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"She's a whore now" Spencer turned around to retrieve his breeches

John's hand tightened on his gun

"That's all she ever would have been"

John lifted his gun "His majesty's soldiers do not rape" He shot Spencer in the ass

Spencer howled and went down, letting loose a swift stream of expletives John i he could possibly do to erase her pain and humiliation

Her face was blank Completely devoid of expression…

Until she saw higered backward at the force of her terror He hadn't… It hadn't been him…He'd meant to…

Ana's mother burst into the room "Mother of God," she cried out "What is-Oh,uncontrollably

John stood in the middle of the room, dazed, in shock, and still drunk hiskey "I didn't… " he whispered "It wasn'tand cursing in pain Ana was crying Herat God John couldn't seem to move

Ana's mother turned around, her face full of le person "You did this," she hissed, and spit in his face

"No It wasn't me I didn't…"

"You swore you'd protect her" The wo hiht as well have been you"

John blinked "No"

It ht as well have been you

It ht as well…

John sat up in bed, his body soaked with sweat Had it really been five years? He laid back down, trying to forget that Ana had killed herself three days later

Chapter 3

"When Belle arrived at breakfast the next , she discovered that neither E because Euessed that Alex was keeping her abed for his own purposes and wondered if a wonant

"For soht," she muttered to herself, "you know pathetically little about the i, my lady?" a foot toher eyes at her behavior If she kept this up, half of Westonbirt would think she was daft

She helped herself to a bit of breakfast, glancing through the day-old newspaper that was sitting out on the table for Alex's perusal The needs still hadn't arrived by the ti to decide how to occupy herself

She could raid Alex's library, she supposed, but for once she didn't feel like reading The sun was shining brightly, a rare treat during this exceptionally rainy autumn, and she suddenly wished that she weren't alone, that Alex or E, that she had someone hom to share the fine weather But there was no one Except-Belle shook her head She couldn't just prance over to Lord Blackwood's house and say hello