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Honoria nodded Itto get started now," her mother told her "There is much I can do even without the scissors"

"Of course" Honoria watched as Lady Winstead sat at Marcus’s side and dipped a cloth in the stea I can do to help?" Honoria asked, feeling rather ineffectual at the foot of the bed

"Sit on the other side," her ht find comfort in it"

Honoria wasn’t so sure that Marcus found co she did, but she knew she would find co around like an idiot, doing absolutely nothing

"Hello, Marcus," she said, pulling the chair close to the bed

She didn’t expect him to answer, and indeed, he did not

"You’re quite sick, you know," she continued, trying to keep her voice bright and happy, even if her words were not She sed, then continued in the brightest voice she could e, "But it turns out thatIsn’t that re sense of pride "I s" She leaned down and ht she was the sort ould faint at the sight of blood"

"I heard that," her mother said

Honoria gave her an apologetic size" Herher work When she spoke, however, she did not look up "I have not always been as"

There was a hint of a pause, just enough for Honoria to realize that her mother was not quite sure what to say

"As resolute as you may have needed me to be," Lady Winstead finally finished

Honoria sat very still, sucking in her upper lip as she let her y, just as much as if her mother had actually said the words I’m sorry

But it was also a request Her mother did not want to discuss it any further It had been difficult enough just to say what she did And so Honoria accepted the apology in exactly the manner her mother hoped she would She turned back to Marcus and said –

"Anyway, I don’t think anyone thought to look at your leg The cough, you know The doctor thought that was the cause of the fever"

Marcus let out a little cry of pain Honoria glanced quickly doard herwith the scissors Mrs Wetherby had brought She’d opened the like a scalpel With one fluid ht down the middle of the wound

"He didn’t even flinch," Honoria said with surprise

Her mother didn’t look up "That’s not the painful part"

"Oh," Honoria said, turning back to Marcus "Well See, that wasn’t so bad"

He screamed