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Sam frowned "Do you--"

"Mr Hartley, I believe we still have the shoemaker’s to visit," Mademoiselle Molyneux cut in

Sam broke eye contact with Thornton to look at the ladies Rebecca atching him with confusion in her eyes, Lady Emeline’s face was blank, and the old lady ies, ladies I didn’t o events"

"I apologize as well" Thorntonyou--"

"Might I have your address?" Saain Few remember the events of that day"

Thornton bea You may find me at my place of business It’s not too far from here Only continue down Piccadilly to Dover Street and you will find e Thornton and Son, Bootmakers Founded by my father, don’t you know"

"Thank you" Saain and watched as Thornton made his farewells to the ladies and walked off His red hair could be discerned in the crowd for some time before he disappeared

He turned to Lady Emeline and offered his ar into her eyes There was no way she wouldn’t have figured it out She was an intelligent woman, and she’d heard the entire conversation But he still felt a sinking in his chest

She knew

MR HARTLEY WAS in London because of the massacre at Spinner’s Falls His questions to Mr Thornton had been too pointed, his attention to the replies too intense Soiment bothered him

And Reynaud had died at Spinner’s Falls

Eertips on his forearripped the ers "Why didn’t you say anything?"

They had started walking, and his face was in profile to her A muscle in his cheek twitched "Ma’am?"

"No!" she hissed at hiht behind, and she didn’t want them to hear "Don’t pretend to lanced at her then "I would never think you a fool"

"Then don’t treat iating?"

"I" He hesitated What was he thinking? What was he hiding fro up unpleasant memories I don’t want to remind you--"

"Reotten the death of my only brother? That I would need a word from you to make me think of him? He is with me every day Every day, I tell you" She stopped because her breath was co to tremble What idiots men were!

"I’ht of your loss--"

She snorted at that

He continued over her interruption "But credit me with some sensitivity I didn’t kno to speak about your brother About that day My sin is one of stupidity, not deliberate ive me, please"

Such a pretty speech She bit her lip and watched as two young aristocrats sauntered by, dressed in the height of fashion Lace spilled fros were extravagantly curled They probably hadn’t yet attained their twentieth year, and they walked with all the arrogance of e, confident in their place in society, confident that the woes of the lesser classes would never touch them Reynaud had walked like that once

She looked away, re eyes "He wrote about you"

He glanced at her, his brows raised

"Reynaud," she clarified, although she could hardly be speaking of anyone else "In his letters to me, he wrote about you"

Mr Hartley stared straight ahead She saw his Adam’s apple dip as he sed "What did he say?"

She shrugged, pretending interest in theof a lace shop as they passed It had been years since last she’d pored over Reynaud’s letters, but she knew the contents of every single one by heart

"He said that an Ai ability He said that he trusted you above all the other scouts, even the native Indians He said that you showed him how to discern the difference between the native tribes That the Mohicans wore their hair in a bristle at the top of their head and that the Wy-Wy--"

"Wyandot," he said softly

"Wyandot were fond of the colors red and black and favored a long piece of cloth worn in front and back--"

"A breech clout"