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"Second door on your left, my lord"

John made his way down the hall and opened the door Just as he thought, there wasn't a single piece of blue furniture in the roo out over the fields which bordered his own property

"Trying to figure out how you can convince me that the apple orchard is on your side of the border?" John joked

Alex turned around "Blackwood It's daood to see you And the apple orchard is on my side of the border"

John quirked a brow "Maybe I've been trying to figure out how to fleece you out of it"

Alex smiled "How have you been? And why haven't you stopped by to say hello? I didn't even know you'd bought this place until Belle told me yesterday afternoon"

So they called her Belle It suited her And she'd been talking about hih he rather doubted she'd had anything nice to say "You seeet that one is not supposed to call upon a duke unless the duke has done so first"

"Really, Blackwood, I would think we'd be beyond the trivialities of etiquette at this point Any man who has saved my life is welcohtly, re the tie into Alex's back "Anyone would have done the same," he said softly

One corner of Alex's ed at John as he took his aim John had taken a knife wound in his arm for his bravery "No," Alex said finally "I don't think that anyone would have done the sah talk of war I prefer not to dwell upon it myself How have you been?"

John motioned to a chair, and Alex sat down "The same as anyone else, I suppose Would you like a drink?"

Alex nodded, and John brought hilass of whiskey "Obviously not quite the same, Lord Blackwood"

"Oh, that Got rin "Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"A very nice ring"

"And how has your life changed in the last four years?"

"Hadn't changed much at all, I suppose, until the last six ot myself married," Alex said with a sheepish slass of whiskey in a silent toast

"Her name is Emma She's Belle's cousin"

John wondered if Alex's wife looked anything like her cousin If so, he could easily see how she would have caught the duke's attention "I don't suppose she has also read the entire works of Shakespeare?"