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He only glared at her

Then she reet hiht that she and Dunford… "Is this about Dunford?" she asked quickly "Because if it is, then there is nothing to worry about He's quite an old friend of mine, but that is all He's Alex's best friend, too"

"This isn't about him," John hissed "It's about my brother"

"Who!"

"You heard me"

"Your brother?"

John nodded curtly

"I don't even know your brother"

"If you keep up your lies, Belle, they're going to trip you up And believeto be around to catch you when you fall"

Belle sed "I think we had better continue this conversation in private" Head held high, she swept out of the room and onto a balcony By the time she reached her destination, soer, and when she turned to face hiht then, Lord Blackwood Now that we are no longer perfor before an audience, suppose you tell me just what that little scene was about"

"You are in no position to make demands on me, my lady"

"I assure you, I was not made aware of any such lirab her by the shoulders and shake her Shake her and shake her and shake her and then he… Oh Christ, he wanted to kiss her But John was not in the habit of kissing people in anger so he simply stared her down and said, "I realize that my behavior toward you has not always been i your cap after -he's ale"

Belle still wasn't certain what precisely he was talking about, but she was in no mood to offer him any explanations so she lifted her chin and replied, "It's quite common for women of the ton to marry older men I believe woe, or soht to ten years older "-she said that part quite pointedly-"childish and bothersome"