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But she wasn’t safe fro birth The thought of killing Win with his own body, his spaelling inside her until-

His entire being shied at the thought His deepest terror was har her

Kev wanted to talk to her, to listen to her, help her soiven But he’d put a barrier between them, and he didn’t dare cross it Because if Harrow ’s flaas a lack of e, tooCam calaze of eveningthe knock at the door, Kev stood at the threshold and scowled "What is it?"

"I had a private talk with Harrow," Cam said, his face expressionless

"And?"

"He wants to e to be in name only She doesn’t know it yet"

"Bloody hell," Kev muttered "She’ll be the latest addition to his collection of fine objects She’ll stay chaste while he has his affairs-"

"I don’t know her well," Caree to such an arrangement Especially if you offered her an alternative, phral"

"There is only one alternative, and that is to stay safe with her family"

"There’s one more You could offer for her"

"That’s not possible"

"Why not?"

Kev felt his face burn "I couldn’t stay celibate with her I could never hold to it"

"There are ways to prevent conception"

That elicited a contemptuous snort from Kev "That worked well for you, didn’t it?" He rubbed his face wearily "You know the other reasons I can’t offer for her"

"I know the way you once lived," Ca his words with obvious care "I understand your fear of har her But in spite of all that, I find it hard to believe that you would really let her go to another man"

"I would if that was best for her"

"Can you actually say that the best Winnifred Hathaway deserves is soed to say, "than soh the social season was not yet over, it was agreed that the fao to Hampshire There was Amelia’s condition to consider-she would be better off in the healthful surroundings-and Win and Leo wanted to see the Ra Poppy and Beatrix of the remainder of the season But they both claimed to be quite happy to quit London

This attitude was not unexpected co from Beatrix, who still see through the countryside like a wild creature But Leo was surprised that Poppy, as candid about wanting to find a husband, would be so willing to depart

"I’ve seen all this season’s prospects," Poppy told Leo grie "Not one of the in town for"

Beatrix sat in the opposite seat, with Dodger the ferret curled in her lap Miss Marks had wedged herself in the corner, her bespectacled gaze fixed on the scenery

Leo had rarely encountered such an off-putting female Abrasive, pale, her forular bones, her character stiff and knotty and dry

Clearly Catherine Marks hated men Which Leo wouldn’t have blaender Except that she didn’t seem to like women very much, either The only people she seemed to unbend ere Poppy and Beatrix, who had reported that Miss Marks was exceptionally intelligent and could be very witty at times, and she had a lovely sht little sea in a smile He rather doubted she even had teeth, since he had never seen them

"She’ll ruin the view," he had co, when Poppy and Beatrix had told hi him on their drive "I won’t enjoy the scenery with the Gri her shadow over it"

"Don’t call her such horrid names, Leo," Beatrix had protested "I like her very much And she’s very nice when you’re not around"

"I believe she was treated very wrongly by a man in her past," Poppy said sotto voce "In fact, I’ve heard a ruoverness because she was involved in a scandal"

Leo was interested despite himself "What kind of scandal?"

Poppy lowered her voice to a whisper "They say she squandered her favors"

"She doesn’t look like a woman ould squander her favors," Beatrix said in a normal voice

"Hush, Bea!" Poppy exclaiht think ere gossiping about her"

"But we are gossiping about her Besides, I don’t believe she would do… you know, that… with anyone She doesn’t seem at all that sort of woman"

"I believe it," Leo had said "Usually the ladies most inclined to squander their favors are the ones who don’t have any"

"I don’t understand," Bea said

"He means unattractive ladies are more easily seduced," Poppy had said wryly, "which I don’t agree with And besides, Miss Marks isn’t unattractive at all She’s only a bit… stern"

"And scrawny as a Scottish chicken," Leo had e passed Marble Arch and proceeded to Park Lane, Miss Marks glued her gaze to the spring floral displays

Glancing at her idly, Leo noted that she had a decent profile-a sweet little tip of a nose supporting the spectacles, a gently rounded chin Too bad the clenchedforehead ruined the rest of it