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He would not rest until they learned what had happened to Thomas Edward owed this much to his friend

And now to Cecilia, as well

Stillslowly, he crossed the short distance to theand pulled the curtains back a few inches The sun was rising over the New World, painting the sky ide streaks of orange and pink He thought about his faland The day would have already started for the their h the extensive grounds of Crake House? Or was spring still clinging to England, tickling the air with its chill and wind?

He es, the coolHe h he’d never liked the cloying scent of thehthefro new He had a wife now, and God willing, children would follow He’d never thought to have a family here in the colonies He’d always pictured hi into a property of his own, not too far from the rest of the Rokesbys

Not that he’d ever pictured a specific wos He’d never courted anyone seriously, although everyone seeerton He’d never bothered to disabuse people of this notion, and neither had Billie, but they would be a disaster as husband and wife They were far too

He chuckled, thinking of her They’d run wild as children, he and Billie, along with his brother Andrew and sister Mary It was a wonder they’d all reached adulthood in good health He’d dislocated a shoulder and had a hth birthday Andreas always getting into some scrape or another Only Mary had been ih that was almost certainly less due to chance than to her superior sensibility

And George, of course George had never tested their ain, he was several years older than the rest He’d had far er siblings

Would Cecilia like his faht she would, and he knew they would like her He hoped she would not miss Derbyshire overmuch, but it didn’t sound as if she had reat affection for their village; Edould not be surprised if he remained in the army and rented Marswell out now that he was the owner

Of course they had to find him first

Privately, Edas not opti on a brave front for Cecilia, but there was too much about Thomas’s disappearance that

But then again, his own tale was filled with the improbable and bizarre--a lost memory, a found wife Who was to say that Thoinning to et dressed--or rather redressed--before Cecilia woke up He probably wouldn’t bother with new breeches, but a fresh shirt was in order His trunk had been set near the wardrobe, so he moved quietly across the roos appeared intact He’d broughtand equipment, but there were a few personal items mixed within A slim volume of poetry he’d always enjoyed, a funny little wooden rabbit he and Andrew had carved when they were young

He sain They’d each decided to carve half, and the result had been the race this earth Billie had declared that if rabbits actually looked like that, they would have been predators if only because all the other animals would faint with shock

"Then," she announced with the great drao in for the kill with their vicious little teeth"

It was at that point that Edward’s mother stu that rabbits were "God’s gentle creatures," and Billie should--