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She looked down at the back of his head, and one of her tears fell to his hair
He straightened Without looking at her, he said, "Good-bye" And walked away
Lucy sobbed once and then she had herself contained She reer hear the departing carriage wheels
SIMON CLIMBED INTO HIS CARRIAGE and settled into the red leather squabs He rapped on the roof, then leaned back so he could watch the Craddock-Hayes house recede out theHe couldn’t see Lucy--she’d rearden, still as an alabaster statue when he left--but the house could be her surrogate They jolted forward
"I can’t believe you stayed in this country village as long as you did" Christian sighed across fro What did you do all day? Read?"
John Coache swayed Henry, sharing the seat with Christian, cleared his throat and cast his gaze to the ceiling
Christian glanced at him uneasily "’Course, the Craddock-Hayeses were very hospitable and all that Good people Miss Craddock-Hayes was nicely solicitous of ht she was protecting me froood vicar’s hen she marries that felloeeble"
Siht he did Henry cleared his throat so loudly that Sian
"What’s the matter with you, ot some kind of catarrh? You sound likemoods"
The house was a toy now, a small, bucolic spot surrounded by the oaks of the drive
"My health is quite all right, sir," Henry said frostily "Thank you for inquiring Have you thought of what you will do on your return to London, Lord Iddesleigh?"
"Mer see the house He peered for a one Best forgotten, really, all of it
If he could
"He’ll probably want to do the rounds," Christian nattered on blithely "Catch up on the gossip at Angelo’s and the ga dens and the soiled doves at the htened and closed theshade "Actually, I’round, ears flapping, an eager bloodhound racing to find my attackers"
"But wasn’t it footpads?" Christian looked puzzled "I mean, pretty hard to do, track down a couple of lowlifes in London The city’s full of theood idea who they are" Sier with the opposite hand "In fact, I’m almost sure I’ve already made their acquaintance Or at least the acquaintance of their masters"
"Really" Christian stared, perhaps realizing for the first ti "And ill you do when you have them cornered?"
"Why, call them out" Simon bared his teeth "Call them out and kill them"
Chapter Seven
"And I really do think the repairs to the roof over the vestry will last this time Thomas Jones assuredone of his lads bungle it" Eustace paused in his dissertation on the church iuide the horse past a rut in the road
"How nice," Lucy interjected while she had time
The sun was out as it had been the previous Tuesday They drove into Maiden Hill on the road Eustace always took, past the bakery and the sa with the baker The ladies turned as they had the week before and waved Nothing had changed Siht never have landed so suddenly in her life only to fly away again
Lucy felt a e to scream
"Yes, but I’m not that certain about the nave," Eustace replied
This was new to the catalogue of church proble with the nave?"
He frowned, lines etching theun to leak there as well Not veryso far, but it will be harder to get to the da I’m not sure even Tom’s eldest will enjoy that job We may have to pay him extra"
Lucy couldn’t help it She threw back her head and laughed, silly peals that were overloud and seeht winter air Eustace half smiled in that embarrassed way one does when one isn’t quite sure of the joke The two elderly ladies trotted across the green to see what the commotion was about, and the smith and his boy came out of his shop
Lucy tried to calize" Eustace glanced at her, his coffee-brown eyes shy "I’h"
Which only made her feel worse, of course
Lucy closed her eyes She suddenly realized that she should have cut this off ages ago "Eustace--"
"I wanted--" He started talking at the same time as she, and their words collided He stopped and smiled "Please" He indicated she should continue
But Lucy felt awful now and not eager to start ould no doubt be an unco your pardon What did you mean to say?"
He took a breath, his wide chest expanding under the coarse broool of his coat "I have wanted to speak to you about an ie behind the church, and suddenly they were secluded
Lucy had a terrible premonition "I think--"
But for once Eustace didn’t defer to her He continued speaking right over her "I wanted to tell you howthis time with you They’re coe rides?"
Lucy tried again "Eustace--"
"No, don’t interrupt Let et this out You’d think I wouldn’t be so nervous, as I know you so well" He inhaled and blew out a gust of air "Lucy Craddock-Hayes, will you domy bride? There That’s over with"
"I--"
Eustace pulled her to hiently against his big chest, and it was like being enveloped by a giant, s pillow, not unpleasant but not entirely comfortable either His face loomed above hers before he swooped in to kiss her