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Miss Finch turned her beady gaze froether, and her brows rose into two unattractive arches "I’et the captain," she announced

"Do," Edward said, practically shoving her out the door

Miss Finch shrieked as she stu more to say, it was cut off when Edward slammed the door in her face

And locked it

Chapter 22

I a to find you

--from Cecilia Harcourt to her brother Thoood enerally required more than three hours to uproot his life and decamp to another continent As it was, he’d barely had time to pack his trunk and secure authorization to leave New York

By the time hefor departure Edward had to practically leap across the water to board the ship, and he would have been forcibly removed had he not shoved the colonel’s hastily written order in the face of the captain’s second in co himself a berth

Or maybe just a spot on the deck The captain’s man said he wasn’t even sure they had a spare hammock

No matter Edward didn’t need much room All he had were the clothes on his back, a few pounds in his pockets

And a big black hole where his patience used to be

So when the door to Cecilia’s cabin opened

One ht have thought, given the depth of his feelings, given the panic that had propelled hiht of those beautiful seafoa up at him with astonishment

But no

It was all he could do not to throttle her

"Why are you here?" she whispered, once he’d finally got the damnable Miss Finch out of the room

For ame that"

"I--"

"You left me"

She shook her head "I set you free"

He snorted at that "You’ve had me locked up for over a year"

"What?" Her response wasHe turned away, his breath ragged as he raked his hand through his hair Bloody hell, he wasn’t even wearing his hat How had that happened? Had he forgotten to put it on? Had it flown off as he ran for the ship?

The godforsaken woman had him tied in knots He wasn’t even sure if his trunk had made it aboard For all he knew he’d just earments

"Edward?" Her voice canant?" he asked

"What?"

He turned around and said it again, with even nant"

"No!" She shook her head in an almost frantic motion "I told you I wasn’t"

"I didn’t know if--" He stopped Cut himself off

"You didn’t knohat?"

He didn’t know if he could trust her That hat he’d been about to say Except it wasn’t true He did trust her On this, at least No, on this, especially And his initial instinct--the one goading hi but a devil on his shoulder, wanting to lash out To wound

Because she’d hurt him Not because she’d lied--he supposed he could understand how all that had happened But she had not had faith She had not trusted hiht thing to do? How could she have thought he didn’t care?

"I aency it was almost a whisper "I pro"

"No?" His devil, apparently, refused to give up its voice

"I proain "I would not do that to you"

"But you would do this?"

"This?" she echoed