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Grace let Amelia set the pace, and as soon as they were across the rooently about the events of theneeded her assistance, and then so about her mother

Grace just nodded, her eyes constantly darting toward the door Thoh she had no idea what she ht do to prevent ould surely be a disastrous encounter, she could not possibly think of anything else

Meanwhile, Ah presence ofof you not to contradict"

"Of course not," Grace said quickly, because surely Amelia had made the same request Thomas had reeing to when she added, "You have my word"

At that point, Grace wasn’t sure she cared

They continued walking, lapsing into silence as they pro nod and a sh," he murmured "Lady Amelia"

"Mr Audley," Aed the same, but her voice was unpleasant and croaky

Aain once they ell past Mr Audley, but just then Grace heard heavy footsteps in the hall She twisted about to see, but it was only a foot by with a trunk

Grace sed Oh, dear heavens, the dowager was already beginning to pack for their trip to Ireland, and Thootten to tell hi their interview?

And then she becaet, even though their arms were linked "Sorry," she said quickly, since she suspected it was her turn to speak "Did you say so?"

Amelia shook her head and said, "No" Grace was fairly certain this was a lie, but she was not inclined to argue

And thenmore footsteps in the hall

"Excuse me," Grace said, unable to bear the suspense for one er She pulled away and hurried to the open doorway Severalby, all clearly in preparations for the upco journey to Ireland Grace returned to Aain took her ar so as two footmen passed the doorway, one with a trunk and another with a hatbox

"No," Grace said But she hated lying, and she was terrible at it, so she added, "Well, I suppose soht be, but I do not know about it"

Which was also a lie Wonderful She looked at Amelia and tried to smile cheerfully

"Grace," A terribly concerned, "are you all right?"

"Oh, noI mean, yes, I’ain, and suspected she did a worse job of it than before

"Grace," A on a new and rather unsettlingly sly tone, "are you in love with Mr Audley?"

"No!" Oh, good heavens, that was loud Grace looked over at Mr Audley Not that she’d wanted to, but they’d just turned a corner and were facing hiain, and she couldn’t avoid it His face was tilted slightly down, but she could see hi up at her, rather be her, it seee him, even if he was too far away to hear

But then, as soon as she had the opportunity, she turned back to A, "I’ve only just met him Yesterday No, the day before" Oh, she was a ninny She shook her head and looked firmly in front of her "I can’t recall"

"You’ve been entlemen lately," Amelia commented

Grace turned to her sharply "Whatever can you mean?"

"Mr Audley" Ahwayht, you said he was Scottish Or Irish You weren’t certain" Aht "Where is Mr Audley from? He has a bit of lilt as well"

"I do not know," Grace ground out Where was Thomas? She dreaded his arrival, but the anticipation of it orse

And then Aood heavens, why? - called out, "Mr Audley!"

Grace turned and looked at a wall

"Grace and I ondering where you are from," Amelia said "Your accent is unfamiliar to me"

"Ireland, Lady Amelia, a bit north of Dublin"

"Ireland!" Aoodness, you are far afield"

They’d finished circling the rooed herself and sat down Then Grace moved toward the door as subtly as she was able

"How are you enjoying Lincolnshire, Mr Audley?" she heard A"

"Surprising?"

Grace peered out into the hall, still half listening to the conversation behind her

"My visit here has not been what I expected," Mr Audley said, and Grace could well iine his amused smile as he said that

"Really?" Amelia responded "What did you expect? I assure you, we are quite civilized in this corner of England"

"Very much so," he murmured "More so than is my preference, as a matter of fact"

"Why, Mr Audley," Amelia responded, "whatever can that mean?"

If he made a reply, Grace did not hear it Just then she saw Tho like a duke again

"Oh," she said, the word slipping fro madly toward Thomas so as not to alert Amelia and Mr Audley to her distress

"Grace," he said,of this? Penrith told me that Amelia was here to see me?"

He did not slow as he approached, and Grace realized he meant for her to fall in step beside hiency, and she grabbed his arm and yanked him to a halt

He turned to her, one of his brows rising into a haughty arch

"It’s Mr Audley," she said, pulling hi roo roo

"With Amelia," she practically hissed

All traces of his unflappable exterior vanished "What the hell?" he cursed He looked sharply back toward the drawing rooe point "Why?"

"I don’t know," Grace said, her voice snapping with irritation Why would she knohy? "He was in there when I arrived Aht he was you"

His body shuddered Visibly "What did he say?"

"I don’t knoasn’t there And then I couldn’t very well interrogate her in his presence"

"No, of course not"

Grace waited in silence for hie of his nose, and he looked rather as if his head were aching Trying to offer some sort of not unpleasant news, she said, "I’ood heavens Hoas she to put it?

"identity to her," she finished with a wince

Thohly awful look

"It is not my fault, Thomas," she retorted

"I did not say that it was" His voice was stiff, and he did not offer anyroom

From the moment Grace rushed from the room, neither Jack nor Lady Amelia had uttered a word It was as if they had reached an unspoken agreement; silence would prevail while they both tried tosaid in the hall

Jack had always considered hi, but he was unable to catch even the sound of their whispers Still, he had a fair idea of as being said Grace arning Wyndhaot his claws into the lovely and innocent Lady Amelia

And then Wyndham would curse - under his breath, of course, as he would never be so crass as to do so in front of a lady - and de would have been highly entertaining if not for her, and theAnd the kiss

Grace

He wanted her back He wanted the woman he’d held in his arms, not the one who’d stiffly walked the perioing to steal the silver at anySoratulate himself Whatever she felt for him, it was not disinterest Which would have been the cruelest response of all

But for the first tiame to be played He did not care about the thrill of the chase, about re step ahead, about planning the seduction and then carrying it out with flair and flourish

He simply wanted her