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She laughed "I wouldn’t be welcoh about gossip to hold my own" There was a pause before she said, "Which returns us to, why do you return to Lyne Castle?"

Levity disappeared froto lose the "

She stoppedin the bath Silence stretched around theain "I ahtened at the honesty in the words "I’m not"

Why was it so easy to tell her the truth?

She was silent for long minutes, the water quiet around her "You’re not?"

"No My father is a bastard"

"And you return home anyway?"

He considered the words and the question in theht of his father, the o Who had taken the one thing King had wanted and destroyed it Who hadthe only thing the duke had wanted

Later, he would not understand why he told her "He su to tell hih"

Thank God

He did not turn as she lifted herself up in the tub, not even as he heard the water slosh around her when she returned to the bath with a little squeak Not when it happened a second tientlemanly decorum

Instead, he asked, "Is there a problem?"

"No," she said, and the sound repeated itself

He risked a look over his shoulder

Mistake

He could see only her head over the lip of the deep copper tub, but if her cheeks were any indication, she was clean and pink and perfect

"Don’t look!" she cried

"What is the probleet out"

What did that mean? "Why not?"

"It’s too slippery," she said, the words despondent "And my shoulder--I can’t put pressure onpunished by the universe

He turned, already shucking his coat

"Don’t turn around!" she cried, sinking below the lip of the tub

He ignored the words and walked toward her, frustrationitself as irritation as he rolled up his shirtsleeves "I assure you, my lady, I don’t wish to help any htly disingenuous

She peeked over the rim of the bathtub "Well You needn’t be rude"

Anotherof remorse at the fact she took the words as an insult and not as self-preservation

Though her hands were placed in critical positions to hide her most inappropriate parts, it did not have the intended effect Indeed, it drew his attention to the long, errant strand of her hair that curved, dark and te, down her shoulder to tease at the water, and hly, to move it And replace it with his lips

This was aze on her face--he had to, in order to retain his sanity "I’ to lift you out"

Her eyes ide "But I am--"

"I am quite aware of your situation, my lady" Perhaps if he used the honorific, he wouldn’t be so inclined to join her in the damn tub

"Close your eyes," she said