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No one had ever expected the prag Roed to seduce andAnd as it had turned out, Cauidance the Hathaways had needed With his black hair worn a trifle too long and a diae of a staid family patriarch But it was Cae the Hathaways so adeptly Now he and Amelia had a nine-month-old son, Rye, who had his father’s dark hair and histhe private drive with As In suered until at least nine o’clock, illurass s and wet h the Raest in Hampshire, it was one of the more beautiful, with an ancient timber forest and three thousand acres of arable land

In the past year Leo had come to know the estate tenants, he had e, repaired fences, gates, and buildings … and the devil knew he had learned farAll part of Kev Merripen’s merciless instructions

Merripen, who had lived with the Hathaways since childhood, had undertaken to learn as ee to Leo

"It’s not really your land," Merripen had told him, "until you’ve put some of your own blood and sweat into it"

"Is that all?" Leo had asked sarcastically "Only blood and sweat? I’m certain I can find one or two other bodily fluids to donate if it’s that ied that Merripen had been right This feeling of ownership, of connection, couldn’t be acquired any other way

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Leo let out a taut sigh Dinner had left him restless and irritable

"You must have had a roith Miss Marks," A arrows at each other across the table But tonight you were both quiet I don’t think she looked up from her plate even once"

"It wasn’t a row," Leo said curtly

"Then as it?"

"She told lanced at him suspiciously "What kind of duress?"

"Never e is--"

"Miss Marks has been under quite enough duress without you adding to it," Amelia said "I do hope you weren’t cruel to her, Leo Because if so--"

"I, cruel to Marks? I’m the one you should worry about After a conversation with her, I usually walk aith nation doubled as he saw his sister trying to suppress a grin "I gather you already knew Rutledge and Marks were related"

"I’ve known for a few days," she ad?"

"She asked reed out of respect for her privacy"

"The devil knohy Marks should have privacy when no one else around here does" Leo stopped in his tracks, obliging her to stop as well They faced each other "Why is it a secret that she’s Rutledge’s sister?"

"I’ perturbed "All she would say is that it’s for her protection"

"Protection froht tell you But I doubt it"

"By God, so to explain it to me, or I’ll throw Marks out on her arse before she can blink"

"Leo," she said in astonishment "You wouldn’t"

"It would be my pleasure"

"But think of Beatrix, and how upset she would be--"

"I a looked after by a woerous secret If a e, who has ties to some of the e his own sister … she may be a criminal Has that occurred to you?"

"No," Aain "Honestly, Leo, even for you this is a bit dramatic She is not a cri her "No one is exactly who he or she pretends to be"

After a curtailed silence, A for London on theyou to take part in the turnip planting, and the fertilizing, and--"

"I knohat Merripen expects And I do hate tolectures on the wonders ofI want to spend soe and pry some answers out of him"

Amelia frowned "Why can’t you talk to him here?"

"Because he’s on his honeyht in Ha with me Besides, I’ve decided to take on a sn a conservatory for a house in Mayfair"

"I think you want to be away frolanced at the last brilliant orange and purple vestiges of daylight "The light is going," he remarked in a pleasant tone "We should head back"

"You can’t run from your problems, you know"

His mouth twisted in annoyance "Why do people always say that? Of course you can run from your problems I do it all the time, and it never fails"

"You’re obsessed with Catherine," Amelia persisted "It’s obvious to everyone"

"Noho’s being dra back toward Ramsay House