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"She loves you, not that you deserve it," Gill said

"Who cares if I deserve it? I don’t want it," Fletch said "Ourthe case, I’d rather that we both understood precisely where we are, rather thanthat we’re a normal couple That we have"--he spat it--"any sort of life in the bed"

"Almost no one does have an intimate life with his wife," St Albans said, apparently recovering his tongue after the shock "Doesn’t mean he has to shoot her down in cold blood like that"

"She sees the world in rose and gold," Fletch said flatly "I believe she actually thinks we’re happy"

"She doesn’t now," Gill said

Fletch hunched his shoulders "Good"

Chapter 7

THE MORNING POST (CONTINUED)

There can be nothing erous totheir desires, living a life of pleasure, and paying heed to no admonishments This paper fears for the souls of every duchess in London!

Poppy never used to cry before she beca a spouse had turned Poppy into a waterspout She cried herself to sleep She cried in the oddest s of the Charitable Society for the Reception of Repenting Prostitutes and the -InHospital Now she ran down a long corridor of Beau away the tears as they rolled off her chin

How could he? How could he have said that, and in front of his friends? She knew they didn’t talk very

But try as shedeterain, the way he used to before they married She never betrayed the faintest irritation at the way he stalked around the house Never, ever, did she irritate hiiven that he visited her bed once a rew a silly little pointed beard, though he kneell that she loved his di

But it was like everything else in the past few years Fletch had turned hier He wore clothes of a kind that dazzled and frightened her He wore that little beard He hired a French valet and a French chef, and rattled away to both of the up, herthe skill was essential to e But if she offered to play for Fletch after supper, he would get a look of grueling boredom on his face, cross his arms over his chest, and sit until she finished a piece Then he would stand, bow politely enough, and say his goodnight Without kissing her

She slowed to a walk When had Fletch stopped kissing her? The very thought made her hiccup with tears, but after a bit she found a handkerchief and tried to think about it She couldn’t remember The last kiss…she didn’t realize it was the last kiss

The last kiss he would ever give her, perhaps!

It wasn’t until she discovered that so soainst the wall and howling Literally howling with sobs

"I--I--I," she said, and peered through her swollen eyes "Oh dear!" she wailed, collapsing into Jeave her a kiss and said, "Hush," and then said to so, Isidore"

Then Jeirl, and said, "Darling, Isidore fetched me as soon as she realized you were in distress Now, come in here, and Isidore will come too"