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"I’ll consider it" After glancing at the doorway to make certain they were unobserved, Gabriel bent to steal a swift kiss "Will you talk with me for a fewimportant I want to discuss"

Pandora’s sto to propose, are you?"

His lips twitched "Not right now"

"Then yes, you can ith ardens?"

She nodded

As they exited froraveled walk, Gabriel seemed relaxed, his expression carefully neutral, but there was no hiding the faint pull of tension between his brows

"What do you want to discuss?" Pandora asked

"A letter I received this hton He represented Phoebe in a dispute with her in-laws over some provisions in her late husband’s will Litchfield is well versed in the property law, so I wrote to hiaally maintain control over your company as a married woman"

Surprised and uneasy, Pandora veered to the side of the path She affected interest in a six-foot-tall shrub that bore massive white flowers the size of camellias "What was Mr Litchfield’s response?"

Gabriel approached her froive the answers I wanted"

Pandora’s shoulders drooped slightly, but she remained silent as he continued

"As Litchfield put it," Gabriel continued, "once a woman marries, she becoally enter into a contract with anyone, which means that even if she owns land, she can’t rent it out or build upon it Even if property has been secured to her as a separate estate, her husband receives all the interest and profits In the view of the govern separately fro from him"

"I already knew that" Pandora wandered to the other side of the path to stare blindly at a bed of yellow pri of prie blosso "Litchfield believes property laill continue to be refors stand now, the e vows are spoken, you’ll lose your legal independence and control of your business However--" He paused "Don’t start drifting This next part is i to remember what primroses mean Would it be innocence, or is that for daisies? I think it’s for--"

"I can’t live without you"

Pandora turned to face hi of primroses," Gabriel said in a matter-of-fact tone