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But at the center of the labyrinth, he did not find a nificent as she reant otten in her lap, shoring up her courage to leave the estate

She’d spentits twists and turns, the search for the fountain at the center occupying her thoughts just enough to keep her froht plenty of King, of his childhood here, in what he’d confessed was his favorite place on the estate Of the things he must have avoided when he was hidden away inside this labyrinth

As one as avoiding things herself, she could attest to the benefits of this particular location

He’d escorted her to her bedcha, separated fro door, and she’d kept herself fro his decision to leave her untouched She had beenher emotions from him, if she were to offer her own opinion on the matter

Of course, once her bedchamber door was shut and the candles beside the bed were snuffed, she’d let the tears co with the desire--not just for his touch and his words, but for the rest The story he’d told, the love he’d had for Lorna--she ached for hiirl he’d lost

And then she’d ached for herself

She’d ached at the unbearable knowledge that she wanted him That she wanted his confessions and his desires and his truth And it didn’t matter Because she could want hiain

So it was best that she was here, inside this complicated e to ignore what she felt for hih, and find herself another life

But never another man

She knew that now There was no other hter of a North Country coal miner, than the Marquess of Eversley And the Marquess of Eversley was not for her

So she was leaving

Just as soon as she found hiers in the cool water, staring up at the nificent marble battle at the center of the fountain The Minotaur, head-to-head with Theseus, water cascading around the as the other There was so in the fine detail of the sculpture that made her feel for the ame, born a monster as punishment to his mother It didn’t seem fair that his whole life had been spent in solitude, even if the labyrinth of myth was as beautiful as this one

"You remembered the way in"

She snatched her hand from the water He’d found her, first

Her breath quickened at the words, and she turned to face King at the entrance to her secret hideaway "I was--"

"Hiding froht of him Even with the shadow of an afternoon beard, with his hair in a state of disarray, in shirtsleeves, rolled to the elbow, he unsettled her Perhaps those things unsettled herher a taste of the ht have had, at another time, in another place

She looked away, back to the water "More from the idea of you than from the actuality of you, if that helps"

His lips lifted in a small smile "They are different?"

"The idea of you is "

"That’s a pity," he said "I should like to be unsettling in person"

Except he was terribly unsettling Indeed, if he were anyfro her hand on her skirts "If you are here to hide from me, my lord, I am happy to leave you in peace"

She was surprised when, for a moment, he appeared to consider the offer Surprised, and somewhat affronted After all, it was he who had insulted her, was it not? It was he who’d made it clear that they were never meant to be So ould she be the one who left?

She’d been here first, had she not?