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His eyes hardened

"That estured down the lane "Rycliff Bramwell Your superior"

His jaw hardened

"You side him for several years, his closest confidant Tell lected by his parents, overness? Locked away in an attic?"

Now the man’s entire face turned to stone A stone etched with unfriendly frown lines and a ruthless slash where the mouth should be

"Or was it the war? He’s haunted by reat loss of life? Was he captured and held prisoner behind enemy lines? I do hope he has some excuse"

She waited, watched The corporal’s face surrendered no clues whatsoever

"He has a paralyzing fear of tea," she blurted out "Or enclosed spaces Spiders, that’s uess Blink once for yes, twice for no"

He didn’t blink at all

"Neverit fro minutes later, Susanna reached the top of the bluffs and the perimeter of Rycliff Castle Naturally Lord Rycliff had arrived well ahead of her She found hisin the bailey

"Lord Rycliff?" she called Her shout echoed off the stones

No answer

She tried again, cupping her hands around her mouth "Lord Rycliff, may I have a word?"

"Only one, Miss Finch?" The faint answer came from the direction of the keep "I couldn’t be that lucky"

She advanced toward the collection of stone towers, training her ears for his voice "Where are you?"

"The ar the sound of his reply, she made for the keep’s arched entryway Once inside, Susanna turned left and entered the hollow stone turret on the northeast corner Now the armory, it would seem She supposed it did make a suitable place to store powder and weaponry Cool, dark, enclosed by stone The crunch of dry gravel beneath her feet indicated the tower’s roof was sufficiently intact to keep out the rain

She stood in the entry, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the diht Slowly, the scene came into focus, and as it did, her heart sank

She’d been half hoping--fully hoping, she supposed--that he would take this htly, limit his efforts to the bare minimum The occasion required only a bit of show, she’d reasoned Rycliff couldn’t earnestlyforce in Spindle Cove

But looking on this scene, she couldn’t deny the truth The man was serious about this militia This was a serious amount of weaponry

A row of Brown Bess muskets lined one side of the tower To the other direction, cannonballs and grapeshot were stacked A fely constructed shelves on the far side held kegs of powder And by them, with his back to her, stood Lord Rycliff

He’d undressed on arrival and noore only a loose shirt, breeches, and boots--no coat or cravat The pale linen glea over the muscled contours of his arms and back Susanna wasn’t a doctor, but she knew hunize what an excellent specimen of it he was Without the hindrance of a coat, for example, she could appreciate that his backside was particularly well forht and muscled and

And a completely inappropriate object of her attention What was happening to her? She pulled her gaze upward, allowing a moment to compose herself before she called his attention His hair was a long, dark queue, bound with twine Its end hung just between his shoulder blades, where it curled like a fishhook, baiting her

"Lord Rycliff?" she ventured He did not turn She took a deep breath and tried once again, putting some force into her voice "Lord--"

"I know you’re there, Miss Finch" His voice was quiet and controlled as he re she could not see "Hold your peace apowder"

Susanna took a step into the room

"There now," he murmured, low and seductive "Yes That’s the way"

Good heavens The sultry rasp in his voice had persuasive force Ither from her toes to her heels She took a step in reverse, and her back e cal, he said, "Well, Miss Finch? What is it you’re wanting?"

What a dangerous question

She realized she was still hugging the wall Pride propelled her two steps forward As she advanced, so her for trespassing She stopped midstep and peered at it "Did you know there’s a laave it a smile and a friendly pat "Hullo, Dinner Aren’t you a sweet thing?"

"It’s not his name, it’s hisfunction" With an i his hands with a cloth His palms were dusted with charcoal-colored powder, and his eyes, so dilated in the cool, dark stillness, glittered black as jet "If there’s so you rowled to herself He was such aSuch aat her As her father’s daughter, Susanna understood that an ambitious man could seem married to his work But this was ridiculous

She squared her shoulders "Lord Rycliff, I have an interest in e harhborly start"

"And yet"--he crossed his arle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>