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He saw Daisy walking ahead of hi to her She gave the earl a quick nod, seeaze to the floor The sight of her caused a sharp pain in his throat, as if it had been pierced with a stiletto He willed the blanketing numbness to come back, and mercifully it did

They entered the parlor Matthew felt like the daaze swept the room, just as he heard a ht burst of pain in his head, and his legs collapsed as if they had turned to sand The brightness shrank like an i in, but hisfeebly for consciousness

Matthew became dimly aware that he was on the floor--he felt the scratchy wool pile of the carpet beneath his cheek Wetness trickled froroan vibrated in his throat As he concentrated on the pain, he identified its source at the back of his head He had been struck, clubbed, by soht streaked across his vision as he felt hi hauled upward, his ar, a woman’s sharp cry…Matthew blinked to clear his eyes, but they wouldn’t stop watering against the biting pain His wrists were compressed in a heavy iron loop Handcuffs, he realized, and the familiar-awful heft of them filled hinizable to his buzzing ears There was Westcliff raging--

"…dare to couests…do you knoho I aate!"

And a new voice--

"Not after all these years I won’t chance the possibility of his escape"

The speaker was Mr Wendell Waring, the patriarch of a wealthy New England family The man Matthew despised second-’s son Harry

It was strange how a sound or a scent could bring back the past so daet it

"Just where," Westcliff asked acidly, "do you expect hiitive by any ht to object"

It would have been a massive understate told by anyone that he had no right to do so, especially in his own horeater understateument thundered more violently than the storentle touch on his face He jerked backward and heard Daisy’s quiethis face with a dry cloth, clearing his eyes andhis dahting to suppress a howl of misery as he looked at her

Daisy’s face hite but res to the crests of her cheeks, the color standing out in stark relief against her pale skin She lowered herself to her knees on the carpet beside his chair to exale iron band was closed around his wrist and fastened with a lock-case attached to another, larger loop that a constable would use to lead hiistered the presence of two oversized officers dressed in the standard uniforh-collared tailcoats, and hardened top hats They stood by in gri, Westcliff, and Tho with the lock case of the cuffs Matthew’s heart twisted painfully as he saw that she was prying at it with a hair pin The Bowarnered over years of their parents’ foiled atte too badly for her to e the unfamiliar lock--and it was obviously pointless to try and free hiliness, from the wreck of his past…from himself "No," Matthew said softly "It’s not worth it Daisy, please--"

"Here, now," one of the officers said as he saw Daisy’sshe was ignoring him, the constable stepped forith his hands half-raised "Miss, I told you--"

"Don’t you touch her," Lillian snapped, her voice containing a ferocity that caused a te paused inat the dued her aside She spoke to the constables with stinging scorn "Before you take a step in my direction, I’d advise you to consider what it will do to your careers when it is made known that you manhandled the Countess of Westcliff in her own home" She extracted a pin fro before Matthew In a matter of seconds the lock clicked open and the loop fell from his wrists

Before Matthew could thank her, Lillian stood and continued her tirade against the constables "A fine pair you are, taking orders from an ill-bred Yankee to abuse the household that offered you shelter from a storm Obviously you are too dull-witted to be aware of all the financial and political support er, he could have the Hoistrate of Bow Street replaced within apardon, but we ‘as no choice, milady," one of the beefy constables protested "We’re under orders to bring Mr Phaelan to Bow Street"

"Who the bloody hell is Mr Phaelan?" Lillian de awestruck by the countess’s fluent swearing, the constable said, "That one, there" He pointed at Matthew

Conscious that all eyes were on him, Matthew made his face expressionless

Daisy was the first one in the roo handcuffs from Matthew’s lap and went to the door, where a sathered After a quick whispered exchange she returned to occupy a chair near Matthew’s

"And to think I predicted it would be a dull evening at ho a chair on Matthew’s other side as if to help defend hiently to Matthew "Is that your name? Matthew Phaelan?"

He couldn’t answer, everyin rejection of the sound

"It is," Wendell Waring shrilled Waring was one of those unfortunate h-pitched voices were inadequate to match their lofty physical proportions Other than that, Waring was distinguished in bearing and appearance, with a thick ruff of silver hair, perfectly groomed side whiskers and an impenetrable white beard He reeked of Old Boston, with his old-fashioned tailoring and expensive but orn tweed coat, and the air of self-assurance that could only have been produced in a faenerations of Harvard scholars His eyes were like unfaceted quartz stones, hard and light and co thrust a handful of papers at him "Proof of my authority," he said venomously "There you have a copy of a diplomatic requisition of provisional arrest from the American Secretary of State A copy of an order froistrate at Bow Street, to issue a warrant for the arrest of Matthew Phaelan, alias Mattheift Copies of sworn infor," Westcliff interrupted with a softness that in no way er in his tone, "youfro Bible That does not mean I will surrender this man to you"

"You have no choice! He is a convicted criardless of anyone’s objections