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"I’m so confused"

"My nize the letters of the alphabet When she took me to be christened, she and the priest couldn’t rew frustrated and just picked a naister and pointed, but all my mother could catch was the first letter, J"

"So you don’t even know your given naether, he ainst his heart "That’s ain at the corners of her eyes With every minute that passed in this cramped attic, she realized how little she truly knew about hiht never have the chance to learn "I wish I could have known your mother"

"I wish you could have, too" He pushed a hand through his hair "I wish a great e the Whatever your difficulty, we’ll work together to find a solution"

"We can’t change the world, Lily And the difficulty is here, between us You’re a lady of noble birth, and I have you crouched on the floor of a dusty garret, chilled through and weeping Last night, I was aalleyway"

Really? He would have taken her virtue last night, there in the street? The thought both repulsed and thrilled her

"If you’d coht … I couldn’t have lived with er, or what happened as a result"

Not this again "Julian, I asked for everything we did last night And then some I’m responsible formatch, and he did so of his own accord You are not to blame for what happened to him afterward"

His eyes flashed "How do you know that? I was supposed to be with hiht I have ene to kill ine why anyone would want to kill you"

"Of course you can’t I’ve been very careful to keep those reasons from you I’ll be damned if I’ll expose you to them now"

She shook her head "I can’t believe this You admit you’re a lowborn, unrepentant scoundrel with a crie But I’m where you draw the line?"

"Yes If I have it into be this Leaving you be"

"Then you really are a bastard Can you possibly understand how patronizing that is?" She gave a bitter sniff "You’re so very careful with me Because I’m so pure and delicate and deaf, you’re a better person around me I’m the lucky object of your scruples Meanwhile, you’ll blithely dally with any number of women you don’t respect Perhaps I should take your advice and marry If I married one of these lords you hate so fondly, maybe then you’d tup me too"

Oh, God Had she truly just spoken those words?

Color rose on his cheeks He angled his gaze to the corner

Yes She had

"Julian, I’ize It was absolutely deserved I alad you’re starting to see it It makes this easier on us both"

"Makes what easier? What is it we’re doing here?"

"We’re saying farewell"

She choked back a sob, then buried her face in one hand

His eyes pleaded with her as he pulled her hand away "Try to understand I have exactly two goals in ht now Justice for Leo, and security for you And after last night, I must face facts The first may always elude me As for the second … It’s been proved beyond doubt, I can no longer be near you without endangering your health, your virtue, or both"

Wiping her tears, she protested, "No one gives a fig for s Several puddings’ worth You should, too"

How unforgivable of hih at a moment like this

He went on, "You may say you want a lover--but you don’t, Lily Not really Take it fro around to avoid discovery, the gossip and scorn if ere found out … it would weigh heavily on you It wouldn’t end well"

Drat it all She knew in her heart he was probably right She just wasn’tthe dust fro discovery, we should be going Come, I’ll see you home" He extended a hand

She stared at it A future without Julian stretched out before her like a bleak, endless wasteland "Lord and Lady Ainsley’s assembly is next week You said you’d attend You hts We’ve only had two You owe me the one You proument, but it hat she had She just couldn’t leave here without knowing she’d see hihtful "Very well"

With a sigh of relief, she took his hand "You’ll come?"

"I’ll come" He pulled her to her feet "I can’t escort you, but I proht will be your second London debut And it will be ain at Leo’s desk October had becoer that lay open on the blotter A blank slate

She dipped her quill and drew a vertical slash down the center of the page, dividing it in two coluuuirl, but she didn’t knohat else to do Ledgers always helped her see things clear<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>