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Beth stood upright in the middle of the room, where he’d found her when he’d first storaped to her throat to expose the dull red mark he’d left on her skin Her eyelids were heavy, her lips swollen with his kisses She was the ht," she whispered

Hethe footman and Katie, who suddenly scuttled away down the hall He snatched hat, gloves, and scarf froed out of the house before he could give in to tee it so he never had to leave He’d marry her for a very basic reason: to have her with hiht, every day, every afternoon, and every ti in hiy, which only enhanced Ian’s ability to hear the footsteps that turned and followed him as he moved off down the avenue

Sleep was iht, wrapped in a dressing gown She found herself unable to return to her journal or to go to bed The events were too fresh to write about, and anyti hand spilled ink all over her journal pages She kept her dressing gown closed to her throat, though every so often, she’d stop in front of the mirror and ease it open The red ainst her skin, alirls who’d cohed at Beth when she asked about theainst the love bite She’d had no idea why anyone would want to do such a thing Now she rele in her veins when his breath touched her throat, the throbbing of her opening when his teeth closed on her neck His hair had touched her chin, war of soap

She heard Isabella coht chat Beth had come to like Isabella, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to hide her agitation, her excite

Isabella was uncharacteristically quiet as she cah the wall, Beth heard the low voice of herIsabella for bed

Then the maid departed and all was silence Beth still couldn’t settle down Her body was keyed up, angry at her for not coh at her suggestion that they have a liaison--she’d shared a asm, but Ian Mackenzie was decadence itself A coiven her his slow half saze for the briefest instant, and said yes He’d not been amused, bored, indifferent, embarrassed The smile had set her body aflah her rooh the walls She knew the sound, had heard it often from herself after Thomas had died She’d lain alone in her plain bedroo her wrapper around her, Beth hurried next door to Isabella’s rooht no response, so she pushed her way in

The gaslights had been turned low, and a weak yello filtered through the rooht to reveal Isabella on a chaise longue, her head in her hands Isabella’s long hair poured over her back like a scarlet curtain, and she wept in choked, heaving sobs Beth slid next to her, her hand on Isabella’s satiny hair

"Darling, what is it?"

Isabella jerked her head up Her face was blotchy and tear-streaked "Go away"

"No" Beth lifted a curl from Isabella’s cheek "I’ve cried alone like this before It’s a terrible thing" Isabella regarded her with strea her ar her hair

"Mac was at the ball tonight," Isabella sobbed

"Oh, dear"