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"But if I hadn’t come back to London, she’d still be alive"

"And Felloould still believeout the truth, my Beth"

She didn’t seeht with fever She put her hand on his chest and buried her face in his shoulder

Ian held her close, his heart thuently to kiss her, he saw that her eyes had closed again and she’d fallen back into her stupor Ian laid her down on the pillows, tears sliding from his eyes to scatter across her hot skin

Chapter Twenty-two

Beth swam to wakefulness She was soaked in sweat and sore all over, but she somehow felt, deep down inside, that the worst was over

And she was so hungry

She turned her head to see Ian in the chair beside the bed, his head back, his eyes closed He was in shirtsleeves and trousers, his shirt open to his navel He held her hand firentle snore issued from his mouth Beth squeezed Ian’s hand, ready to tease hiy to cli arain

"Ian," she whispered

At the saze raked over her, and then he was on the bed, a cup of water sloshing in his hand

"Drink"

"I’d love so to eat"

"Drink the da the wetness on her parched tongue Ian glared at her mouth the entire tih for him, he’d hold her nose and dump the liquid down her throat "Now bread," Ian said He broke off a tiny piece and held it to her lips

Beth took it, unable to stop her san You fed , watching as she chewed and sed

"I feel better," she said when she’d eaten several pieces for hih very tired"

Ian felt her forehead and face "The fever’s broken"

"Thank heavens--"

She broke off with a squeak when his arms went hard around her His shirt fell open, the warmth of his bare chest like a blanket

He tried to slant a kiss across her dry lips, but she pulled back "No, Ian, II need a bath" Ian smoothed her hair from her forehead, his own eyes wet "You rest first Sleep"

"You, too"