleased and expect Society to accept us"

"Go away, Isabel"

"I refuse to come between you and your family, Gray"

"My family be daer"

"Don’t growl at lance "You once shared your problems with me Now that I am the problem, I think that habit is evenat riht her about the waist with his hands and carried her to the bathing chaht He set her down, shoved her inside, and slah the portal

"I awith your inane prattle will see you tossed on your back and your mouth put to much better uses"

Isabel blinked in shock His rudeness was meant to drive her away, to scare her, and it very nearly succeeded She’d never had a er It did odd things to her insides,with her hand pressed against the door, she listened for sounds of hi ahen he was so inflamed seemed cowardly And yet…She was no fool She knewto do with a surly man was stay out of his way She ell aware of ould happen should she choose to enter his roo she could do for hie the facts or as the disparageet for a short ties had failed The first ti and naïve But this tiht Gray would notresponsibility for Lord Spencer Which left her wondering if perhaps Pelhaiven the tih the door," Gray said wryly, his voice directly opposite the barrier

"Are you still angry?"

"Of course, but not with you"

"I am sorry, Grayson"

"For what?" he asked in a low tone "Marrying me?"

She sed hard, the word "no" trapped in her throat because she refused to give it voice