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Love was the cruelest joke of all

"Lady Ah"

Grace jolted upright, blinking furiously She must have fallen asleep She could not recall the last time she had done so at midday "Lady Amelia?" she echoed, surprised "With Lady Elizabeth?"

"No, miss," the maid informed her "She is alone"

"How curious" Grace sat up, flexing her feet and hands to awaken her body "Please tell her I shall be right there" She waited for the hten her hair It orse than she’d feared, although she could not be certain whether it had been mussed in sleep or by Mr

Audley

She felt her skin flush at theher deter as briskly as she could, as if speed and a set of squared shoulders could keep all of her worries at bay

Or at the very least, make her look as if she did not care

It did seerave without Elizabeth Grace did not know that she had ever done so before Certainly not to see her Grace wondered if her original intention had been to call upon Thomas, as, as far as she knew, still out

She hurried down the stairs, then turned toroom But she’d not taken rabbed her arm and yanked her into a side room

"Thoard and sporting a nasty bruise under his left eye His appearance was a shock; she had never seen hi so ru, and his hair had most definitely not been styled a la Brutus

Or even a la human

And then there were his eyes, which were most uncharacteristically red-rimmed

"What happened to you?"

He put a finger to his lips and shut the door "Were you expecting sorear male hand close around her ar to steal a kiss

Her flush grew deeper as she realized she had been disappointed to realize that it was not

"No, of course not," she said quickly, even though she suspected he knew she was lying She quickly glanced around the roo?"

"I needed to speak with you before you see Lady Amelia"

"Oh, then you know she is here?"

"I brought her," he confirmed

Her eyes widened That was news He had been out all night and was considerably worse for the wear

She glanced at a nearby clock It was not yet even noon When could he have collected Amelia? And where?

And why?

"It is a long story," he said, clearly to cut her off before she could ask any questions "But suffice it to say, she will infor, and you invited her back to Belgrave"

Her brows rose If he was asking her to lie, it was very serious, indeed "Thomas, any number of people know quite well that I was not in Sta"

"Yes, but herthat number"

Grace wasn’t sure if she should be shocked or delighted Had he compromised Amelia? Why else would they need to lie to her an, unsure of how to proceed "I feel I iven the nuine that Lady Crowland would be delighted to know - "

"Oh for God’s sake, it is nothing like that," he muttered "Amelia assisted me home when I was" - he blushed then Blushed! Thomas! - "i It was quite re hi less than perfectly composed "That was most charitable of her," she said, perhaps a little too prilared at her, which only made it more difficult to maintain an even face

She cleared her throat "Have you, er, considered tidying up?"

"No," he snapped, "I rather enjoy looking like a slovenly fool"

Grace winced at that

"Now listen," he continued, looking terribly determined "Amelia will repeat what I have told you, but it is imperative that you not tell her about Mr Audley"

"I would never do that," Grace said quickly "It is not my place"

"Good"

"But she ant to knohy you were, er" Oh, dear, how to put it politely?

"You don’t knohy," he said firmly "Just tell her that Why would she suspect that you would know more?"

"She knows that I consider you a friend," Grace said "And further She knows that"

"You’re not a servant," he muttered

"I am and you know it," she replied, almost amused "The only difference is that I a and occasionally converse with the guests But I assure you, I aossip"

For several seconds he did nothing but stare, as if waiting for her to laugh and say, Only joking! Finally heunder his breath that she was quite certain she was not ossip was occasionally risque, but it was never profane)

"Forinto hers, "will you please just tell her you don’t know?"

It was the closest she had ever heard hi, and it left her disoriented and acutely uncomfortable "Of course," she said quickly "You have my word"

He nodded briskly "A you"

"Yes Yes, of course" Grace hurried to the door, but when her hand touched the knob, she found she was not quite ready to go She turned around, taking one last look at his face

He was not himself No one could blame him; it had been a most extraordinary two days But still, it worried her

"Will you be all right?" she asked

And iretted that she had done so His face seeoing to laugh or cry But she did know that she did not want to be witness to either

"No, don’t answer that," she mumbled, and she ran from the room