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Ian had turned his head to stare out the , as though the conversation no longer interested hiht evaporated, and her face looked pinched and tired

"Oh, well, Ian, if you aren’t staying for breakfast, I’ll dragto you" She drifted out, leaving the door open behind her

Beth watched her go, not liking how unhappy Isabella looked "Can you stay to breakfast?" she asked Ian He shook his head and rose to his feet--did he regret leaving or was he happy to go? "Mac expects ets worried if I don’t appear"

"Your brothers like to look after you" Beth felt a pang She’d grown up so alone, with no sisters or brothers, and no friends she could trust

"They’re afraid"

"Of what?"

Ian kept his gaze out the , as though he didn’t hear her "I want to see you again"

A hundred polite refusals Mrs Barrington had drilled into her flitted through her head and out again "Yes, I’d like to see you, too"

"I will send you a h Curry"

"Ever resourceful, is your Mr Curry"

He wasn’t listening "The soprano," he said Beth blinked "I beg your pardon?" She remembered the newspaper article that had bothered her so much the day she’d met Mac "Oh That soprano"

"I asked Caue with et about you He was happy to oblige He enjoyed it" People must have seen Beth enter the Mackenzie box, perhaps had seen Ian spirit her away to Caument with Cameron to divert attention from Beth to the Mackenzies, famous for their sordid affairs

"Pity," Beth said faintly "It was such a well-done story"

"It is not what happened"

"I realize that I’m overwhelmed"