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"Oh, thank heavens" She touched his forehead with her hand Her skin felt hot, but then again, everything felt hot

"Hon – Honor – " He couldn’t quite e the rest of her name He tried; he moved his lips, and he took a few more breaths But it was all too much effort, especially since she wouldn’t seem to answer his question Why was she here?

"You’ve been very ill," she said

He nodded Or he , at least

"Mrs Wetherby wrote to me in London"

Ah, so that was it Still, very odd

She took his hand in hers, patting it in a nervous, fluttery gesture "I came up just as soon as I could My mother is here, as well"

Lady Winstead? He tried to smile He liked Lady Winstead

"I think you still have a fever," Honoria said, sounding unsure of herself "Your forehead is quite war hot in this room I don’t know that I can tell how much of the heat is you, and howone ar in the diht "The "

She shook her head "I’m sorry I wish I could Mrs Wetherby said the doctor said – "

"Please" He was begging – hell, he alht cry But he didn’t care He just wanted her to open the damned

"Marcus, I can’t" But she looked torn

"I can’t breathe," he told her And honestly, he did not think he was exaggerating

"Oh, all right," she said, bustling over to the"But don’t tell anyone"

"Promise," he mumbled He couldn’t rouse himself to turn his head to watch, but he could hear her every ht

"Mrs Wetherby was quite fir back the curtain "The roorunted and tried to lift a hand in a dis for invalids" – ah, now there was the sound of thebeing shoved open – "but I can’t iine it’s healthy to bake in such heat when one has a fever"

Marcus felt the first stirrings of cooler air touch his skin, and he almost cried with happiness

"I’ve never had a fever," Honoria said, co back to his side "Or at least not that I can remember Isn’t that odd?"

He could hear the smile in her voice He even knew exactly what sort of smile it was – a little bit sheepish, with just a touch of wonderht side of her her than the left

And now he could hear it It was lovely And strange How odd that he knew her so well He knew her, of course, better than al someone’s smiles